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Archived: 2024 DSAC Annual UnConference

UnConference 2024

Our Annual Fall UnConference is Saturday & Sunday, October 19 – 20, 2024
Applications have closed, but you can join us for our Friday, October 18 Reception and Keynote in AW 204, which is free and open to all. 4:30 reception, 5:30 keynote.

Disability Studies & Action Collaborative UnConference

Saturday October 19 – Sunday October 20, 2024
Tentative time: 10:00 – 5:00 pm
Academic Instructional Center West
Western Washington University, Bellingham Campus

About the UnConference

The Western Washington University Institute for Critical Disability Studies is excited to to be hosting our fourth annual Disability Studies and Action Collaborative (DSAC) UnConference in October 2024.

The event will span two days, and it will provide a venue for scholars, students, nonprofit workers, advocates, activists, artists, and community members to 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.

Who is the UnConference For?

Everyone is welcome at the UnConference. All that is required is that you have a personal interest in disability issues. We are not asking anyone to be a “disability expert,” but we believe a wide range of people can contribute to our conversations at the UnConference, regardless of whether you work with disability issues professionally, you study critical disability studies as a student or academic, or you have lived experiences of disability. Everyone has something to contribute. 

This event is for everyone, regardless of your access needs. You are welcome to attend the UnConference in person on our Bellingham campus, or you may attend fully on Zoom. We will provide access supports to all attendees, including ASL interpretation, downloadable materials, and other accommodations participants request in the application form.

What happens at the UnConference?

Our UnConference is broken down into two days. Everyone is expected to attend both days of the event.

Day 1: The Workshops

Our first day focuses on a series of workshops. You work in a small group of people from different backgrounds to focus on a specific problem or opportunity related to disability. You have conversations about that topic, then identify an idea for solving the problem or seizing the opportunity. Every workshop group is different. You will be led by a facilitator who will guide the group through the process of deciding on an important topic and discovering a way to address it. 

Past workshop topics include creating an online network for and by BIPOC trauma survivors, developing a research study about disabled students’ personal narratives, and designing templates for identifying access problems on school campuses. 

Day 2: The Presentation Sessions

Our second day focuses on presentation sessions. Every UnConference participant will give a presentation of some kind. Some people might speak for five minutes as part of a roundtable on a topic of their choosing. Some may give longer, more formal presentations ranging from ten to fifteen minutes. The philosophy here is that everyone has a certain kind of expertise to share, whether that’s scholarly research or lived experience. Coaching will be available for those who want some support in developing their presentation. 

What are the themes of the UnConference?

The UnConference is user-driven, so we will focus on whatever aspects of disability culture and access that you are interested in. Here are some example themes that we have explored in the past:

Activism and Advocacy

  • Fair access to local community resources, networks, and spaces
  • Advocacy models from local community organizations
  • Current projects and unmet needs in disability activism

Community Building

  • Perspectives on local disability culture, community building, and solidarity work
  • Approaches to fighting disability stigma and fostering disability pride

Critical Disability Studies

  • Disability Studies scholarship from a variety of critical approaches and academic fields
  • Curriculum, program building, museum studies, and pedagogy informed by disability studies

Access and Equity

  • Access and equity in educational settings
  • Practices for barrier-free teaching and facilitation in higher education or other settings
  • Universal design in physical or digital settings

Arts and Culture

  • Disability and various creative arts, including dance, film, music, or visual arts
  • Disability and artistic practice

2024 UnConference Application

The 2024 UnConference Application

The following information will be updated to reflect 2024 information soon:

Not attending this year, but still interested in helping us conduct the UnConference this and future years? Donate to our Special Events fund!

Visit the Call for Participation and Application page to find out more information about the conference or contact the organizers by emailing icds.unconference@wwu2.onmicrosoft.com and icds@wwu.edu.

