The Institute for Critical Disability Studies is hiring for two to three graduate teaching assistant (GTA) positions in Fall 2023, Winter 2024, Spring 2024, and/or the full 2023-24 academic year! Full-time (20 hr/wk) salaried, half-time (10 hr/wk) salaried, and hourly (5-9 hr/wk) nonsalaried positions available.
Learn more and review the GTA position information and application instructions here.
The Disability Studies and Action Collaborative’s UnConference will be held on Saturday and Sunday, October 21 and 22, 2023. This event is hosted by the WWU ICDS.
All are welcome to apply, though space is limited. We are particularly interested in making this a space where artists, students, scholars, entrepreneurs, and workers can gather to address problems and develop innovative ideas relevant to our local and global communities. We wish to represent the intersectionality of disability experiences and to promote conversations focused on justice and universal access. We welcome especially participants who have disabilities.
Learn more about the UnConference here
Due to limited space, attendees must complete an application in advance to attend the UnConference. Use this link to apply to the UnConference online (google forms)
Applications are due 11:59 pm on August 4th, 2023
If you have any questions, please contact the organizers at icds.unconference@wwu2.onmicrosoft.com and icds@wwu.edu
Alternative application formats: If you need a Word document version of this application, you can download the Word document version of the UnConference participant application here or contact icds@wwu.edu to request alternative application formats.
2023 UnConference Priority Registration deadline is Friday, July 21, 2023. Early registration means priority consideration for the limited UnConference spaces.
Friday, August 04 is the final deadline to submit your application to attend the third annual Disability Studies and Action Collaborative UnConference hosted by the WWU Institute for Critical Disability Studies. The call for UnConference participants and application can be found here (opens in new tab).
Reminder: Friday, August 04 is the deadline to submit your application to attend the third annual Disability Studies and Action Collaborative UnConference hosted by the WWU Institute for Critical Disability Studies. The call for UnConference participants and application can be found here (opens in new tab).
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.
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.
This is an archived page for the UnConference that occurred on Saturday & Sunday, October 22 & 23, 2022.
Save the Date for Fall 2023!
Our Annual Fall UnConference will be happening on Saturday & Sunday, October 21 – 22, 2023
Disability Studies & Action Collaborative UnConferece
Saturday October 22 – Sunday October 23, 2022
Academic Instructional Center West
Western Washington University, Bellingham Campus
Find further materials for this year’s UnConference at:
The Western Washington University Institute for Critical Disability Studies is excited to to be hosting our second Disability Studies and Action Collaborative (DSAC) UnConference in October 2022 after a two-year hiatus.
This year, the event will span two days, and it will provide a venue for scholars, students, nonprofit workers, advocates, activists, artists, and other community members can gather to discuss issues of disability, access, and equity. Our main focus will be local to the needs, concerns, and opportunities of Bellingham, WA and the surrounding Pacific Northwest region.
This event is planned in the ethos of Universal Design. All materials and activities will be designed to accommodate all participants through audio interpreters, downloadable documents, and other accommodations participants request in the application form.
An UnConference is a collaborative event where “experts” of various kinds (broadly defined) get together to learn from one another and solve problems. So, while traditional conferences usually involve experts on a stage giving pre-written presentations, UnConferences focus more on workshops and problem-solving sessions, where participants work together to understand complex problems and devise new solutions.
The DSAC UnConference has aspects of both traditional conferences and UnConferences. Everyone who participates in the event will be assigned to a working group based on their interests and skills. Participants in these working groups will identify a particular disability-related question, problem, project, or idea, and they will work together throughout the first day of the UnConference to find a way to solve that problem or push that idea forward.
The second day of the event follows a more traditional conference format. Every participant will give a presentation ranging from 5 to 30 minutes on topics related to disability studies, disability arts, public advocacy, or other subjects relevant to issues of disability, access, and equity.
Visit the Call for Participation and Application page to find out more information about the conference or contact the organizers at icds.unconference@wwu2.onmicrosoft.com.
This page collects formal letters, updates, and reports from the Co-directors and Annual Showcase newsletter publications.
Disability Studies and Action Collaborative 2023 Annual Showcase
Dr. Sami Schalk Consultation June 2023 – Brief Report and Takeaways
Reminder: Mark West Scholarship applications and letters of recommendation are due by 11:59 pm on Friday, June 02, 2023. Learn more and apply here.
Stop by the WWU QueerCon general convention hall (Table 431) on Saturday, April 29, 2023 from 12-5p and say hi to ICDS co-director Andrew Lucchesi and learn more about the Institute for Critical Disability Studies and our new Minor. WWU Disability and Neurodiversity club will be tabling next to us as well!
WWU QueerCon is a student-organized LGBTQIA2S+ convention and conference celebrating queer and intersectional representation in art, comics, society, and media, held annually at Western Washington University in Bellingham, WA. This is their 7th year running! Learn more about WWU QueerCon here.
Happening from 5:00 – 6:00 pm Tuesday, May 16, 2023 on Zoom
Register for the Presentation on Zoom: https://wwu-edu.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJ0lcuipqTwuH9JuQ__a6CmhrycpfD66QEzY
Dr. Sami Schalk Associate Professor of Gender & Women’s Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and author of works including Bodyminds Reimagined: (Dis)ability, Race, and Gender in Black Women’s Speculative Fiction (2018) and Black Disability Politics (2022). She will be presenting virtually during Scholar’s Week as part of a collaborative event organized by the WWU Institute for Critical Disability Studies.
This event is co-sponsored by the following WWU departments and programs: English; Health and Human Development; Journalism; Philosophy; Anthropology; Sociology; Political Science; Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies; and History.
Learn more about Dr. Sami Schalk at samischalk.com
You can also check out the rest of the Scholar’s Week schedule of departmental events here.
Questions or requesting accommodations? Email icds@wwu.edu