Two Summer Seminars of Note

Disability Studies programs in West Virginia, United States and Lancaster, UK are offering exciting summer seminars that explore issues of importance to the field. Take note, and join in the ensuing conversations! Interestingly, both of them feature Professor Robert McRuer, who also kicked off the Geo-Politics of Disability Speaker Series at Temple University!

“Global Bodies: Representing Disability and Gender”
Seminar chaired Robert McRuer, George Washington University
Dates: May 21-24, 2009
Location: West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV

"Literary, Cultural, and Disability Studies: A Tripartite Approach to Poststructuralism"
Seminar chaired by Professor Carol Thomas and organised by Hannah Morgan and Dr. David Bolt at Lancaster University.
Date and Time: June 8, 2009 from 10.00 am - 4.00 pm
Location: Lancaster, UK

Heads up in Oregon!

This looks like such a great summer class I had to pass along the word; go to this website for further information.

August 23-24 University of Oregon is offering a two day course titled
Global Perspective on Disability.

Instructor: Susan Sygall, Executive Director of Mobility International USA

Description: This interactive course will introduce students to 25 grassroots women leaders with disabilities who will be in Eugene participating in MIUSA’s 4th International Women’s Institute on Leadership and Disability (WILD). Through class readings and discussions led by this international delegation of leaders, students will use a human rights paradigm to examine issues facing people with disabilities, especially women and girls with disabilities, around the world. Cross-disability, cross-cultural topics and viewpoints on disability will include:

• Gender and disability
• International development and disability
• Health and family issues
• Inclusive educational models
• Cross-cultural aspects of disability
• Employment and economic empowerment

Sounds like Eugene is the place to be this August!

Around the Deaf World in Two Days

Our East Coast readers (or those willing to travel) will want to make plans to attend an exciting upcoming conference at Swarthmore College, Swarthmore, PA, on Deaf Studies from a global perspective.

The conference kicks off Friday evening, February 29 [its leap year]. At the welcoming reception linguistics scholar Carol Padden will be speaking on “Sign Language Geography: Creation and Spread of Sign Languages Around the World.” The following morning, Gaurav Mathur will be looking at the underlying structure of signs, like grammer in spoken languages, drawing upon examples from around the world, including Australian, German and Japanese Sign Languages. An exceptionally broad range of topics and regions will be represented over the course of that Saturday, March 1, 2008. Teachers can receive Act 48 hours (CEU's) for attending and participating in the conference. ASL teachers may acquire Clock Hours for ASLTA.

This conference is organized by the Linguistics Department at Swarthmore College and sponsored by the William J. Cooper Foundation. The entire program and directions to the campus can be found on the conference website.