This Year’s Program
Monday April 7, 2025
Format of all sessions: Virtual
Location: Zoom (registration required)
ASL and CART will be available for all events
Register for the Opening Panel here
11am-2pm EDT
Opening Session and Keynote Address
Join us as we embark on the 4th Annual Symposium for Disability and Accessibility at Yale! This year we have the extreme pleasure of welcoming author, journalist, and NPR correspondent Joseph Shapiro as our keynote speaker. His book NO PITY: People with Disabilities Forging a New Civil Rights Movement (Random House/Three Rivers Press) is read widely in Disability Studies classrooms and offers us a timely opportunity to reflect on the importance of the 35th anniversary of the ADA.
Following this keynote address, we will welcome researchers Tessa Charlesworth, PhD and Katie Wang, PhD as they discuss their groundbreaking studies on People with Disabilities. Stay tuned after the break for a joint discussion on the ADA, Disability Rights, and Disability Justice in the 21st century.
4-6pm EDT
Disability and Media
Format: Virtual via zoom
Register for Disablity and Media here
Accessibility in media and the arts has increasingly become a topic of concern within Disability Communities all over the World. In this series of presentations and discussions, we will pause to consider the strides that have been made to underscore the importance of media and arts access, and how we can continue to forge a path towards holistic accessibility for all.
· 4pm: Making films INclusive, not Exclusive presented by Natália Centková, LL.M
· 4:30pm: Access as Praxis: A conversation between disability arts and culture practitioners presented by Bri Noonan, Amelia-Marie Altstadt, Joy Young, Maggie Bridger, Sam Weiss, Sydney Erlikh and Terri Lynne Hudson
· 5pm: Perspective: Highlighting Disability Voices and Viewpoints through Artistry and Accessibility presented by Molly Joyce
· 5:15pm: Q&A and Discussion moderated by Charles Eppley
6-10pm EDT An Evening with ReelAbilities
Format: Virtual via Zoom
Register for An Evening with ReelAbilities here
For the past 17 years the ReelAbilities Film Festival has strategically, intentionally, and impactfully highlighted the lived experiences of People with Disabilities while providing a platform for documentary filmmakers with disabilities to be in conversation and community. Join us as we view and discuss 2 of the featured films from the 2025 ReelAbilities Film Festival. Films will be announced in the coming months along with how to access them. Session moderated by Neta Alexander.
Tuesday April 8, 2025
Times: 11am-5:15pm
Format: Virtual via Zoom (registration required)
ASL and CART will be available for all events
Register for All Regular Sessions here
The 2nd day of this year’s Symposium explores a myriad of interdisciplinary topics which demonstrate how the experiences of People with Disabilities are woven into day-to-day lives, professional pathways, and Education. The diverse conversations are guaranteed to spark a heightened understanding of the many layers of accessibility, and perhaps will call for a “re-imagining” of how space is created.
Beginning with a panel on the ADA and the Law, the afternoon sessions will explore how Students with Disabilities are supported on higher education campus and how they are situated in the classroom. Later panels will consider the complexities of being an educator with a disability and support systems to build more inclusive classrooms. We invite you to join us at the end for a collective Q&A/Discussion led by Yale Prof. Deborah Streahle.
11am EDT
The ADA and The Law
Format: Virtual
Location: Zoom (registration required)
· 11am: Mass Accommodations by Shirley Lin
· 11:15am: Panel Discussion with Shirley Lin, Laura Barrett, and Jorge Ledesma. Moderated by Beck Boorstein.
