As Michigan State University recognizes Disability Pride Month in October, faculty in the Department of Advertising + Public Relations (ADPR), Edward Timke and Chuqing Dong, hosted two events on September 25 focused on advancing inclusive disability communication.
The programs brought together undergraduate students, faculty, and professionals to explore how communicators can make messages, campaigns, and workplaces more inclusive for people with disabilities.
Supported by the Arthur W. Page Center’s 2024 Page/Johnson Legacy Scholar Grant, the events are part of Timke and Dong’s research examining how communication practices can promote disability ethics across strategic communication professions. This research aims to advance public relations ethics training and to raise industry awareness and understanding of disabilities and related ethical issues.
In the morning session, guest speaker Sarah Kirwan, the founder and principal of Eye Level Communications, joined Dong’s PR 300: PR Theory and Ethics course to lead a workshop titled “Inclusive Disability Communication: Shaping Narratives and Shifting Perspectives,” which addresses how corporate communicators can make their messages and campaigns more inclusive for people with disabilities. The workshop encouraged students to discuss disability ethics and inclusion—topics rarely addressed in public relations classrooms.
In the afternoon, a panel was held with Lauren Gaines, Susan McFarlane-Alvarez, Thea Knowles, Dan Olsen, Allen Sheffield, and others. Moderated by Timke and Dong and supported by the graduate research assistant Morgan van den Berg, the conversation focused on what it means to achieve disability inclusion through communication and how such training can foster inclusive practices within organizations.
“These events show our commitment to connecting and leveraging research for teaching,” said Timke. “By engaging students, professionals, and campus leaders in meaningful conversations about disability, we’re shaping a new generation of communicators who see access as essential to innovation. Disability is not a limitation—it’s a perspective that can expand how we imagine communication, design, and belonging.”
The department’s efforts are part of an ongoing project aimed at defining disability ethics, exploring effective communication strategies, and developing training approaches for strategic communication professionals. The initiative incorporates input from practitioners, educators, HR experts, non-profit advocates, and government agencies to build stronger, more inclusive frameworks for communication.
Timke recently shared insights related to this work in his MSUToday article, “Faculty voice: Advancing disability inclusion in advertising.”
By Claire Dippel