Disability Studies and Action Collaborative

Disability Culture, Scholarship, and Community

Posts tagged with: 2022

A letter from the ICDS co-directors

December 30, 2022

To the Disability Studies & Action Collaborative Community:

As 2022 draws to a close, we wanted to first take a moment to thank you for your part in our community: whether as student, alumni, UnConference participant, affiliated faculty, WWU staff, professional or corporate affiliate, community member near and far, and including those of us who have needed to step away from Western and/or ICDS work for various reasons.  You have our deep appreciation and hope for a safe, warm, and restorative holiday season.

The remainder of this message is intended to summarize things to remember and celebrate, as well as things to look forward to as we get 2023 rolling.

2022 Milestones and Celebrations

Several of our exciting milestones and highlights from this year:

  • Official launch of the WWU Institute for Critical Disability Studies
    • No longer just a pipe dream from the very first UnConference in 2019, the Disability Studies Steering Committee continued work in earnest on events and programming, course development, and importantly, proposing the Institute through multiple rounds of listening sessions, pre-proposal, and finally proposal.  The ICDS was officially launched in the Spring Quarter of 2022 as an Institute housed under Academic Affairs.  With the co-director searches concluding in Fall 2022, Andrew and GIM (previously interim co-directors) will begin their official appointments in Winter Quarter 2023.
  • Official launch of the academic program in Disability Studies
  • Proposals for a new minor and new core courses in Critical Disability Studies submitted Dec 2022!
    • An extra thank you to the faculty and students contributing to the DS Minor Task Force in the final push to prepare materials for the minor and help us get everything submitted before the quarter’s end!
    • Learn more about the new minor here.
  • Successful return of the DSAC UnConference
    • After a couple years of hiatus, we transitioned the Disability Studies and Action Collaborative Fall 2022 UnConference from a one-day and fully in-person event to a hybrid in-person and remote event covering two days of workshops, panels, and talks.  Participants were primarily local to the Pacific Northwest, but we had involvement from across the U.S. and Canada.
  • Students recognized through a new ICDS scholarship
    • The inaugural Mark West Scholarship was established this year and awarded to our first two recipients: Graduate student Pheonix Booth and undergraduate student Hillary Banks.
  • Students supported and employed through the ICDS
    • We are incredibly grateful to our first Graduate TAs (GTAs), who have been involved at the ICDS in many projects including: UnConference organizing and student staff mentorship, Student Advisory Council creation, and feedback in committees and ad-hoc task forces.
    • We are also thankful for the work of 11 additional student employees who staffed and moderated events at the Fall 2022 UnConference and helped the technical logistics of our hybrid conference to run smoothly.

2023 Upcoming Winter Quarter Highlights

Stay tuned for more exciting news and updates coming out at the beginning of this year:

  • Winter 2023: News on DS Minor and new courses proposed in Fall 2022
    • We are looking forward to sharing the status of our new courses and new Minor in Critical Disability Studies later this quarter.
  • January 2023: ICDS Fellows will begin their year-long Fellowship

Note – Action item for Faculty & Staff ICDS Affiliates:

Early in January, we’ll be sending out an email with meeting agenda and scheduling for our next quarterly Disability Studies and Action Collaborative (Disability Studies Steering Committee) general meeting, so we’ll get to catch up with you more at that time! 

We hope you have a good remainder of your Winter intersession and a Happy New Year!

With gratitude,

-ICDS co-directors
GIM (he/they) & Andrew (he/him)
icds@wwu.edu

P.S. You can make a year-end tax-deductible donation to the WWU ICDS here.

Subscribe or unsubscribe from the WWU ICDS mailing list using this google form

‘Documenting Grace’ dance film festival kick-off and films sponsored by ICDS

Invitation to Dance on November 13th

Join us for a kick-off event for Kuntz & Co’s new film festival series, “Documenting Grace”. On Sunday, November 13th, ICDS will be sponsoring their screening of Invitation to Dance, a documentary film by Simi Linton, and a 20-min pre-screening discussion. Proceeds from the screening will go toward Dance for All Bodies.

The film will be shown with open captions and audio description to provide access for low vision/blind audience members. Questions or for disability accommodations contact Pam at 360-510-4711 or kuntzpam@gmail.com

Tickets to “Invitation to Dance” – Nov 13, 6:00 pm

More events to come!