12-1:30pm EDT
Supporting Students with Disabilities on Campus
Format: Virtual
Location: Zoom (registration required)
· 12pm: A Day in the Life of an Accessibility Specialist (SAS)
· 12:30pm: Providing support for students with disabilities on campus (SAS)
1:30-5:15pm EDT
The Many Layers of Disability and Education
Format: Virtual
Location: Zoom (registration required)
· 1:30pm: Experiments in Access Pedagogy presented by Niv Karthikeyan, Kira Tang, Fateya Omer and Audrey Nannor
· 2pm: Educational experiences of PWD’s
o 2pm: Try and Fit In: Rethinking the Classroom Desk as a Site for Possibility by Sarah Berry Pierce
o 2:15pm: Lifting the Fog in Recognizing Twice-Exceptional Abilities among BIPOC Learners by Charissa Owens
o 2:30pm: Understanding Entitlement vs. Eligibility after High School: Multilingual Students in College by Audrey A. Trainor and Logan Roberts
o 2:45pm: Building for the Body: Mobility Research and Pedagogy in the RISD Department of Industrial Design by Max Pratt
· 3:15pm: Experiences of Faculty Members with Disabilities
Moderated by Prof. Deborah Streahle and featuring panelists Parna Nair, Mary Mendoza, Lok Monkol and Katie Wang[GU1]
· 4:15pm Discussion and Q&A
Special Session 1
5:30-6:30pm EDT
Graduate and Professional Student Corner
Format: Virtual
Location: Zoom only (registration required)
Please note that you must register for this special session here.
Graduate students with Disabilities have unique perspectives, experiences and positionality within Academia. Join us for an informal conversation that aims to explore these topics while also offering support, guidance and best practices in a united and affirming environment
Discussion led by Jiya Pandya
Special Session 2
6-7:30pm EDT
Demystifying the Senior Thesis
Format: Hybrid
Location: hybrid
1. Poorvu Center (registration required and attendance capped at 20 in-person attendees)
2. Zoom (registration required)
Please note that all attendees must register for this special session here.
At Yale University, the Senior Thesis is a required milestone towards one’s degree. However, for many, the process of the Senior Thesis is quite elusive. Join us as for a conversation with current Seniors and Advisors to explore the process, consider the thesis beyond the written text and to get a head start on crushing your Senior Thesis!
Wednesday April 9, 2025: Emerging Disability Research
Format: Virtual
Location: Zoom (registration required)
ASL and CART will be available for all events
Register for all sessions here.
Disability is an intersectional area of exploration for vast research. Join us for this day of emerging research as we explore a myriad of topics including the arts, care work, access, medicalization, institutionalization, travel, employment and much more!
11am-2:05pm EDT
Morning Session
Track 1: Disability and the Arts
· 11:15am: Access Artistry for Community Disability Archive UNDUE BURDEN by Julia Havard
· 11:30am: TouchTree: A tool for touch object development using digital fabrication methods by Chloe Adkins
· 11:45am: The Misrepresentation of American Sign Language and Deaf Culture in Mainstream Film Media: A Call for Inclusive Representation by Katherine Hamilton
· 12:15pm Intersections Between Art and Disability in Contemporary Japan by aliwen[GU2]
· 12:30pm: Accessible Weaving with Intertwine Arts by Ria G. Hawks
· 12:45pm: The Agency of Access: Contemporary Disability Art and Institutional Critique by Amanda Cachia
· 1:15pm: Access as Invitation: Challenging the Constraints of Normative Arts Participation
· 1:45pm: Collective Q&A and Discussion moderated by Lukey Ellsburg and Maxwell Feinstein
Track 2: At the Nexus of Medicine, Technology and Institutionalization
· 11:15am: We are the Doctors for You: Improving Internal Medicine Resident Education to Better Serve Adults Living with Disabilities by Maisie Orsillo, Lucy Kohlenberg
· 11:30am Neurodiversity & Accessibility in the Therapy Process - Considerations for General Practitioners by Ernesto Martinez
· 11:45am: The (Un)fit Doctor: The History of Technical Standards in US Medical Education from 1960-2000 by Samuel Suh
· 12:15pm Public health and disability research in a pandemic’s aftermath: tensions and possibilities by Kara M. Mannor
· 12:30pm: In the Dreaming: New Futures, Rethinking Disability by Litia Perta
· 12:45pm: The Ongoing Fight Against Institutional Abuse: Survivor-Led Movements and Creative Actions by Samantha Fein
· 1:15pm: Where the ADA and the Medical Model Meet: Young Adults with Rare Conditions by Court(ney) Felle
· 1:30pm: Metaphors of Diagnostic Identities in Young Adults with Rare and Undiagnosed Disease by Bailey Miller
· 1:45pm: Collective Discussion and Q&A
2:10-3:45pm EDT
Session 2: Disability and Care Work
· 2:15pm: Deaf populations and human trafficking: Risk and protective factors for consideration by Elizabeth Bowman, Carrie Kobek Pezzerossi, Teresa Crowe
· 2:30pm; Exploring Social Support and Family Well-Being Through Family Routines for Parents of Autistic Children by Angela Makris
· 2:45pm: Reimagining Disability Care Work in Kazuo Ishiguro’s Klara and the Sun by Sabrina Li
· 3pm: What’s so wrong with a pity party anyway? A discussion led by Maya Williams
· 3:20pm: Collective Discussion and Q&A moderated by Diana Paulin and Kathryn Carroll, Esq.
