Call for Proposals
The UMD Disability Summit was established in 2016 as a forum for professionals, educators, academics, services providers, and advocates focusing on disability issues to dialogue and collaborate across types of disability and institution. The goal of the summit is to bring focus to and promote discussion of key current events and research impacting disability in society.
This 3rd Biennial Summit will take place on Friday April 5th, 2019 at the University of Maryland, College Park campus. The Keynote speaker will be Dr. Jonathan Lazar, Professor in the College of Information Studies (the iSchool) at the University of Maryland. Dr. Lazar is an innovator and leader in the field of human-computer interaction (HCI) with his groundbreaking work on the accessibility of digital technologies and content for users with disabilities. Dr. Lazar specializes in user-centered design, assistive technologies, and law and public policy related to accessibility and HCI. He has authored or edited 12 books, including the well-known “Research Methods in Human-Computer Interaction” (in 2nd edition), published over 140 articles, and has been granted two U.S. patents for his work on accessible web-based security features for blind users. Dr. Lazar is a faculty member in the UMD Human-Computer Interaction Lab (HCIL) and serves as Associate Director of the UMD Trace Research & Development Center, the nation’s oldest research center on technology and disability.
The inaugural Summit, Activism and Advocacy in the Academy, took place in 2016, with Dr. Gregg Vanderheiden as the keynote speaker. In 2017, Dr. Beth Douthirt-Cohen took the stage to discuss “Moving from Pity and Fear to Solidarity and Justice,” and the Summit focused on Disability in a Polarized Nation. This year’s focus, Looking Ahead - the ADA turns 30, encourages presentations looking at the federal policy’s lifespan, and reflecting on the potential and pitfalls of advocacy and activism in the current moment.
We encourage submissions from academics, advocates, and members of the community covering a wide variety of topics including, but not limited to:
- The history and outlook for the Americans with Disabilities Act
- Disability Activism/Disability Justice (past, present and future)
- Assistive Technologies
- Accessible Labor Practices
- Race, Gender, Class and Intersectional Approaches to Disability Advocacy
- Disability Community Engagement, Advocacy and Action
- Disability in the Media (the potential and pitfalls of representation)
- Literature and Disability Studies
- Attitudes and their Effect on Disability Policy
- Critical Disability Studies
We are accepting proposals for:
- Lecture-style Presentation (30 or 45 minutes)- Lecture-style presentations can range from in-depth scientific research to academic scholarly practices. Lectures include a Q&A portion.
- Workshop (45 or 90 minutes)- Session focused on skill building or formal professional workforce training
- Experience (45 or 90 minutes)- Session including live action, interactive, or hands-on components that engages session participants.
- Panel Presentation (45 or 90 minutes)- Three or more topic area presenters offer their perspective on a proposed disability studies topic. Each panel member will have the opportunity to provide an overview of their work followed by moderated questions and questions from the audience.
- Poster Presentation (1 hour)- Open, gallery-style presentation where attendees will walk by presenters’ posters and discuss the scholarly information, best practices, initiatives, or works in progress that are being presented.
- Other – Additional types of presentations welcome! Share your idea.
Please submit a 200 word abstract, title, your preferred format, and your contact information email directly to disabilitysummit@umd.edu with the subject line, “Disability Summit Proposal”
Due date for proposal submissions is February 15, 2019.
If you have questions about abstract or proposal submission, please contact Mollie Greenberg or Stephanie Cork at disabilitysummit@umd.edu
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