Call for Proposals

Society for Disability Studies 20th Annual Conference

Seattle, May 31-June 2, 2007

"Disability & Disability Studies: Works in Progress"

Submission Deadline: 15 November 2006

2007 marks the 25th year of the Society for Disability Studies, and the field has changed dramatically over the last quarter century. As Disability Studies continues to grow, increasing its presence in university departments, cultural criticism, and art and knowledge production, SDS wants to take this anniversary opportunity to reevaluate the discipline and reflect on the state of the field. Current Disability Studies scholarship differs from much of that which precedes it, most notably in its efforts to be more inclusive, offering a more complex conception of what constitutes "disability." Rather than remaining rooted in a particular cultural moment or ideological understanding, Disability Studies is a work in progress.

In order to encourage this kind of self-reflection, both as a field and an organization, this year's conference addresses the idea of "works in progress," paying particular attention to the following themes:

Disability is a work in progress. What does "progress" mean in terms of disability? How has the notion of "progress" itself been used to justify the oppression of people with disabilities, and how can these histories serve as points of coalition with other peoples marginalized in the name of "progress?" How have ideologies of "progress" been used to create and maintain categories of "disability," and how do these histories inform and inflect histories of race, ethnicity, class, gender, sexual orientation, nation, and religion? How are definitions and representations of disability in progress, shifting according to the needs of capital, policy, and resistance? How are current immigration practices and debates building on existing notions of disability? Are the increases in disabled veterans in the US and its allies, and the massive numbers of peoples injured by occupations, invasions, insurgencies, and other conflicts worldwide, transforming our understandings of "disability"!
  in terms of theoretical analysis or public policy?

Disability Studies is a work in progress. In its efforts to inform disability policy and understanding, the discipline has too often neglected salient categories of analysis. What issues have been swept under the rug and at what costs? What are the reasons for this lack of critical examination? As Disability Studies has grown, how has it marginalized particular methodologies, theoretical frameworks, or knowledge bases? Will the discipline benefit from a broader, more comprehensive focus, and if so, how? How does current Disability Studies scholarship vary from previous Disability Studies scholarship? At this stage in the field's development, what possibilities for collaboration with other fields and knowledges exist? Where is the discipline headed?

SDS is a work in progress. Consider, for instance, the organization's recent efforts to integrate race and ethnicity. Where are the points of future growth? How might SDS develop an international or transnational focus, more actively engage individuals with intellectual disabilities, facilitate the inclusion of grassroots activists, and encourage academic and/or political involvement with questions of war and immigration? What barriers currently prevent the participation and inclusion of these individuals and concerns? What role, if any, has SDS played in the construction of these barriers? How are artists, scholars, and activists deconstructing them, and what might the organization learn from their efforts?

Access is a work in progress. Often, the tendency at conferences is for participants to present completed work. This can have the effect of the presenter talking at the audience instead of to them. This conference encourages participants to try out innovative forms of access while bearing in mind ways of actively engaging the audience. For example, how can participants share their work in creative, less traditional ways in order to increase access? What can participants do not only to honor but further SDS's access policies? How might conference access itself, and particularly presentation access, be a matter of research and discussion?

"Work" is a work in progress. Arguably, barriers often exist between Disability Studies scholarship and disability activism. One aspect of this conference will be to address these barriers through the lens of "work," engaging divides between scholarship and activism in new ways. How might scholars and activists conceptualize their work differently? Are some kinds of work valued more than others? In what ways does each group's work inform the other's? How might insights from disability research translate into community activism, and how might activist projects be translated into research projects? How might the two groups-Disability Studies scholars and disability activists-work collaboratively? What are the benefits in drawing firm lines between these two approaches to disability, and what might be the attendant risks in doing so?

SDS invites activists, artists, and scholars to submit proposals for all work in progress in Disability Studies. Work can be submitted in a variety of formats, including paper presentations, poster sessions, performances, video/DVD recordings, etc. The Program Committee will make every effort to honor participants' requests insofar as presentation format. We ask participants to bear in mind that the committee may reassign participants to other presentation formats, styles, and panels in order to develop the richest program possible.