Stay tuned for information on our next ICDS event accompanying Pam’s “Documenting Grace” series, co-sponsored with Northwest Parkinson’s Foundation. Sunday, April 16, 2023 at 4:00 pm.

Tickets to “Capturing Grace” – April 16, 4:00 pm

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.

Thank you to everyone who participated in WWU GiveDay!

Thank you to everyone who contributed to the Institute for Critical Disability Studies’ very first WWU Give Day!  Stay tuned as we will be hosting our next UnConference in the Fall and also launching a new ICDS Fellows Program.

If you missed it, you can still give at https://alumniq.wwu.edu/giving/to/GiveDay2022 by selecting “Other” category and searching for Institute for Critical Disability Studies.

Support Critical Disability Studies this WWU Give Day

WWU Give Day is coming up!  This is the new Institute for Critical Disability Studies’ (ICDS’) very first public fundraising opportunity as of our Spring 2022 launch and official institute status!  We could not have made it this far without your collective contributions in organization and planning, feedback, and encouragement: THANK YOU!
 
Are you imagining all the awesome things the Institute could be doing in the coming years, such as putting on our next UnConference, funding new DISA course development, hiring staff, scheduling workshops, bringing in speakers, and funding student internships and scholarships?
 
Help ICDS grow our resources to confidently support students, faculty, and staff.  Encourage your connections to give, and give as you are able: even the smallest donations will make a difference!
 
  • How you can help ICDS fundraise for Give Day:
    • Become a Give Day Ambassador – sign up now to help recruit donors and share on social media in advance of Give Day with the tags #WWUGiveDay and #WWUICDS.
    • Spread the word by sharing our Give Day page with friends, family, and potential donors, and let them know why Critical Disability Studies, accessibility, and the DSAC community matter to you!
    • Give early!  Early Give Day is Wednesday May 18th for only 24 hours: Get a head start on giving and build momentum for the Institute.
    • Give on Give Day!  Give Day is Thursday May 26th.
 
Help give this little ICDS seedling a strong start this spring!
A tiny green seedling with two green leaflets sprouts from soil. The seedling represents the new Institute which has just officially sprouted this Spring.

Image of a green seedling sprouting from the soil
“Seedling” by _sjg_ is licensed under CC BY-NC 2.0

 

Upcoming Event: Faculty Roundtable on May 12, 2022

On May 12th at 3:30pm, we’ll be hosting a Roundtable on Teaching Disability in the Disciplines. This fully online event will bring faculty from across the university together to talk about how disability-related content fits into their teaching. The aim is to show how disability studies can find a home in a range of fields, which will provide models for other faculty interested in teaching about disability. 

Learn more and register to attend by clicking the link below: 

Faculty Roundtable: Teaching Disability in the Disciplines

Interim co-directors announced for Spring & Summer 2022

Winter Quarter 2022

Andrew Lucchesi and GIM (G McGrew) will be working as the interim co-directors of the Institute for Spring and Summer 2022.  GIM and Andrew will be helping establish the institute’s first priorities, including hosting events, establishing a new scholarship program, and creating connections between faculty and students around disability studies work.

You are invited to reach out to them:

  • Andrew Lucchesi (he/him)
    • lucchea@wwu.edu
  • GIM (he/they)
    • mcgrewg2@wwu.edu

Permanent co-directors will begin their roles in Fall of 2022.

New Institute for Critical Disability Studies Approved by Provost

March 21, 2022

It’s happening!

After submitting a full proposal for the institute at the beginning of Summer 2021 and lengthy negotiation with the Provost’s office, the Disability Studies and Action Collaborative is pleased to announce that the Provost’s office has agreed to establish our new Institute for Critical Disability Studies for Spring 2022 and Fall 2022.

Our next stages in the institute formation include selection of interim co-directors for the institute to work with the Interim Advisory Council and the DS Steering Committee during Spring and Summer 2022; working on institute bylaws including organization and committee structures; and to hold a formal search process for two co-director roles to start in Fall 2022.

We are looking forward to building community alongside these administrative elements by continuing to hold events, from student-centered engagements to faculty-facing professional development opportunities.

Thank you for joining us as we continue this exciting journey!