CFP: SDS Annual Conference

SDS 2010, 22nd Annual Conference Call for Proposals
THEME: DISABILITY IN THE GEO-POLITICAL IMAGINATION

Dates: June 2-5, 2010

Host: Institute on Disabilities, Temple University

Location: Howard Gittis Student Center, Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Submission Forms: All proposals must use the SDS CFP submission form available at the 2010 SDS conference site.

Proposal Deadline: Midnight EST, December 15, 2009

The board of the Society for Disability Studies recognizes the unfortunate scheduling conflict of this year's annual conference with that of the Canadian Disability Studies Association. In keeping with this year's theme of the "Geo-Political Imagination," and in order to encourage continuing productive exchange of knowledge across our borders, both groups are making all efforts to adopt innovative strategies for connecting the events virtually through live interactive video and special programming. Look for an addendum to this CFP with the details of these opportunities in the next few weeks.

DISABILITY IN THE GEO-POLITICAL IMAGINATION

The development of global studies has increasingly called for a cross-cultural and comparative approach to questions of marginalization, stigma, diaspora and resettlement, labor and exploitation, climate change, and the world-ranging production of impairment and disability from violence, inhumane treatment, crumbling infrastructure, and environmental degradation. A significant amount of scholarship also examines new resistance cultures and the galvanization of global networks as members of diverse disability communities try to navigate productive collaborations across newly wired cybernetic systems and claim the possibilities offered by globalization. New opportunities and new problems abound around forging transnational communities, increased mobility, health and charity tourism, the implementation of universal rights, increased transparency of states and organizations, better community-based rehabilitation, and more varied work possibilities.

This year's Society for Disability Studies conference features the theme Disability in the Geo-Political Imagination to spur ongoing efforts in interdisciplinary analyses. Such a theme arrives at a timely moment in the wake of the signing of the United Nations Charter on the Rights of People with Disabilities by leaders in 140 nations (including, most recently and somewhat belatedly, the United States). As a result of the emergence and ratification of this convention, disability has become a more visible topic within the public sphere. Nations, perhaps including the United States, that previously undervalued disabled populations now contend with what it means to be truly inclusive. Likewise, Disability-advocacy organizations now seek to
make further claims upon the state as a guarantor of rights and liberties. This SDS conference theme includes proactive responses and solutions to the critique that disabled populations particularly those which are disproportionately poor and people of color are ill represented, under-analyzed, and under-theorized, particularly in the context of global studies. As the local and global may be seen as intertwined and haunting each other, so can questions of disability, race, class, and gender.

Disability studies explores the distance that exists between popular representations of disability as tragic embodiment, and politically informed disability cultures that define themselves against such devaluing views. Authors of panel and paper proposals will ideally feature new ways of conceptualizing people who experience disability as social actors connected or disconnected on a global scale. In particular, the SDS Program Committee seeks entries from those areas of inquiry that resist, revise, and re-imagine contemporary understandings of human differences and embodiment such as critical race studies, feminist/womanist studies, class-based analyses, queer studies, trans-gender studies, and other critical perspectives linked to social justice initiatives.

While proposals for any topic are always welcome at SDS, we offer a suggested theme each year. This year’s theme encourages submissions that attend to local conditions, including those in our host city of Philadelphia, within a global context and to cultures of empowerment and resistance within the complexity of global exploitation and opportunities.

Questions about the application process or other administrative matters may be directed to the SDS Executive Office at conference@disstudies.org.

Overall questions can be directed to either of the Program Committee Co-Chairs:

•David Mitchell--dmitchel@temple.edu Temple University
•Devva Kasnitz devva@earthlink.net University of California, Berkeley

To read the full CFP, review application guidelines, or to submit a proposal, visit:
http://www.disstudies.org/conference/2010/cfp.

CFP: Canadian Disability Studies Association 7th Annual Conference

Canadian Disability Studies Association 7th Annual Conference
June 2, 3, and 4, 2010
Concordia University, Montreal, Quebec

Call for Presentation Proposals

CDSA-ACEI hosts its seventh annual conference, June 2, 3, and 4, 2010, at Concordia University in Montreal in conjunction with the annual Congress of the Canadian Federation for the Humanities and Social Sciences

Theme:

The Congress 2010 theme is "Connected Understanding/Le savoir branché." Connected understanding speaks to scholarly activity in Disability Studies from two perspectives. First, it refers to the impact of the rise of digital technology on our scholarly research and research-creation. New technology has provided Disability Studies scholars with different research tools, access to new sources and new means of communicating their research results to colleagues and the wider public. In many cases, these new tools have transformed how Disability Studies scholars understand problems. Second, the idea of connected understanding speaks to the links that Disability Studies scholars make with their colleagues in other fields and with larger audiences beyond the academic world. Here, too, technology has enhanced the ability of individuals outside the academy to respond to, and challenge the authority of Disability Studies scholars. These connections have added new voices to the discussion of many issues and complicated our understanding of them.