Parking, Wifi, Maps, and Local Guides

The DSAC UnConference Archives

2023 UnConference Archive
2022 UnConference Archive
2019 UnConference Archive

ICDS Co-Directors 2024 Year-End Message

Thank you to everyone who has supported our work up to now. We only exist because of this network of students, faculty, staff, and community members who continue to work alongside us as part of a disability studies and action collaborative. The Institute for Critical Disability Studies has formed to represent a group of disabled and nondisabled people, working together to advance disability studies scholarship, personal advocacy, and a pro-disability community.
 
We want to share a few updates as the year comes to an end. But before we do, we’d like to take a moment to note that you can always support the ICDS by donating to our WWU Foundation Fund. Contributions help fund our student scholarships and programming throughout the year. 
 
 
Let’s celebrate some of our accomplishments in 2024:
 

The Critical Disability Studies Program Continues to Expand

  • Since January 2024, 18 more students have declared the CDS minor

  • We offered 9 DISA courses and enrolled more than 200 students in those courses in 2024 alone 

  • We submitted a curriculum proposal for a brand new DISA 201 GUR course titled, Stories of Disability in the World, and we expect for the full approval to be completed in early 2025 for offering in the coming academic year. 

  • We welcomed Kyann Flint to Western as a new faculty member teaching DISA courses with us, starting in Fall 2024

  • 6 faculty throughout Western taught DISA courses and cross-lists in a variety of modalities, from face-to-face to online, to increase access to disability-centering coursework:

    • Daman Wandke (Educational Leadership and Inclusive Teaching)
    • Kristen Chmieleski (Health and Human Development)
    • Pam Kuntz (Dance)
    • Andrew Lucchesi (English)
    • Lindsey Foreman-Murry (Special Education)
    • Kyann Flint (Critical Disability Studies)
 

We Supported Students and Community Members through scholarships, fellowships, and employment

  • Scholarships awarded:

    • The Mark West Scholarship, made possible by a generous donation by WWU Trustee Maureen West

      • Cori Foster (MA program in Rehabilitation Counseling)

      • Kimberly Miller (Human Services, CDS minor)

    • The Critical Disability Studies Minor Scholarship, Made possible by your individual donations to the ICDS Scholarship Fund in previous years’ Give Days

      • Remi Rogoff (Urban Planning and Sustainable Development, CDS minor)

  • We also awarded three 2024 ICDS Fellowships, each one supporting a community project to be launched in 2025: 

    • Chapi Alfaro— Project: Mental Health and Community Support for Latinx community in Tri Cities, Jan 22nd, 2025

    • Alexander Jones—Project: Disability and Accessibility Hackathon, Feb 15th – 16th, 2025

    • Steve Hickenbottom—Project: Accessibility Aid School Pantry, Jan-Feb 2025

  • We worked with 5 amazing graduate students (read about our graduate students, staff, and collaborators here)  

    • Spike Osadchuk (Anthropology)
    • Eden Chapman (Education)
    • Lorraine Floyd (Rehabilitation Counseling)
    • Fred Engelfried (Urban Design)

    • Sarah Lucas-Page (Music)

  • We employed more than a dozen undergraduate students for short-term UnConference support, ICDS Student Advisory Council leadership, Summer Assistantships, and Programming and Workshop Development
 

ICDS hosted a wide range of programming and events over the past year

  • We hosted our 4th Annual UnConference on October 19th-20th, 2024. The UnConference is our annual event where we bring together students, faculty, staff, and community members to discuss disability issues in our community. It includes two days of programming. On day 1, participants engage in expert-led workshops, and on day 2 everyone gives a presentation on their specific disability interests. 

    • This year we had exceptionally high levels of interest, and we expanded the attendance up around 40%. This is a big achievement for us, since it represents an increase in the scope of our work in the community. The UnConference is becoming a well-known fixture of the disability studies and advocacy community in the region, and our attendance numbers show this. We were able to support this increased size with the excellent support of our student staff. 

