Search Results for: 2023

This page contains useful links participants, including suggestions for getting around by bus and car, as well as local information and suggested accommodations.

• • Parking, Taxi, and Rideshare Information
  • Local Public Transit and Walking to the UnConference (opens in new page)
  • Hotel Accommodations for out-of-town visitors
  • Wi-Fi and Internet access
  • Building Maps
  • Other Local and on-campus events and Resources

Parking, Taxi and Rideshare information

Drivers should use the south end of Parking Lot 19G as a drop off destination.  (GPS coordinates and Google maps link: 48.732392, -122.487142)

Parking on campus is FREE due to WWU Fall Family Weekend.  You may find close-proximity and accessible parking for the UnConference in lot 19G, which is directly across from the UnConference Academic West building.  Signs will be posted on West College Way, Wade King service road, Highland Drive, and 21st Street to direct vehicles.

Parking map for the UnConference. Click to open a larger version of the map, or download a PDF of the map here.

Driving Directions

Hotel Accommodations for out-of-town visitors

Hotel recommendations:

If you are flying in via SeaTac (SEA), one option is the Four Points Sheraton (www.fourpointsbellingham.com), which has a WWU discount rate and Airporter Shuttle service to and from SeaTac airport (www.airporter.com/shuttle). This hotel is adjacent to a Fred Meyer market and pharmacy, across the street from a Whole Foods Market, and next to a bus line, stop ID 3294 (20 minute bus ride to campus is served every 30 minutes via route 197 Lincoln/WWU or 190 Downtown).

Note that if you are flying in via Bellingham (BLI), the hotel at the airport, Holiday Inn & Suites, does not offer area transportation or shuttle service.

Full list of lodging recommendations:

For a full table of accommodations near WWU categorized by price range, with phone numbers, distance from campus, and whether a WWU discount is offered, visit the Admissions website.

Building Maps

Click on the thumbnails below to open tentative floor maps for the 2022 UnConference.  We expect our room plan for the 2024 UnConference to be similar. Click here to open floor-by-floor maps of AW as a downloadable pdf instead.

AW map: Ground/2nd floor: Oct 18 Keynote, and event check-in desk

AW Map: Middle / 3rd floor (Day 1 only)

AW map: Top/4th Floor: Day 1 & 2, and all meals

Wifi and Internet Access

Guest Wireless Access Networks

Use the open wireless network WWUwireless-Guest to access web if you are a non-student.

Use the secured wireless network eduroam if you are a University students from another institution.  Your university .edu login credentials will allow you to access this network.

Learn more at http://atus.wwu.edu and click on the icon for Wireless & Networking.   The direct link is here: https://atus.wwu.edu/kb/connecting-westerns-wireless-network

Concurrent Local and On-Campus Events and Places to Explore

You are also invited to check out the many local shops and restaurants downtown.  In particular, there are many places to explore along Railroad avenue, the street directly next to the bus station.  Find more information on bus schedules throughout Bellingham here.  Railroad Avenue has free angle-in street parking after 6pm on Saturday, and all day Sunday.

What is also happening at WWU this weekend?

This weekend is also Fall Family Weekend at WWU. During the day, there will be tours and exhibits throughout campus.
For more information, visit foundation.wwu.edu/event/fall-family-weekend

Places to check out: Saturday Farmer’s Market (downtown)

The Bellingham Farmer’s Market  (www.bellinghamfarmers.org/) at Depot Market Square, 1100 Railroad Avenue, is an open-air community market with over a hundred vendors selling fresh food, produce, handmade goods, and more.  Hours are 10 am – 3 pm.  Some vendor stations may be in non-covered locations.

Places to check out: Ruckus room (downtown)

The Ruckus Room is on Railroad Avenue, just across the street from the Downtown Bellingham bus station.  The location has snacks and concessions, and classic arcade games, skee-ball, pinball, and prizes.

Ruckus Room: www.ruckusbham.com

Bellingham-area resources for accessibility needs

Below are some local resources that UnConference attendees can use if their service animals need care, their assistive technology needs repair or maintenance, or they need to connect with someone local for any other reason.

• Bellevue Healthcare Whatcom County: www.bellevuehealthcare.com
• Numotion wheelchair and mobility equipment and repairs: www.numotion.com
• Hearing, Speech, & Deafness Center: www.hsdc.org
• MudBay animal supplies: www.mudbay.com

Quick Bus Info

The closes bus stops to the UnConference are the WWU “Bill McDonald Pkwy at Rec Center” stops on Bill McDonald Pkwy at the South end of campus. Full bus transit information to bus stop ID 8181 (from downtown), or bus stop ID 3076 (toward downtown) is also available through by searching directions on Google Maps from this map location.