4-7:00pm EDT
Session 3: Creating Access
· 4pm: Growing Inclusion: ADA Accessibility in Community Gardens by Quin Hricik
· 4:15pm: The Future of Accessibility: Expanding the Reach of WCAG by Molly Gertenbach
· 4:30pm: Access Denied: Investigating Disability Discrimination in Restroom Access[GU3] by Avra Janz and Nnamdi Jogwe
Employment
· 5:15pm: Responses to job candidate disclosure of bipolar disorder: The role of identity management strategies and educational affiliation by Janice Y. Lam
· 5:30pm: Advancing Accessibility and Inclusion through Proactive Disability Management: Insights from the Canada Energy Regulator by Naveed Mataza
· 5:45pm: Mentorship: A Proactive Approach to Disability-Specific Career Services by Yardena Gerwin
Travel
· 6:15pm: Design Ethnography to Co-Investigate a More Accessible Ferry System by Megan Marini and Lucas Vaqueiro
· 6:30pm: Collective Discussion and Q&A moderated by Logan Roberts
Thursday April 10, 2025
What does it mean to put accessibility in practice on a daily basis? From 11am EDT until 4pm EDT, this series of hybrid workshops will put real access in practice and offer attendees practical ways to include accessibility in both their work and daily interactions.
If you are in the New Haven area, please join us for our annual Accessible Conversations Social which will be held in the Humanities Quadrangle on Yale’s campus. During this social event, you can be in conversation with members of our community who both identify as People with Disabilities and Disability Allies. It is a perfect opportunity to put access in practice in a barrier-free environment.
11am-3pmEDT
Workshops
Format: Hybrid
Location:
1. In-person at the Poorvu Center
2. Zoom (registration required)
ASL and CART will be available for all events
Register for all workshops here
· 11am: Micro Aggressions presented by Kate Upatham and Kate Higgins of Harvard University
· 12pm: Accessible Teaching Materials in K-12 Classrooms: Book Presentation and Discussion Presented by Kenya Loudd, with Richard Cairn, Graham Warder, Ross Newton, Kate Benson, and Baba Amin Ojuok
· 1pm: Teaching and Researching Disability: A Workshop for Early Career Scholars of Anthropology and/of Disability Presented by Kim Fernandes, Helena Fietz
· 2pm: Accessible Event Planning
o 2:00pm: Inclusionary health and safety policies at “post-pandemic” library and archives conferences Presented by Kate Nyhan
o 2:15pm: A Guide to Hosting Accessible Events presented by Jordan Colbert and Nick Wantsala
4:30-6:30pm EDT
Accessible Conversations Social
Format: In-Person Only (Registration required)
Location: Humanities Quadrangle, room HQ 131
320 York St., New Haven, CT 06511
Attendance capped at 60
ASL will be available at this event upon request
Register for the Accessible Conversations Social here
7:00-7:45 pm EDT
Class: Irish Dance for Connection
Format: Virtual
Register for Irish Dance for Connection here
While our main image of Irish dance is the virtuosity of Riverdance, it is, fundamentally, a folk dance. “Old-style” Irish dance is relaxed and accessible, leaving room for individual flare and modification.
In this workshop, we will honor this tradition by using old-style steps to dance as a community, connect with each other, and connect with our bodies. By focusing on this connection, we can also challenge the more harmful and inaccessible aspects of dance, finding new ways to move together joyfully that work for whoever is there. This class is for absolute beginners who have never tried a dance class in their life, experienced dancers looking for another perspective on dance, and everyone in between. Class is gender neutral, queer-friendly, and body positive.
There will also be an opportunity to reflect on the class and the ways movement can be made more accessible to more people.