Digital technology has been a boon to people with disabilities, providing access to a world that was often inaccessible or difficult to navigate, but in turn has changed connections between people. People in the same department or at the same campus that would meet in person to discuss things instead communicate by email, voicemail, or text messages. People that would travel to other cities to conferences to present papers and network instead Skype, video/teleconference, or podcast. We may be connected and understanding by using digital technology, but are we really connecting with each other?

In keeping with the Congress theme for 2010 "Connected Understanding/Le savoir branché" CDSA-ACEI is interested in the increasingly interdisciplinary nature of research and the importance of connecting the academic world with users of knowledge from all sectors. To connect Disability Studies scholars with scholars in different fields, to connect the discipline of Disability Studies with other academic disciplines, and to connect Disability Studies scholars with public audiences beyond academe.

Topics:

The mandate of CDSA-ACEI is to support and encourage global research on disability within a social-cultural-political paradigm, with a special interest in Canadian research and work. CDSA-ACEI invites presentation proposals from a broad range of disciplines and projects, from all established and emerging areas of research, that embrace unconventional topics or ways of research, or bring together scholars at different stages of their careers. While prospective presenters are invited to address the Congress theme, presentation proposals that depart from that theme are welcomed.

CDSA-ACEI encourages and welcomes undergraduate and graduate students to submit presentation proposals. Up to eight exemplary and inspirational student presenters will receive conference subsidies. Contact cdsa.acei@gmail.com for details.

Some possible topics for “Connected Understanding” could be:

* Challenges and issues for children, youth, and the elderly with disabilities
* Higher education issues for students and faculty with disabilities
* Portrayal of people with disabilities in the mass media, the arts, theatre, music, film, and literature
* Thinking beyond the “dis” in disability and Disability Studies
* Artists, writers, actors, or musicians with disabilities
* Employment and housing issues for people with disabilities
* Global migrations and identities for people with disabilities
* Technology advancements in the workplace, at school, and at home for people with disabilities
* Quality of life & bioethics issues for people with disabilities
* Healthcare and health literacy issues for people with disabilities
* Public, legal, and government policy issues for people with disabilities
* LGBTQ community within the disability community
* Sexual health of people with disabilities
* First Nations Peoples with disabilities
* Cultural / religious / ethnic views about people with disabilities
* Accessibility of social media
* Making “invisible” disabilities “visible”
* Accessibility of public spaces (i.e., parks, recreation areas, libraries, community centres)
* Issues for military veterans/personnel with disabilities
* Histories of people with disabilities
* Disability rights & advocacy
* Philosophical approaches about people with disabilities
* Body image & identity for people with disabilities
* Feminist approaches about people with disabilities
* Leisure/competitive sports & physical fitness for people with disabilities
* Theories & research methodologies in Disability Studies

Types of Presentations:

Submissions for the CDSA-ACEI conference may be one of four types. Each presentation block is 90 minutes (includes presenter changeover time and audience discussions).

1. Paper: This format includes individual presentations of works in progress, completed studies, “special” or “major” papers, or short scholarly papers. A paper presentation block will consist of three presenters and involve a discussant/chair to moderate the presenters and audience in the allocated 90-minute presentation block.

2. Panel: This format includes panels, workshops, symposiums, performances, recitals, and seminars. This provides opportunities to present diverse or conflicting perspectives that inspire deliberation on a compelling topic or issue that is or should be of concern to disability studies researchers. The organizer of the panel is responsible for setting the topic and number of presenters and moderates the presenters and audience in the allocated 90-minute presentation block.

3. Roundtable: This format includes informal discussions about particular research issues, books (already published or in progress), work that is at an early stage of conceptualization, research proposals, or the body of work of an individual/group. The organizer of the roundtable is responsible for setting the topic and number of presenters and moderates the presenters and audience in the allocated 90-minute presentation block.

4. Joint Session: This format is intended to highlight disability research and scholarly work that is interdisciplinary and collaborative in nature. It is organised and scheduled in conjunction with another CFHSS association and may involve a discussant/chair to moderate the presenters and audience in the allocated 90-minute presentation block.