General WTA bus information

Whatcom Transit Authority (WTA) buses are wheelchair accessible and can also accommodate single-seat two-wheeled bicycles secured to a front rack. Strollers and collapsible bicycles must be able to be folded to fit beneath or between the seats in order to be brought on board.  Access the full WTA website here.

If you are unable to ride the fixed-route buses due to a disability, paratransit service is also available through the WTA, but riders must apply in advance and make a reservation to schedule a trip beforehand.

Fare information

Bus fare is collected per ride segment and costs $1.00, or is discounted to $0.50 for seniors, veterans, and riders with disabilities with identification or reduced fare card.  An unlimited-ride local day pass can be purchased on board for $3.00 cash, or $6 for a Skagit-Whatcom day pass.  Exact change is needed for bus fares: Bus operators are not able to provide change.

Downtown Bellingham Bus Station

The Downtown Bellingham Bus Station at 205 E Magnolia St. (Bus Stop ID 2001) has a passenger lobby and public restrooms.  Saturday hours are for these facilities is from 8:30 am – 7:00 pm.  Sunday hours for the lobby are 9:30 am – 5:30 pm.  The bus platform also has an information kiosk.

The Downtown Station to WWU corridor is served by routes 14, 190, and 105 (both ways), as well as 196 and 107 (from downtown) and 197 and 108 (to downtown).  Frequency of service between Downtown and WWU is every 15 minutes between the hours of 8:30 am until 10:30 pm Saturdays or until 8:00 pm Sundays.  

For more information, a PDF of the full WTA system transit guide, including paratransit and flex service maps, can be found here: http://www.ridewta.com/Documents/wta-transit-guide.pdf or call (360) 676-7433 to request transit information in alternate accessible formats, such as large print.

Bus Routes Heading to WWU from Downtown

Buses leave for WWU from the Bellingham bus station Bay 5, marked in blue at the South end of the terminal, as well as the adjacent Bay 4. Any bus leaving from Bay 5 or 4 will proceed directly to WWU. Buses depart every 15 minutes. Expect bus transit times of 7 to 10 minutes. Disembark at the WWU “Bill McDonald Pkwy at Rec Center” stops on Bill McDonald Pkwy at the South end of campus, near the parking lots.

Full bus transit information to stop ID 8181 (from downtown), or stop ID 3076 (from Lincoln Park and Ride, or to downtown) is also available through by looking up directions on Google Maps.

About the Scholarship

The Institute for Critical Disability Studies General Scholarships support WWU students who are engaging in advocacy, activism, and scholarly or creative work centered around critical disability studies and disability identity and justice.
This award was established by the ICDS Co-Directors and has been made possible by the generous donations of our Give Day donors who contributed to the ICDS General Scholarship Fund in 2023. This year, we are excited to be able to offer new $500 scholarships to current declared minors in Critical Disability Studies, and we hope to increase the number and amount of scholarships we offer in the future.

Contact icds@wwu.edu with questions, or if you are interested in helping to directly support Critical Disability Studies students though scholarships!

Award distribution: Academic Year, beginning Fall
Award amount: variable. $500 for AY 2024-25
Number of awards: variable. For AY 2024-25: 1 or 2 total for students minoring in Critical Disability Studies at Western:
Up to one Scholarship in Disability Justice & Activism
Up to one Scholarship in Academic Critical Disability Studies
Applicant eligibility: To be considered, you must be a current WWU student planning to enroll at least half time next Fall and must have declared the Minor in Critical Disability Studies before the end of Winter Quarter 2024. Students may only apply to one of the two Minor in CDS scholarships per year.
Applications open: April 2024
Application deadline: 11:59 pm, Wednesday, May 01, 2024 The application for Fall 2024 awards is now closed.
Letter of recommendation deadline: 11:59 pm, Wednesday, May 01, 2024.
Contact: icds@wwu.edu

Evaluation Criteria:

CDS Scholarship Awardees

2024-25 Awardees

These are new scholarships supported by your generous Give Day donations! We are pleased to announce our first awardee for the CDS Scholarship!