    • We pride ourselves on the UnConference being for and by disabled people. This year, according to our surveys, over 80% of attendees identified as disabled some or all of the time. This is a huge achievement for our event in that it actually represents the interests and needs of our disabled community. We truly work toward the disability-empowerment principle “Nothing About Us Without Us!“

  • We welcomed two invited Keynote speakers, who presented at Western both in-person and virtually.  You can find recordings of their presentations published on our webpage, linked below:

  • In Spring, 2024, we launched our first Scholars Week Student Showcase, a symposium featuring the work of 9 amazing student presenters engaging in scholarly and creative work around disability and access at Western.

  • We also held teaching workshops on two disability-related pedagogy topics.  These virtual workshops were each attended by more than 50 people; follow-up resources and workshop recordings will be available on our website for those who would like to revisit the material.

    • In Winter 2024, we held Ethical and Effective Attendance Policies 

    • In Fall 2024, we held Supporting Neurodivergent Students in the Classroom (resource page coming soon)

  • We hosted nearly 3 dozen support and discussion group meetings since January 2024.  These drop-in meetings are held virtually, and are free and open to the community.

    • The Disability Pedagogy Group focuses on disabled teachers and supporting disabled students

    • The Disability Justice Collaborative focuses on community support and local issues
 
 
This is just a partial list of our work in 2024. Thanks again to those who worked with us and contributed to these successes. 
 
 

Crossing into 2025

We have many things to get excited about for the future. 

  • One is to spread the word about the ICDS Student Advisory Council. This amazing student group does important work building disability community for students. They also hold a place of authority within the Institute itself as an advisory body that helps us better support student needs throughout our work. The Winter ICDS SAC meetings will be on the 1st and 3rd Wednesdays of the month, at 4:30 pm, starting January 15. Visit their webpage or follow on social media for meetings and how to get involved.

  • We are also excited for our partnership with the Western Gallery for their upcoming exhibit, Embodiment, opening January 7th. ICDS will be hosting a speaker event connected to the Gallery exhibit on February 6th, 2025. 

  • Finally, mark your calendar for the January 12th screening of Crutch, hosted by Kuntz and Co. and co-sponsored by the ICDS. Faculty, Staff, and Community members can use the discount code DISA to purchase reduced-price tickets.  WWU Students can use the discount code VIKINGS to purchase their tickets for free!
 
Thank you for being part of our work this year. We are excited to support disability community at Western and beyond in 2025. 
 

Sincerely,

Andrew and GIM

lucchea@wwu.edu and mcgrewg2@wwu.edu at icds@wwu.edu

2024 UnConference Program Overview – final

  • Check-in & refreshments: AW ground floor & AW sky bridge (top floor)
    • 9:30 am – 10:15 am
  • Welcome: AW sky bridge
    • 10:15 am – 10:30 am
  • Workshop Session A – Discovery: Multiple Rooms
    • 10:45 am – 12:00 pm
  • Lunch: AW sky bridge
    • 12:00 pm – 1:15 pm
  • Workshop Session B – Opportunities: Multiple Rooms
    • 1:15 pm – 2:15 pm
  • Workshop Session C – Project Development: Multiple Rooms
    • 2:30 pm – 3:30 pm
  • Day 1 Closing Session D – Sharing Out
    • 3:45 pm – 5:00 pm
  • Morning refreshments: AW sky bridge (top floor)
    • 9:30 am – 10:00 am
  • Morning Panel and Presentation Sessions
    • 10:00 am – 11:15 am
      • Session A1: Room 412
         Employment, Volunteering, and Career Success
      • Session A2: Room 405
        Neurodiversity and Neurodivergence
      • Session A3: Room 403
        Complexity of Disability Identity
    • 11:30 am – 12:30 pm
      • Session B1: Room 412
        Leadership and Business
      • Session B2: Room 405
        Workshop: Letters I Wish I Could Send
      • Session B3: Room 403
        Advising and Student Advocacy
  • Lunch: AW sky bridge & AW 408
    • 12:30 pm – 1:30 pm
  • Afternoon Panel and Presentation Sessions
    • 1:30 pm – 2:45 pm
      • Session C1: Room 412
        Support Staff and Faculty Discussion Session
      • Session C2: Room 405
        Disability Analysis and Disability Justice
      • Session C3: Room 403
        Student Experience Discussion Session
    • 3:00 pm – 3:45 pm
      • Session D1: Room
        • Land, Space, and Place
      • Session D2: Room 405
        • Equitable Education Experience
      • Session D3: Room 403
        Disability and the Arts
    • 4:00 – 5:00 pm
      • Session E1: Room 412
        Building Systems of Support
      • Session E2: Room 405
        Critical Disability Studies Discussion Session
      • Session E3: Room 403
        Community Organizing