Special Note: In acknowledgement of the date conflicts with the Society for Disability Studies’ 2010 conference, CDSA-ACEI will endeavour, depending on funding and available technical resources, to provide some opportunities for joint live presentations between the two associations. Contact cdsa.acei@gmail.com for details.

Submitting Proposals:

To submit a presentation proposal for the 2010 CDSA-ACEI conference, please send the following two components via email attachment. Presentation proposals should be emailed to cdsa.acei@gmail.com. The deadline for submissions is 4:00pm EST on December 4, 2009.

1. Presentation Submission Form (MS Word only): Fill out the pertaining information in the form for each presenter.

2. Presentation Proposal: On a separate page, place the title of the presentation at the top of the page. Then using between 300 and 500 words describe the presentation. Ensure no author/presenter names or institutional affiliations appear in the proposal. Allow 1" (2.5 cm) margins and use 12 pt. type, preferably in Times New Roman and using Microsoft Word. Citations acceptable, but not required. The proposal should summarize such factors as objectives, perspectives, theoretical framework, methods/techniques of investigation, data sources, results, conclusions, anticipated outcomes, educational significance, policy and/or practice implications, and any other information that will clarify the topic and delivery of the proposed presentation.

If you are submitting a presentation proposal for a Panel, Roundtable, or Joint Session, include both a 300 to 500 words proposal for the Panel, Roundtable, or Joint Session and a 300 to 500 words proposal for each presenter in the Panel, Roundtable, or Joint Session.

Important Notes:

Multiple presentations are not permitted. However, a presenter is permitted to do a paper/panel/joint session presentation and participate in a roundtable presentation.

In case of scheduling difficulties, CDSA-ACEI reserves the right to break up panels if necessary.

CDSA-ACEI cannot guarantee all requests for audio-visual or technical equipment. CDSA-ACEI reserves the right to charge for audio-visual or technical equipment demands beyond those provided by Congress.

CDSA-ACEI guarantees all presentation rooms are wheelchair-accessible. CDSA-ACEI cannot guarantee all requests for accessibility services, and reserves the right to charge for accessibility services demands beyond CDSA-ACEI’s financial abilities.

CALL FOR NOMINATIONS FOR THE 2010 CDSA-ACEI TANIS DOE AWARD FOR CANADIAN DISABILITY STUDY AND CULTURE

The Canadian Disability Studies Association-Association Canadienne des
Études sur l'Incapacité (CDSA-ACEI) is pleased to announce the call for
nominations for the annual CDSA-ACEI Tanis Doe Award for Canadian Disability
Study and Culture.

The CDSA-ACEI Tanis Doe Award for Canadian Disability Study and Culture was
first awarded in 2009, and is named for the activist and professor, Tanis
Doe, who passed away in 2004. This award honours an individual who dares to
"speak the unspeakable" in advancing the study and culture of disability,
and who has enriched through research, teaching, or activism, the lives of
Canadians with disabilities.

*ABOUT TANIS DOE*

Tanis Doe did innovative work on participatory action research, disability,
abuse, women, employment, assistive technology, and advocacy. She was a
professor of social work and disability studies at the University of
Victoria, and also taught at Royal Roads University, Ryerson University, and
the University of Washington. She was a 2003 Fulbright Scholar in Bioethics
at the University of Washington. She conducted research for innumerable
organizations in both Canada and the United States, and consulted with
organizations around the world.

As a Métis (Ojibway/French Canadian) Deaf woman with other disabilities who
was active in disability, queer, and feminist movements internationally,
Tanis Doe was widely respected as a disability rights advocate and as an
educator that provided leadership training and personal mentorship to untold
numbers of scholars and advocates across the Western Hemisphere.

In Tanis' words, "Some of us have become visible citizens of that other
place, using our bodies as our passports. People with disabilities are
frightening to the non-disabled because our citizenship is made clear. In
and with our bodies, we testify to both the existence and proximity of that
Otherland."

*NOMINATION PROCEDURE*

Criteria for nominees are they should be a Canadian citizen or a Permanent
Resident that works and lives in Canada. Anyone can submit a nomination,
but only one nomination in per award-cycle year. Self-nominations not
accepted.

The Letter of Nomination should include the following components:

1. Name and full contact information of the nominee.

2. Name and full contact information of the person making the nomination.

3. The achievements (research, teaching, scholarly achievement, advocacy,
leadership skills, community involvement, etc.) of the nominee that merit
consideration for this award.