Remi Rogoff

he/him

I am an out of state student from Northern California majoring in Urban Planning and Sustainable Development with minors in Critical Disability Studies and Honors Interdisciplinary Studies. I love cuddling my dog when I’m visiting home, playing wheelchair basketball with the Adaptive Sports Club, and cooking. I look forward to pursuing my education in urban planning and disability studies in order to work towards a more equitable and accessible world.

These scholarships are entirely built on small donations to the ICDS General Scholarship fund!
Please contact ICDS icds@wwu.edu to learn about how you can contribute to the fund so that we can continue to offer them next year. Donations to the Scholarship Fund can be made at any time of the year!

The WWU Institute for Critical Disability Studies supports faculty, staff, and community members with fellowships to develop programs and carry out projects related to disability scholarship and advocacy. This year, we are building a three-person cohort from differing professional and advocacy backgrounds for a 10-month program running from May 2024 until February 2025. Fellows meet regularly throughout the calendar year to work together on their projects and learn from each other’s skills and interests.

Fellows are awarded $3,000 total for their time in the program. Fellows also consult with one or more Project Mentors.

ICDS Fellows Program Mission

The goal of the WWU ICDS Fellows Program is to create a venue where faculty, staff, and local community members can develop collaborative programs and initiatives related to disability scholarship and advocacy. 

About the Fellows Program

What do Fellows do?

Our fellows take on a wide range of projects. Here are a few examples:

• Developing a community-focused event or program
• Traveling to conduct research at an archive or to gather interviews from the community
• Building a social network among activists and artists within a community
• Creating an art project and sharing it with the public
• Conducting scholarly research and developing writing projects

While we would like you to have some ideas and general direction for what you’d like to do as a Fellow, you do not have to have a firm plan finalized in order to be accepted into the ICDS Fellows Program. Much of our early work in the Fellows Program can include planning and project development in consultation with Program Mentors and with the collective support of your peers in the Program.

Program Structure

The participation of Fellows in the Program is structured as follows:

1. Each Fellow will submit an application in which they propose ideas and projects they are interested in working on for their fellowship period.
2. Each fellow receives $3,000 total for the period from May 01 2024 until February 28, 2025, disbursed in two installments of $1500, one near the beginning of the Fellows Program, and one at the Fellowship’s conclusion. The awarded funds are typically distributed evenly across academic terms, but can be disbursed on a different schedule if requested. 
3. Fellows will have the opportunity to engage with mentors based on the group’s interests and project goals.  Fellows will meet and check in regularly with their mentors during their project development stage.
4. Fellows meet as a full cohort approximately once every 2 – 3 weeks throughout the calendar year, including the summer. These meetings will be hybrid, allowing both in-person and online participation.

Program Outcomes

This is a process-driven program, rather than a product-driven program. What this means is that you will be working toward a goal, but it is not vital that you finish the project within the year of the fellowship. Some projects may turn out to be too big and ambitious to finish in just one year. The Fellows Program is here to help you along the journey. 

There are three outcomes for the fellows program:

1. In late May 2024, we will ask you to write a brief introduction of yourself and your tentative project ideas, which we will publish in our annual 2024 ICDS Annual Showcase newsletter. We will help you with any editorial support you should need. 
2. In October 2024, we will invite you to give a 10-30 minute presentation about your work in progress as an ICDS Fellow at the annual Disability Studies and Action Collaborative UnConference happening Saturday and Sunday, October 19 and 20, 2024. 
3. By February 2025, we will ask you to write a short follow-up report on your work as a ICDS Fellow. This report will be published in our annual 2025 ICDS Annual Showcase newsletter.

Meet the 2024 ICDS Fellows Cohort

Chapi / Sharon Alfaro

she/her/ella

Hello, my name is Sharon Alfaro but I go by Chapi. My pronouns are she/her/ella. I have worked in the mental health industry for four years up to very recently and it is my biggest passion of all. This is why I decided to make my project mental health and illness related. I currently work as a phlebotomist at labcorp and am a full time mom to three fur babies. I am more than excited for this fellowship and hope I can wow everyone. My goal is not just to wow everyone, but also educate my community and fellow Latinx members

Steve Hickenbottom

he/him

I’m an educator from Seattle, Washington, working in transition skills for students with disabilities at Edmonds College. I grew up in the Ballard area of Seattle and received my bachelor’s degree in history from Western Washington University in 2008. After college I started working as a Special Education paraprofessional in the Seattle School district. Eventually I went back to school and received a Washington State Teaching Certificate in Special Education and taught in the Seattle and Shoreline School districts before moving to Edmonds College in 2023. In my role at Edmonds College I work to support students developing self advocacy and workplace readiness skills as they transition from high school to college/work. I love working with my students and seeing them discover their strengths and passions!

