Disability Studies and Action Collaborative

Disability Culture, Scholarship, and Community

Dr. Sami Schalk visits ICDS – Consultation Report

Dr. Sami Schalk visits ICDS – Consultation Report

Report on the Institute for Critical Disability Studies Consultation with Dr. Sami Schalk, Spring Quarter 2023

Our Conversation with Dr. Sami Schalk took place over Zoom on June 1, 2023 and brought in WWU Faculty, Staff, Students, and local Community Member attendees.

Report prepared October 10, 2023 by Andrew Lucchesi, Co-Director, Institute for Critical Disability Studies

Download the full report in Word document format here

Introduction

Members of the Institute for Critical Disability Studies, primarily committee chairs and faculty who are teaching Critical Disability Studies DISA courses, met for a conversation with Dr. Sami Schalk about the institute’s values and goals. The discussion covered several key topics, including strategies for expanding the institute’s impact on the university and the community, building a more inclusive and accessible campus, and fostering collaboration and partnerships. The conversation focused on the 10 Principles of Disability Justice (Sins Invalid), such as sustainability of the work, the importance of disabled leadership, and the inclusion of a wide spectrum of voices along identity and disciplinary lines. It emerged that the ICDS succeeds according to these values in several respects, including our attention to collective curricular development and programming, as well as our attention to graduate student collaboration. Schalk identified gaps in the ways we reach out to and include non-academic participants in the institute and our need to expand our efforts to include some types of disability that often get left out, especially intellectual disability. The conversation identified several areas for growth over the next 2-5 years, including access-focused programming for faculty and community outreach projects.

Key Observations and Lessons:

  1. Dissemination of Knowledge: It is important to share knowledge and expertise beyond academic circles.
  2. Impact on Culture: The institute has the potential to influence a broader cultural shift within the university and society.
  3. Collaboration with Graduate Students: Collaborating with graduate students can be a valuable strategy for expanding the institute’s reach.
  4. Accessible Pedagogy Workshops: The institute can influence disability culture through accessible pedagogy workshops for faculty and graduate students can contribute to creating an inclusive educational environment.
  5. Sustainability and Outreach: Programs and initiatives should be designed for sustainability and openness. Schalk: “Ideally it’s not owned by anybody, right?…somebody else can be like, okay, I’m gonna be the one now to kind of go out and lead those.”

Gaps in Current Programs and Structure:

  1. Intellectual Disability Focus: Dr. Schalk indicated the need to focus on intellectual disability as an important aspect of the institute’s mission.
  2. Interdisciplinary Engagement: Dr. Schalk mentioned the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration for a more holistic approach, stating, “So when we’re talking about disability, you need to be talking about race and class and sexuality and gender and all these other things.”
  3. Diversity of Voices: There is a need to diversify the voices and include even more perspectives of individuals with disabilities and disability activists.
  4. Institutional sustainability: The institute needs to develop systems for measuring and evaluating the effectiveness of programming.

Actions for the Next Five Years:

Actions for year 1-2:

  1. Accessible Curriculum Development: Develop an accessible curriculum that incorporates disability studies into various academic disciplines and actively promote its integration into courses.
  2. Inclusive Workshop Series: Launch an accessible pedagogy workshop series open to all faculty, graduate students, and staff, focusing on creating inclusive classrooms.
  3. Dissemination Platform: Establish a platform for publishing and sharing research, knowledge, and accessible resources related to disability studies beyond the academic community.

Proposed Actions for year 3-5:

  1. National Disability Justice Conference: Organize a national conference on disability justice to elevate the institute’s profile, attract scholars and activists, and broaden its reach.
  2. Outdoor Inclusivity Project: Launch a long-term initiative to make outdoor spaces, recreational activities, and events accessible for people with disabilities, fostering inclusivity.
  3. Accessible Campus Initiative: Continue the initiative to make the entire campus more accessible, involving students, faculty, and staff in the ongoing process.
  4. Community Engagement Grants: Create grant opportunities for students and faculty to engage with local disability organizations and work on collaborative projects benefiting the broader community.
  5. Annual Disability Arts Showcase: Establish an annual event highlighting the creative talents of disabled artists, fostering community engagement and appreciation.