Facilitated by Diane Cohen (HMS)
Meeting dates:
–> Thursdays on October 8, October 22, November 5, and November 19
In this fall semester book club, participants will read chapters from Jay Dolmage’s Academic Ableism: Disability and Higher Education (2017), and come together bi-weekly to discuss:
- How higher education has historically conceived of disability as the antithesis of academic life and what residue of that history we can still find in our institutions today
- Where the gap between institutional commitments to DEI and the actual experience of disabled students and faculty comes from, and what keeps it in place
- How the accommodation process really functions (who it serves, what it costs, is it enough?)
- What it might look like to move beyond accommodation toward something more transformative and what stands in the way of that at our own institution
Eligible part-time faculty who participate in all four sessions qualify for a $400 stipend.
Session 1: Thursday, October 8—RSVP
- How higher education has historically conceived of disability as the antithesis of academic life and what residue of that history we can still find in our institutions today.
Reading: Introduction, pgs.1-40
Session Description: Our first session introduces the concept of academic ableism and examines the historical relationship between disability and higher education. We’ll explore how ideas about intelligence, productivity, and belonging have shaped colleges and universities, and consider how these legacies continue to influence institutional culture today.
Session 2: Thursday, October 22—RSVP
- Where the gap between institutional commitments to diversity, equity, and inclusion and the actual experience of disabled students and faculty comes from, and what keeps it in place.
Reading: Chapter 1: Steep Steps, pgs.41-66
Session Description: Using the metaphor of “steep steps,” Dolmage examines how institutional structures, physical spaces, and cultural assumptions continue to shape who is welcomed, supported, and expected to succeed in higher education. Together, we’ll discuss how these barriers persist even within institutions committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Session 3: Thursday, November 5—RSVP
- How the accommodation process really functions (who it serves, what it costs, and whether it is enough).
Reading: Chapter 2: The Retrofit, pgs.67-98
Session Description: Accommodation is often viewed as the primary means of creating access in higher education, but what happens when accessibility is treated as an individual exception rather than an institutional responsibility? In this session, we’ll explore the strengths and limitations of accommodation and consider who benefits from the current system and who bears its costs.
Session 4: Thursday, November 19—RSVP
- What it might look like to move beyond accommodation toward something more transformative and what stands in the way of that at our own institution.
Reading: Chapter 4: Universal Design, pgs.115-152
Session Description: In our final session, we’ll consider how colleges and universities might move beyond accommodation toward more proactive and inclusive approaches to teaching and learning. Drawing on Dolmage’s discussion of Universal Design, we’ll reflect on what institutional transformation could look like and the opportunities and challenges of creating more accessible learning environments.