 

Session A1: Employment, Volunteering, and Career Success

This panel focuses on the importance of accessible and fulfilling opportunities for work and volunteer opportunities. 

 

Session A2: Neurodiversity and Neurodivergence

This panel explores aspects of neurodivergence both at the broad level of cultural identity and at the specific level of student support and access.

 

Session A3: Complexity of Disability Identity

This panel explores the complexities of disability experience, especially connections to other aspects of identity such as age and sexuality.

11:30 am – 12:30 pm 

Session B1: Leadership and Business

This panel explores the connections between disability experience and entrepreneurship and leadership in business. Topics include ADEI, digital equality, and community building.

Session B2: Workshop: Letters I Wish I Could Send

Session B3: Advising and Student Advocacy

This panel explores the importance of systems of support for disabled students at Western. It focuses on areas of advising, physical access, and peer support.

 

12:30 – 1:30 pm – Lunch Break

 

1:30 – 2:45 pm

Session C1: Support Staff and Faculty Discussion Session

This is an un-scripted roundtable conversation for as many faculty and staff who are interested in participating. Topics will include supporting disabled students and experiences as disabled members of campus.

Session C2: Disability Analysis and Disability Justice

This panel examines disability topics through the lens of cultural critique and political engagement. Topics include colonization, weaponization, and intersectionality.

 

Session C3: Student Experience Discussion Session

This is an un-scripted roundtable conversation for any students interested in participating. Topics will include student experiences, accessibility issues, and disability culture.

3:00 – 3:45 pm 

Session D1: Land, Space, and Place

This panel explores the importance of access to outdoor spaces and recreation as the basis for equitable community.

 

Session D2: Equitable Education Experience

This panel focuses on access in educational settings, especially in higher education. Topics include student supports and disabled student experience.

 

Session D3: Disability and the Arts

This panel explores disability through the lens of art and theater. Topics will include the connection between disability identity and artistic production and the importance of artistic expression for disability politics and identity.

 

4:00 – 5:00 pm

Session E1: Building Systems of Support

This panel focuses on effective and equitable ways to support disabled people in accessing resources, especially in times of life transition.

Session E2: Critical Disability Studies Discussion Session

This is an un-scripted roundtable conversation for anyone interested in the academic field of critical disability studies. Topics will include teaching disability studies, current research projects, and courses

Session E3: Community Organizing

This panel focuses on disability cultural work, including building disability-positive and accessible communities and events. 

 

 

2024 UnConference Resources and Local Guide

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

2024 Local Public Transit and Walking to the UnConference

Walking to the UnConference Building

The main North entrance to Academic Instructional Center West (Academic West, or AW) building is at the South end of the WWU campus.  It is a 3-minute walk, about 0.2 miles northeast of the nearest bus stops after crossing W College Way (GPS coordinates of the entrance: 48.732302498387845, -122.48677806756906).

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.