Accessibility in presentations is central to the philosophy of SDS. Presenters should explore ways to make physical, sensory, and intellectual access a fundamental part of their presentation. All presenters are required to, at minimum, provide e-text versions of papers in advance of the conference (for open captioning), large-print hard copies (18 point font or larger) of all handouts, hard copies or outlines of their talks in 12 point and 18 point fonts, audio description of visual images and charts, and open or closed captioning of films and video clips. Presentations should also be planned so that their delivery will accommodate open-captioning and ASL translation. In order to facilitate ASL interpretation and open captioning, drafts of accepted presentations will be due by 1 May 2007. If you have questions about making your presentation accessible, please contact Chris Bell at christopher.bell_at_ntu.ac.uk or Alison Kafer at kafera_at_southwestern.edu.

The deadline for proposals is 15 November 2006. Participants will be notified of their acceptance by 15 February 2007. All abstracts will be reviewed by the conference Program Committee: Chris Bell and Alison Kafer (co-chairs); Patricia Berne, Derek Coates, David Connor, Lara Doan, Kristen Harmon, Petra Kuppers, Dymaneke Mitchell, and Ellen Samuels.

Please submit proposals electronically in text and rich text format using the following form. Submit proposals to both Mansha Mirza at mmirza2_at_uic.edu and Joy Hammel at hammel_at_uic.edu <mailto:%20cg16_at_uic.edu> . Questions about the conference program or submission process should be directed to Chris Bell at christopher.bell_at_ntu.ac.uk and Alison Kafer at kafera_at_southwestern.edu.

If electronic submission is not possible, please mail or fax proposals to arrive by 15 November 2006:

Mansha Mirza
Society for Disability Studies
Dept. of Disability and Human Development
University of Illinois-Chicago
1640 W. Roosevelt Rd. (M/C 626)
Chicago, IL 60608-6904

Fax: 312-996-7743

SDS 2007 Submission Form (please include this two-page form with all submissions)

I. Type of Proposal (tick one box)

Individual Presentation (15 minutes)

Panel Presentation (90 minutes, including discussion time)

Other

II. Format (tick one box)

Individual Presentation (15 minutes)

Poster Session (Posters will be exhibited in a 90-minute session where authors will have an opportunity to meet and interact with conference participants)

Panel (90-minute block with 3-4 presenters)

Roundtable (90-minute block for informal discussion of ideas)

Workshop (90-minute program or exercise)

Arts & Performance (literary reading, art exhibit, theatre, video/DVD/film, etc. Please specify what you need in terms of time and space.)

Alternative Presentation (please specify what you need in terms of time and space)

III. Presenter Information

Presenter #1

Name

Affiliation

Mailing Address

Phone Number

Email Address

Access needs for presentation

Presenter #2

Name

Affiliation

Mailing address

Phone Number

Email Address

Access needs for presentation

Presenter #3

Name

Affiliation

Mailing Address

Phone Number

Email Address

Access needs for presentation

Presenter #4

Name

Affiliation

Mailing Address

Phone Number

Email Address

Access needs for presentation

Include information for additional presenters as necessary

IV. Abstract(s) (500 - 750 words)

An effective abstract will likely include:

· a title

· a narrative description of the work (what are its purposes? what methods, techniques, or theories will be used?)

· an explanation of how the work contributes/critiques/expands the field of Disability Studies

· a discussion of how the work relates to the conference theme

· a description of how the work will be made accessible

It is not necessary to address the bullet points in order, but please be as specific as possible regarding content and format. Individual, roundtable, and workshop proposals require a 500-750 word abstract. Panel proposals require a 250-word abstract describing the panel as a whole, as well as a 250-word abstract for each participant.

Finally, indicate any audiovisual requests (note that we cannot guarantee LCD projection for presenters). Please include information about the accessibility of audiovisual presentations (i.e., captioned films, verbal descriptions of slides or images, etc.).

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Received on Fri Oct 06 2006 - 15:59:53 EDT