A New Exchange

ABOUT THE FOCUS OF THIS GROUP

Referring to a diverse, interdisciplinary set of approaches, Critical Disability Studies analyzes the idea of “disability” from cultural, historical, social, and political vantage points and places the disabled at its centre. Critical Disability Studies views disability as both a lived reality in which the experiences of people with disabilities are central to interpreting their place in the world, and also looks at what we mean by disability, as a social and political definition based on societal power relations. This area of study involves academics and people representing multiple disciplines and lived perspectives who wish to challenge approaches that pathologize physical, mental, neurological, and sensory difference as being in need of some kind of "correction."  Critical Disability Studies advocates for both accommodation and equality for people in all areas of life. Barriers to education, employment, transportation and a host of services, both public and private, all come under the scrutiny of Critical Disability Studies, a field that works toward universal accessibility.

THE GROUP, CONVENERS, AND OBJECTIVES

Multiple actions will be required to better understand how we can build capacity for research and the exchange of knowledge that will ultimately work towards  full and meaningful inclusion.

Conveners: The Research and Knowledge Exchange is convened by Dr. Laura Pacheco (Memorial University School of Social Work) and by Dr. Andreae Callanan (Memorial University Office of Public Engagement).

Participants: Through this Exchange, NLCAHR has established a forum where you can share your knowledge about Critical Disability Studies and learn about the perspectives of others:  healthcare workers and decision makers, patients/persons with lived experiences, caregivers, community organizations, university partners (students, staff, and faculty) and government partners. 

Activities and Objectives: The group will meet to discuss research and practice knowledge; to share lived experience and community knowledge; and to build capacity for collaboration and partnerships to support action towards change on various levels.

All voices will be welcome as we strive to integrate lived experience and the experience and knowledge of academic researchers, healthcare providers, community partners and policy makers in collaborative research, practice and policy directions designed to improve accessibility for all.

Where do YOU come in?

Participation in the NLCAHR Research and Knowledge Exchanges is a low-pressure proposition.  Your level of involvement will be determined by your own interest and availability.  Joining this group means that your email will be added to a membership listing and you will be invited to presentations and events, you will have regular opportunities to network and to meet with people who share your interest in this topic, and you will be kept up-to-date about the activities of the group, which will be collaboratively determined by the conveners and by you, as a participant.

The key to success for this group will be a diversity of perspectives— all are welcome!  Please invite anyone in your networks who may have an interest to join us by emailing rochellebaker@mun.ca to sign up. 

Meetings and Presentations

NEXT MEETING:

January 17, 2025 12:30pm NT: Roundtable forum with a focus on accessibility. Participants will be asked to provide feedback and insights on accessibility issues that you face when accessing your community, your healthcare, and your education.  How can we move from accommodation to collaboration and co-creation of accessible spaces for all? 

PAST MEETINGS:

November 13, 2024 at 2:00PM NT | : Interrogating the Efficacy of Conventional Disability Advocacy | Given the post-COVID deterioration in quality of life (locally and globally), having polite meetings with elected officials to advocate for disability justice does not seem to be working.  In fact, it has not worked in decades.  The organizational model of advocacy has, in itself, become a barrier to disability justice. How do independent people (i.e., people who are not working for any organization) activate and organize with no access to funding, no organizational support,  in an environment that is rife with barriers, most notably the  complexity of doing something as basic as congregating? Is there space for (more) militant, human-rights focused advocacy in Newfoundland and Labrador? About our Presenter:  Anne Malone is a Disability Rights Activist who has a sensory disability (sight loss), and whose work emanates from her own experiences of ableism,  after many years of living in a world that perceived her as “normal”. Anne is a TED-X St. John’s alumni (License to Beg, 2015), emerging author (Popcorn For the Blind (essay), Voices From The Shore anthology), and has appeared in two documentaries(Honk If You See Me In The Road, How To Fail At Accessibility) and broadcast news media productions. In 2021, as an expression of protest, Anne stood as a candidate-at-large in the St. John’s, NL municipal  election.  Her platform advocated that the City adopt a Universal Design policy as a solution to the woefully inaccessible conditions experienced by people with disabilities or other mobility barriers in St. John’s.  Anne lives in St. John’s NL, where she navigates a complex urban environment with the support of her Guide Dog, Purdy.

Transcript/ video/ audio all available on request to rochellebaker@mun.ca

September 27 2024 at 12:30PM | INTRODUCING THE RKE ON CRITICAL DISABILITY STUDIES |  The agenda  for the first meeting of this exchange include welcoming and introducing members and conveners, an overview of the program, a disucsson of goals and objectives and the style and frequency of future meetings for this new exchange.  It is important to note from the outset that we are not just about research, and we welcome all kinds of knowledge and welcome participants to share  experiences to help develop aspects of knowledge exchange that are not strictly research based.  

CDS Notes from September 27 2024 Meeting