Inclusion 101: Disability Etiquette and Language

Helping health, fitness, and sport professionals become more comfortable and confident when it comes to communication and conversation around disability.

Students will learn how to:

Communicate confidently and respectfully with clients
Avoid ableist language and behaviors
Create welcoming, inclusive training environments
Understand proper etiquette and how to intervene to offer assistance when needed

Course Content

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Introduction

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Defining Disability, Inclusion, and Ableism

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Terminology and Phrases to Avoid

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Be Aware of the Story that you Tell

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Etiquette and Expectations

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Additional Resources

Get to know

The Educators

Danielle Connolly

Danielle Connolly is a rare disease and disability advocate, content creator, and business and marketing professional. Born with a muscle disease that has remained undiagnosed for over 30 years, Danielle’s unique life experiences have shaped her various ambitions.

Danielle is an exceptional storyteller, translating complex information across diverse industries—including healthcare, business, science, accessibility, and government.

She is passionate about making a difference through creative projects, advocacy, and collaboration. Under the username "Daniellevates"—a blend of her name and "elevates"—Danielle shares content that reflects her mission to elevate ideas about disability, accessibility, and inclusion through humor, storytelling, education, and adventures.

Brendan Aylward

Brendan Aylward is the owner of Unified Health and Performance, an inclusive strength and conditioning facility in MA, and Executive Director of AdaptX, a non-profit organization that aims to improve the health and fitness of individuals with disabilities through education, research, advocacy, and opportunity.

His companies contribute to the growing body of adaptive fitness literature through The Rick Hoyt Research Lab, where they pursue two lines of clinical and translational science: 1) The optimization of exercise delivery in people with ID/PD, and 2) The implementation of accessible and inclusive fitness environments.

Brendan and his friend, Jacob, have been a part of Team Hoyt New England since 2014, completing more than 100 races, including six marathons, together as a duo.
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