4. A brief biographical sketch of the nominee.

5. A brief biographical sketch of the person making the nomination.

The Letter of Nomination should be 1 to 3 pages in length and in MS Word
.doc format with 12-point font and 1-inch margins. Send the Letter of
Nomination as an attachment in an email with the subject heading of "Tanis
Doe Award" to cdsa.acei@gmail.com by 4:00pm EST December 11, 2009.

The winner of the 2010 Tanis Doe Award will be acknowledged at the 2010
CDSA-ACEI conference and will receive a commemorative certificate (suitable
for framing) plus $200 (Canadian dollars).

Sincerely,
Dawna Lee Rumball, President
Canadian Disability Studies Association-Association Canadienne des Études
sur l'Incapacité

Fashion Moves Garment Design Competition

NOTE: This is not necessarily a Disability Studies Conference or CFP but may be of interest to some.

It is finally here. We are pleased to announce the launch of the Fashion Moves Garment Design Competition. Register at www.fashionmoves.org

The goal of this Competition is to introduce Fashion Students around the World, to the opportunities of designing for people with various disabilities.

For an executive who uses a wheelchair, the suit jacket needs to be shortened and winter overcoats designed to be easier to put on and more comfortable to wear

For a teacher who wears a below-the-knee prosthetic, design trousers that are stylish but easy to enable removal of the prosthetic through the day without needing to take the pants off.

For anyone with limited hand dexterity, design shirts and blouses that have a formal look but are easier to do up without assistance.

For women taking part in the Ms Wheelchair America pageants, designing evening dresses that will not tangle in the wheels.

And performance ski suits for the Paralympic skiers who use sit-skis.

The First Annual Fashion Moves Garment Design Competition is now open! Students studying Fashion and Garment Design are invited to register and put their skills to work. There is no fee to register and all reports are submitted by E-Mail or through the website. Students from every corner of the Earth can meet together through Fashion Moves and exchange ideas and forge future business connections.

Please spread the word. If you have a College or a University in your town, forward this note to them, asking them to post it to the Students. If you know someone already studying Fashion or Garment Design, send them a copy to share with their classmates.

Thanks for taking time to visit. Lets use the internet to it's best purpose and spin this information around the world in days.

Bye for now. I look forward to reading your thoughts on this work.
Ruth J. Clark
Fashion Moves
www.fashionmoves.org

Call for Papers: Feminist Disability Theories and the Law

Call for Papers: Feminist Disability Theories and the Law
Emory University
Atlanta, GA

December 11-12, 2009

The Feminism and Legal Theory (FLT) Project at Emory University is holding a workshop to explore the intersection between disability studies and feminist legal theory. We hope to forge a greater alliance between the rapidly-growing field of disability studies and the already rich field of feminist research in legal studies. Both feminist legal theory and feminist disability studies have interrogated diverse experiences and aspects of gendered embodiment in regard to disability, including disability discrimination, access to medical care and reproductive technologies, bodies and embodiment, illness and pain, birth regulation, childcare, and sexuality. In some areas, however, the synthesis has not been easy. The majority of feminists defend reproductive choices, while disability activists and scholars warn against eugenic impulses in structural contexts.

We hope to prompt transnational conversations among feminist legal scholars— including those who are new to disability. Disability studies scholars who have been incorporating feminist theories and exploring gendered issues and scholars who approach gender and disability as inseparable categories and take an intersectional approach from a feminist disability studies perspective are also welcome.

Two recent developments in the legal realm provide rich opportunities to reexamine disability from comparative perspectives: The UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities points out that women and girls with disabilities are important groups to be recognized and the Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments Act in the United States significantly broadens the definition of disability. Meanwhile, new biotechnology may give rise to a notion of disability that is tied to predictive medicine. A narrow view of disability is preferred in many jurisdictions in order to limit screening at the preimplantation and prenatal stages to instances of “serious disability” and to determine when or whether withdrawal or withholding of life sustaining treatment is appropriate. We believe this is a critical time to generate discussion about what constitutes disability and what political implications are involved.

Potential questions to be addressed include but not limited to:

• How can feminist legal theory and disability studies be mobilized in a project of transforming and reconceptualizing both law and disability?
• How do legal definitions of disability regulate, exclude, and/or protect marginalized populations based on their physical and mental differences, gender, economic status, race, ethnicity, and sexual orientations?
• What are the roles of human rights, formal equality, and anti-discrimination legislation in feminist approaches to disability and what can people with disabilities offer to reconfigure existing law?
• How can existent feminist legal scholarships in family, labor, caretaking, reproduction and sexuality be reformulated to incorporate the experiences and perspectives of women with disabilities?
• What kinds of support should be generated for people with disabilities who are blocked from entering—or choose not to enter—employment, marriage and intimate relationships, and parenting?

