Disability Studies and Action Collaborative
Disability Culture, Scholarship, and Community
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.
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.
The Institute for Critical Disability Studies is now accepting applications for the Mark West Scholarship to be disbursed this Fall 2023! The deadline for applications and letters of recommendation is 11:59 pm on Friday, June 02, 2023.
Learn more and apply here:
Posted Feb 2023
The Institute for Critical Disability Studies is excited to announce a brand new offering in Critical Disability Studies for Spring 2023… and celebrate our first official DISA prefix course! Special thanks to the DS Minor Task Force, ICDS Curriculum Committee, staff, and students who provided feedback during the development process.
DISA 397A: Critical Disability Studies is a 5-credit course being offered by the Institute for Critical Disability Studies this Spring at the WWU Bellingham campus. This course presents an interdisciplinary exploration of the field of Critical Disability Studies, and is appropriate for students of all majors and concentrations. Stay tuned for future offerings of this course with the permanent course number DISA 330 in AY 2023-4, with plans to offer multiple sections in face-to-face and remote/hybrid modalities.
We hope that you will share this course information with students widely. A summary of the class details and a promotional graphic to share is included below.
This course provides an exploration of the field of critical disability studies. Students will learn about several central topics, including disability rights and disability justice movements, cultural criticism of literature and popular media, and the principles of universal design in physical and digital spaces. Students will explore disability as an identity category that intersects with other identity categories such as race, gender, and sexuality. This is an interdisciplinary course designed for students from any major.
Click to download the DISA 397A promo graphic shown below (opens in a new tab).
Suggested alt text: Promotional graphic advertising the Institute for Critical Disability Studies’ new Spring 2023 course, DISA 397A, Critical Disability Studies: an interdisciplinary exploration of the field of Critical Disability Studies for students of all majors and concentrations! Key topics include disability rights and disability justice movements, universal design, disability as intersectional identity, and cultural criticism of literature and media. Professor Chmielewski, Tuesday and Thursdays from 10 am to 11:50 am, 5 credits. Course CRN number 24011.
-Posted by GIM, ICDS co-director