Badges in Disability Studies

Stand out above other applicants for your next job search or continue your professional development by getting a microcredential/badge in Disability Studies! Badges are micro-credentials that are earned and showcase your additional skills and competencies in an area. Once you complete the curriculum, you receive a digital badge that can be displayed easily on LinkedIn and other social media platforms to help promote your experience and advance your career.

Disability is a fundamental dimension of human diversity. One in every five Americans lives with a disability, making it our country’s largest minority population. The WVU Center for Excellence in Disabilities offers badges for students, faculty and staff to earn on their pathway to Disability Inclusion. WVU Badges are micro-credentials that students, faculty and staff can earn after completing criteria in a subject area.

Students and professionals do not have to be enrolled at WVU to earn a micro-credential.

Student Badges

Disability Inclusion Identity

No matter their field of study, students will engage with individuals with disabilities in their family, work and community. This micro-credential is designed for students to develop an awareness of equitable and accessible education, research, policy and advocacy foundations for individuals with all abilities. For more information, email ccorbet@hsc.wvu.edu.

Learn more about the Disability Inclusion Badge Criteria Get started on earning the Student Badge

Country Roads

The Country Roads Program is a transitional program designed for individuals with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities. The program is a two-year program focused on four domains: occupational preparation, social development, independent living, and leadership. Students who are enrolled in the program are also eligible to obtain micro-credentials for their resumes that showcase their skills and capacity moving forward after their experience at West Virginia University (WVU).

Learn more about the Country Roads badge criteria

Faculty and Staff Badges

This interdisciplinary micro-credential incorporates offerings from disciplines such as public health, disability studies, social work, design, economics, and policy to capture disability within a range of historical, cultural, socioeconomic, and geographic contexts. This opportunity is designed to increase an individual’s skills for addressing stigma and challenges associated with disability within our society and advocate for improved accessibility to quality care, education, and other resources within our communities.

Participants may earn individual badges or, in some cases, embark on a pathway to achieve a succession of badges that demonstrate a progression in learning. Learners may choose to pursue all three badges or simply earn one or two. For more information, email lcottrell@hsc.wvu.edu.

Learn more about the Faculty and Staff Badges criteria Register to earn the Faculty and Staff Badges

Disability Awareness

This introductory micro-credential provides a concise overview of disability, disability services, and foundational discussions about how this knowledge integrates with faculty and staff roles within higher education. Cost: $25.

Disability Advocacy

This badge moves the discussion of disability services from awareness to action. While completing the content, a learner will identify and discuss issues related to universal design and patient navigation. These concepts are roles we can play as members of our larger society to sustain an accessible community and environment. Learners will also engage with individuals and families who lead discussions about their experiences with disabilities. Finally, learners will identify and be able to demonstration examples of assistive technology, know its potential role for individuals with disabilities, and identify ways to advocate for these resources as needed. Cost: $25.

Disability Impact

The final badge in this series provides experiential learning opportunities for learners to put their knowledge into practice. Learners will know when to use person first vs disability first language when interacting with someone with a disability, they will interact with students in a program for individuals with disabilities as a peer mentor to identify ways they could advocate and support other individuals while establishing boundaries and appropriate relationships. Webinars and a final project will be required to reflect and summarize this experience emphasizing advocacy. Cost: $50.

Series Completion

Completing the three badges in this series will fulfill requirements for an overall badge series designation.