We encourage proposals from all disciplines. Proposals should only be a few paragraphs in length are due by October 15, 2009. Working papers are due by November 30, 2009. Please email abstracts to Corina Domozick (cdomozi@emory.edu).

Workshop Organizers:

• Martha L.A. Fineman, Professor, Emory University, School of Law
• Isabel Karpin, Professor of Law, University of Technology, Sydney
• Rosemarie Garland-Thomson, Professor, Emory University, Women’s Studies
• Eunjung Kim, Postdoctoral fellow, Emory University, School of Law

Virtual Conference CFP: What Works in Implementing Universal Design for Learning in Postsecondary Education?

What Works in Implementing Universal Design for Learning in Postsecondary Education?
February 22-26, 2010
Funded by the U. S. Office of Postsecondary Education
Hosted by National-Louis University

Universal Design in Postsecondary Education: According to the US Department of Education, 11.3% of undergraduate students in higher education report some type of disability. Most of these students attend two- and four-year institutions and are in credit-earning classes with non-disabled peers. Unless students with disabilities self-identify, faculty tend to remain unaware of their presence in the classroom. When students self-identify, they often do so by presenting an official letter of accommodation from the institution’s student services department, however this can come after a course has been designed and the syllabus published. Most last-minute adjustments like this can be avoided if instructors plan ahead by anticipating a classroom of students with diverse abilities and building options into the course from the very beginning. Universal Design for Learning (UDL) offers a philosophy and model for doing just that. UDL is most often discussed in relation to compulsory education (i.e., PreK-12). Too little has been disseminated about the practice of UDL in the postsecondary environment. This virtual conference will feature presentations and interactive sessions in which participants explore what works when it comes to UDL in inclusive postsecondary education.

Why a Virtual Conference? A virtual conference is more flexible for participants since it involves synchronous and asynchronous activities and can be accessed from anywhere with an internet connection. A virtual conference allows participants to experience learning in an accessible environment. It is less expensive to produce and attend since it is held online. A virtual conference provides the opportunity to experiment with and share resources related to universal design through the use of technology.

Possible presentation topics:

• Specific applications of UDL in syllabus/course design/content areas
• Successful strategies for implementing UDL in credit-earning courses
• UDL assessment in the postsecondary context
• UDL challenges and/or solutions in postsecondary settings
• Empirical studies of what works in UDL use
• Policy implications or challenges of UDL
• Professional development models for preparing faculty to use
• UDL
• Assistive Technology
• Alternative Frameworks for Accessibility
• Working with 3rd party vendors and content providers
• Designing accessible websites and content
• Creating Professional Development for faculty and staff interested in accessible design

Accessibility: Our goal is an accessible conference. Therefore, visuals must have text descriptions. Videos must have closed captions or full text availability. Audio components should include scripts. Actions or unspoken visuals in videos must have descriptions (audio or text). Files should be cross-platform compatible.

Proposals to present should include the following information:

• Presenter(s) name(s)
• Institutional affiliation(s)
• Full contact information of lead presenter (address, phone, email, fax)
• Title of presentation or activity
• Format or type of activity or presentation (see below)
• Abstract of presentation or activity
• Accessibility features of your presentation or activity
• Your preference for media/delivery tool (ie: web conference, live text chat, etc.)

Presentation format…please adhere to one of the following:

• Threaded discussion. You could propose to host a threaded discussion on a particular topic related to UDL. The discussion would take place throughout the week of the conference.
• "Poster” session. You could prepare a presentation to be posted on the conference website. Participants will be able to post questions or comments to which you can respond. We are open to other ideas for poster formats and delivery methods, so long as the format is 508 compliant.
• Chat room. You could propose to host a real time chat room on a particular topic related to UDL. After the conference, the chat text will be available on the conference website for other participants to read.
• Pre-recorded video. You could propose a video presentation for the conference website. You would be responsible for filming and providing closed captioning or a printed full text.

Deadline: Proposals should be submitted digitally to Dr. Susan L. Gabel (3cproject@nl.edu) no later than December 15, 2009. Decisions will be made by January 5, 2010. Every effort will be made to include as many presenters as possible. Presenters must be prepared to submit conference materials by February 5, 2010.