WTA – Whatcom Transportation Authority Webpage
◀ Return to UnConference Local Resources page

2024 UnConference of the Disability Studies and Action Collaborative

This event will be held on Saturday, October 19th and Sunday, October 20th from 10am to 5pm. Doors open for coffee and refreshments at 9:30am. You may attend in person at Western Washington University’s Bellingham campus, in the building Academic West. You can also attend remotely via Zoom. Links to Zoom will be sent out at a later date. For more information go to https://wp.wwu.edu/disabilitycollaborative/events/unconference/ 

2024 DSAC UnConference: Call for Participants & Application Form

Application Deadline: 11:59 pm, July 19th, 2024
Note: Applications received by Friday, June 28th, 2024 will receive priority consideration, early acceptance notification, and first choice in presentation time.

How to apply:

2024-UnConference-Application-DownloadableDownload

About the Disability Studies and Action Collaborative (DSAC) UnConference

Event details

  • Event dates: Saturday and Sunday, October 19 & 20, 2024 10:00 am – 5:00 pm 
  • Event location: Academic West Building, Western Washington University
    • hybrid remote options available
  • Priority Application deadline for early decision: 11:59pm, Friday June 28th, 2024
  • Final Application deadline: 11:59 pm, Friday July 19th, 2024
  • Acceptances sent: by the end of July, 2024
  • Participant Fee (determined after Acceptances are sent): Sliding scale from $0 to $250

Application Requirements

The initial application for the UnConference will ask you to provide the following:

  • Statement explaining why you are interested in attending the UnConference
  • Description of your professional or personal connection to disability culture and access
  • List of themes or topics you might want to focus on in your working groups or presentations

Note that space is limited, so we may not be able to admit everyone who applies. Preference will be given to those who identify as having a disability or other marginalized population traditionally excluded from professional or academic spaces. Priority will be given to individuals with disabilities and those working in the Pacific Northwest. Nondisabled and those working outside the region are still welcome to apply. For those who would like to attend but who would need financial assistance to do so, please reach out to us at icds.unconference@wwu2.onmicrosoft.com and icds@wwu.edu.

This event is for everyone, regardless of your access needs. You are welcome to attend the UnConference in person on our Bellingham, WA campus, or you may attend fully on Zoom. We will provide access supports to attendees, including ASL interpretation, downloadable materials, and other accommodations participants request in the application form.

All applicants are required to make the following commitments:

  • Attend both days of the UnConference participating to the fullest degree possible 
  • Actively participate in the workshop sessions on Day 1 (Saturday Oct 19)
  • Give a presentation on Day 2 (Sunday Oct 20), whether it be very short and informal or longer and more formal
  • Communicate your access needs to us as early as possible so we can provide for your needs

Applications received by June 28th, 2024 will receive priority consideration and first choice in presentation time. Final applications are due 11:59 pm July 19th.

Apply online to participate in the 2024 UnConference (Google Forms)
Alternative UnConference Application (Word Doc)

ICDS Scholarships Available Now! – Application deadline Wednesday May 01, 2024

The Institute for Critical Disability Studies is now accepting applications to be disbursed this Fall 2024! Student opportunities include the Mark West Scholarship and two new ICDS General Scholarships for current declared ICDS Minors! The deadline for applications and letters of recommendation is 11:59 pm on Wednesday, May 01, for all scholarships.

Learn more and apply here:

ICDS Scholarships

Apply to be a 2024 ICDS Fellow

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

Selfie of a person with long and wavy blue-grey dyed hair and large-rimmed clear glasses wearing a pink top and pink lipstick. She is looking directly at the camera with a thoughtful expression.

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

A smiling person with short dark beard and blue baseball cap, dressed in short-sleeved hiking clothes and a red bandana tied around the neck, holding a backpack. He is standing in front of a field with green trees in the background.

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.

A tall person with short brown hair and medium beard smiles at the camera, facing slightly to the side. He is wearing a forest-toned green and brown flannel shirt and is standing in front of evergreen trees.

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.

Apply to the ICDS Fellows Program

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

ICDS Fellows

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Start Over

2025 UnConference Resources and Local Guide

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