Disability Studies and Action Collaborative

Disability Culture, Scholarship, and Community

Category: Unconference

5th Annual UnConference kicks off with a public keynote on October 17

We at the WWU Institute for Critical Disability Studies are excited for now our 5th Annual Disability Studies & Action Collaborative UnConference happening the weekend of Saturday and Sunday, October 18 and 19, 2025, during Disability Action Month at WWU. While registration for the event has closed, we will be kicking off the event with a Pre-UnConference Keynote presentation on Friday, October 17 that will be free and open to all. This event is titled, Disability in Place: Unmaking as Practice presented by Dr. Kathleen Brian, and is hosted by the WWU Institute for Critical Disability Studies, WWU Disability Outreach Center, and Disability Access Center.

Join us at 11:00 am on Friday, October 17 in-person in Academic Instructional West (AW) room 302 of the WWU Bellingham Campus or virtually on Zoom. After the presentation at 12:00 pm, there will be a light lunch reception sponsored by the WWU Disability Outreach Center.

Disability in Place: Unmaking as Practice

From 2021 to early 2025, the National Parks Service and the National Council on Public History fostered the creation of an interdisciplinary anthology of place-based disability history.

Then, on the verge of its completion, the politics of our moment unmade it.

Join editor Dr. Kathleen Brian to discuss the life and lives of Disability and Place, the first accessibly written, peer reviewed work to address historical intersections of disability and place, forthcoming from the University of Illinois Press.

Event Details

  • Date: Friday, October 17, 2025
  • Location: AW 302 (Academic Instructional West, room 302) & Zoom
  • Time: 11:00 am – 12:00 pm for presentation.
    • Lunch reception follows, from 12:00 – 1:00 pm


Help us get a better head count for this event:


Want more free public events that center disability? Please consider donating to support future ICDS Events.

Fall UnConference happening Oct 21-22!

On October 21nd and 22rd, 2023, we are hosting our third annual Disability Studies and Action Collaborative UnConference! Similar to last year, this will be a two-day event hosted at Western Washington University, and it will be offered in a hybrid modality (both face-to-face and virtual participation options). Please visit our DSAC UnConference webpage to access the full event description and application form.

About the UnConference

Everyone who participates in the event will take part in two days of programming. On the first day, people will be put into working groups to discuss important issues related to disability, access, and action. This day will include workshops and discussions in small and large groups. On the second day, participants will give long or short presentations and have dialogs about scholarly, professional, and personal projects and experiences. Coaching will be available for those who want some extra support in preparing and giving their presentations. 

All are welcome to apply for the UnConference, including college students, faculty, and staff; members of the nonprofit, private, and public sectors; educators; artists; and activists. We are particularly interested in welcoming participants who are disabled or members of other marginalized populations, including BIPOC, queer, or gender nonconforming people. The UnConference has a participation fee on a sliding scale from $0 to $250. 

If you have any questions, please reach out to us at icds.unconference@wwu2.onmicrosoft.com and icds@wwu.edu. We would also like to encourage you to send us the names of any organizations or individuals we should send this invitation to. 

Applications are due August 04, 2023. Learn more and apply to join the 2023 UnConference here.

Disability Studies and Action Collaborative UnConference 2023 promotional flyer. Event is Saturday and Sunday, October 21 and 22, 2023. It is a hybrid and in person event at Western Washington University in Bellingham, Washington. The application deadline is Friday, August 4, 2023. Join us for Activism and advocacy, community building, critical disability studies scholarship, access and equity, arts, and culture. The QR code links to https://wp.wwu.edu/disabilitycollaborative/events/unconference/

2022 UnConference student staff jobs posted

The Institute for Critical Disability Studies (ICDS) is now accepting applications for paid student staffing positions to support the 2022 Disability Studies and Action Collaborative UnConference, happening Saturday & Sunday, October 22 & 23 at the Western Washington University Bellingham campus.

Please check out the job descriptions linked below, and share widely!

These positions are available for current WWU undergraduate students. Application deadline for all UnConference staffing positions is Friday, September 30, 2022. Learn more about student employment opportunities with the ICDS here or contact icds.unconference@wwu2.onmicrosoft.com with questions.

Fall UnConference happening Oct 22-23!

On October 22nd and 23rd, 2022, we hosted the second-annual Disability Studies and Action Collaborative UnConference. This was a two-day event hosted at Western Washington University, and it was offered in a hybrid modality (bot face-to-face and remote digital participation). Please visit our DSAC UnConference webpage to access the full event description and application form.

About the UnConference

Everyone who participates in the event will take part in two days of programming. On the first day, people will be put into working groups to discuss important issues related to disability, access, and action. This day will include workshops and discussions in small and large groups. On the second day, participants will give long or short presentations and have dialogs about scholarly, professional, and personal projects and experiences. Coaching will be available for those who want some extra support in preparing and giving their presentations. 

All are welcome to apply for the UnConference, including college students, faculty, and staff; members of the nonprofit, private, and public sectors; educators; artists; and activists. We are particularly interested in welcoming participants who are disabled or members of other marginalized populations, including BIPOC, queer, or gender nonconforming people. The UnConference has a participation fee on a sliding scale from $0 to $250. 

If you have any questions, please reach out to us at icds.unconference@wwu2.onmicrosoft.com. We would also like to encourage you to send us the names of any organizations or individuals we should send this invitation to. 

Applications were due August 12, 2022.