In my free time I enjoy spending time outdoors in the Pacific Northwest, particularly the North Cascades. I love exploring new places and meeting new people along the way. In the ICDS Fellowship I’m excited to explore ways to expand disability services to historically underserved populations through outreach and education. Access to services should not depend on an individual’s income or circumstances and I’m passionate about finding ways to expand access to local and state resources for people with disabilities.

Alexander Jones

he/him

Alexander Jones, the Accessibility Specialist at Woodland Park Zoo focuses on all aspects of accessibility as it intersects with the guest, staff, and volunteer experience.  He implemented The Guest Inclusion Program, a grant funded by the Institute for Museum and Library Services focused on creating inclusive informal programming across the zoo based on the principles of Universal Design for Learning.  Working in the field of accessibility for over 9 years he brings a diverse perspective with both lived experience identifying as an individual with disabilities, a background in ADA compliance, Web Accessibility, a human design-centered approach, and adaptive therapeutic recreation. Alexander currently serves on the Seattle Cultural Accessibility Consortium as a steering committee member. While much of his work has been in the space of accessibility he is excited to dig deeper into disability justice in the fellowship at Western Washington University. He hopes this work will help create a deeper impact amplifying more disabled voices.

Getting Involved

Fellows: How to apply to the ICDS Fellows Program

Applications open on Friday March 01, 2024, and are due by 11:59 pm on Monday, April 01, 2024.  The application form is at the bottom of this page. Finalists will be contacted for callback interviews in the first half of April.

How to become a Project Mentor for the ICDS Fellows Program

Fellows partner with ICDS Fellows Mentors, who are faculty, staff, or community member mentors with expertise or experience in disability scholarship and/or advocacy. Mentors meet with Fellows to discuss their projects and offer support. Project Mentors are compensated for each mentorship session.

If you are interested in serving as a mentor, please contact icds@wwu.edu so that the ICDS co-directors can follow-up with your questions and set up a phone call or Zoom meeting.

Contact us

To reach the ICDS Fellows Program team with questions, please address emails to both of the following email addresses: icds@wwu.edu and icds.fellows.program@wwu2.onmicrosoft.com.

Institute for Critical Disability Studies Fellows Application

Applications for the ICDS Fellows Program 2024 Cohort has closed.
Please check back next year for the 2025 cohort!

Application deadline: 11:59 pm, Monday, April 01, 2024

The ICDS will once again be hosting events and programs for WWU Scholars Week. Scholars Week 2024 will take place May 13th – 17th. 

ICDS Keynote Presentation

We will be hosting a digital keynote presentation to kick off scholars week. An announcement about specific dates and speaker details will be coming by the end of March.

Scholars Week Events for Students

The Institute for Critical Disability Studies is hosting its first ever WWU Scholars Week events for students. We are so excited to show off all of the amazing work that has been happening in our DISA courses, our electives hosted around the university, and beyond! 

Any student is invited to participate, though we will give special priority to students from the Critical Disability Studies minor. We will have two features for this year’s Scholars Week.

ICDS Digital Student Archive

We are launching a new digital platform to archive the work our students do every year. Submissions can be in any form and any length, including essays, reports, posters, videos, audio recordings, and websites. These pieces will live on this public archive where others can enjoy them into the future. This work does not have to be just from the previous year. All work is welcome.

ICDS Scholars Week Panel

We will hold a hybrid online and in-person event during Scholars Week (May 13-17). The specific date has not yet been decided (coming soon). We will ask everyone who participates to give a 5-10 minute presentation. You can either read your work aloud or show a pre-recorded video. If you have other kinds of work you want to share, such as if you want to display visual art or you want to stage a performance, just let us know in the form below. Note that we are prioritizing work that was completed in the last year, so Spring 2023, Summer 2023, Fall 2023, or Winter 2024. 

Want to Join In?

The ICDS Scholars Week Committee is accepting submissions until April 15th, 2024 at 11:59pm using the form below. If you would like to secure your place on the Scholars Week Panel early, you can submit by the early priority deadline of March 15th, 2024 at 11:59pm. Student Panel presenters who submit by the early deadline can also receive coaching and feedback from the committee. 

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.