Friday April 11, 2025: Disability Storytelling
Format: Virtual (Please note that an in-person option for the following panels may become available If you’re interested in attending in-person, please be sure to indicate it on the registration form.)
ASL and CART will be available for all events
What is Disability? What are the support systems for Disability Communities? How do we support Disability as Culture in our Institutions and how do we create access? All of these questions are important aspects to creating Disability Justice and require the voices of People with Disabilities. Join us for this day of “Disability Storytelling” as we amplify the voices of People with Disabilities––declaring… “Nothing for Us without Us!”
10am EDT
Vets on Campus
· 10am: Vets in Limbo: The Challenges of Obtaining VA Disability Benefits
· 10:15am: Veterans on Campus: A panel and discussion
11am EDT
Organizations supporting and uplifting PWDs: An International Glance
· A panel discussion with members from an array of national and international organizations including Luanjiao Wu, Emily Weltman, Kara Smith, Aspen DeVillier, and Sokny Onn moderated by Farhans Shakeel.
12pm EDT
Considering Neurodiversity
· A panel discussion featuring the voices of the neurodiverse community. Panelists include Jules Vivid, Pussypaws Puppetry, Dorothy Howard, Lane Rasberry and will be moderated by Patricia Fritze.
1pm EDT
Disability Programs, Minors and Departments: A National Glance
· A panel discussion on the complexities of Disability Studies minors, programs and presenters organized and moderated by Sarah F. Rose, Director of the Minor in Disability Studies at the University of Texas at Arlington.
2pm EDT
Student led Activism surrounding Disability
· A panel discussion exploring the myriad of ways in which students across college campuses are advocating for PWDs and creating community. Moderated by Angélica Gutiérrez Gonzalez.
3pm EDT
The Impact of Adaptive Sports
· A panel discussion which accounts for experiences of students who participate in adaptive sports on college campuses, its impact on campus climate and long term effects. This panel is organized and moderated by Mikila Salazar of the University of Texas at Arlington.
4pm EDT
Fitness, Sports and Recreation for PWDs
· 4pm: Addressing Health Disparities for People with Disabilities by Brendan Aylward
· 4:30pm: A Guide for Athletic Inclusion Focused on Women with Disabilities by Jenni Thomas
· 4:45pm: Sports Play: What is a Freak? by Sam Naber
· 5:00pm: Collective Discussion and Q&A moderated by Madeline Ware and Samantha Benvissuto
Saturday April 12, 2025:
10:30am-2:30pm EDT
Participants are welcome to come and go as they please during the teach-in.
Teach-in: Diversity in Deafness: American Deaf Perspectives
on the Bilingual/Bicultural Movement, 1975-2000
Format: In-person only. Registration required.
Location: Sterling Memorial Library Memorabilia Room and Lecture Hall
When you think about deaf education, what do you imagine? A classroom full of children signing? One with an interpreter or perhaps a speech therapist? Throughout US history, deaf education—and ideas about deafness itself—has varied widely. This teach-in explores a range of deaf experiences, identities, and perspectives that shaped both sides of the bilingual-bicultural movement in deaf education during the end of the 20th century. In addition to a series of short lectures, attendees will be invited to participate in collective primary source analysis and discussion. The presentation will be conducted in American Sign Language with English interpretation. Led by Alexis Sye
4-5:30pm
Presenting The Blind Dance Company: A performance, doc film screening and discussion
Moderated by Erin Carney.
Format: in-person (registration is required)
Humanities Quadrangle room HQ 131
320 York St.
New Haven, CT, 06511
Join us as we celebrate the very last day of the 4th Annual Symposium for Disability and Accessibility at Yale… with a little dancing! The Blind Dance Company (established in 2017) will captivate us with their energy and their story of artistic expression, resilience and movement. Hailing from Los Angeles, California, we will be joined by 4 of their most experienced performers followed by a viewing of a short documentary about the Company and a Q&A discussion moderated by Yale Library’s Erin Carney.
To wrap up the afternoon, stay and join us for a closing reception during which we will express gratitude for our organizers, sponsors and collaborators. Dinner will be served and we will rock out to some good tunes and great vibes as we prepare and imagine where next year’s Symposium will take us!