SDS
Phoenix 2016 – Call for Proposals
Disability
in the Public Sphere
29th Annual Meeting: June 8-11, 2016
Phoenix, Arizona
Hyatt Regency Phoenix
http://www.hyattregencyphoenix.com
Conference website: http://disstudies.org/conferences/phoenix
The program
committee of the 29th annual meeting of the Society for Disability Studies
invites you to consider the multiple and significant possibilities at the
intersections of disability, media, education, and public policy.
DISABILITY IN
THE PUBLIC SPHERE
As Arizona’s
fraught political history reminds us, the public sphere can be a vibrant space
filled not only with contestation and conflicting ideas and agendas, but also
with camaraderie and interdependence. Please join us in Phoenix and make your
voice heard.
Disability in
most societies has left the shadows to become a visible part of the larger
culture. Through news and entertainment media, through changing public
policies, through attention in teaching at all levels, focus on disability is
becoming more vibrant. These public areas help shape meanings and
representations of disability, and disability in turn shapes the public sphere.
Many
international disability organizations now acknowledge the influence of mass
media and other societal representations on what a society believes about
disability. The UN’s International Labour Organization in Geneva, Switzerland
reports: “How people
with disabilities are portrayed and the frequency with which they appear in the
media has enormous impact on how they are regarded in society. Portraying
people with disabilities with dignity and respect in the media can help promote
more inclusive and tolerant societies and stimulate a climate of
non-discrimination and equal opportunity.”
Disability
presents in the public sphere in many ways that intersect with Disability
Studies research. What is being (or not being) taught about disability at all
grade levels and in higher education? How
are disability rights reflected (or not reflected) in public policies? What are
the varied mediated representations of disability in a society? How do those
mediated representations affect the lived experiences of people with
disabilities? How are people with disabilities able to (or not able to) access
public activities and forums of various kinds?
Communities, activists,
artists, advocates and allies - local, national, international – are encouraged
to participate in the SDS conference. We strongly encourage full panel
submissions, including 3-4 presenters with a designated moderator/discussant.
Individual paper submissions are welcomed as well.
We welcome proposals in all areas of
disability studies, but
especially those submissions premised on this year's theme.
The deadline for proposals is December 1, 2015.
Multiple
Submissions
Participants
MAY NOT appear in more than ONE major role (peer-reviewed presentation),
excluding evening performances, non-presenting organizer, non-presenting moderator,
New Book/Work Reception. Conference participants submitting more than one
proposal must rank-order their preferences for participation. The program
committee will prioritize spreading program slots across the membership before
offering multiple slots to any one participant.
If you intend
to participate in multiple events, please complete the submission process for
each event.
Strands
This year’s program committee is continuing
the idea of specific “strands”
that relate to the larger more general theme of the SDS conference. Each strand
may have 3 or 4 related events (e.g. panels, workshops), organized to occur
throughout the conference in a way that will eliminate any overlap of sessions.
Our planned
strands this year are as follows; each is accompanied by possible prompts
related to this year’s theme:
Communities and
Cultures
With an
emphasis on disability and native peoples, First Nations, aboriginal peoples,
and American Indians, these papers and sessions explore challenges and
possibilities that shape collaboration, culture, and community. How are
relations negotiated within intersecting identities, cultures, and disabilities?
What are the terms of community self-definition? How do identities,
intersectional locations, and/or community definitions become codified in policy
and law?
Critical Design,
Media, & Technology Studies
Papers and
sessions that explore object studies, architecture, sustainability, design in
professional contexts, military tech, material culture, robotics, etc. How do
we think about personhood, life, humanness, and the ways that mobility devices,
prosthetics, and wheelchairs can be experienced as integral to living bodies? In
what ways does media influence our interactions with and understandings of various
technologies? How do gender, race, class, sexuality, and living location affect
access to and experiences with disability technologies?
Power,
privilege and state policies
SDS recognizes
Arizona’s troubled relationship with immigrants and other minoritized
communities. This strand seeks to encourage constructive dialogue that engages
with intersecting state oppressions at all levels that affect people with
disabilities and all of their allies in the fight for civil and human rights. How
do various disability organizations (including SDS) carry out, contest,
complicate, and contextualize power and privilege?
Professional
development
Papers and
sessions that explore professional matters such as locating funding, pursuing
academic and non-academic jobs, managing non-tenured careers, networking,
surviving the tenure track, etc. How does the changing and developing
“institutionality” of disability studies impact professional development and
the way they get represented in the public sphere?
Translational
research in health sciences and disability studies
Translational
research refers to research that translates between disciplines, and from basic
research to applied research and to practice, the goals of this strand are: (1)
to demonstrate how disability studies theory contributes to the conception of
health sciences research and practice; (2) to provide best practice examples of
disability studies translational research and practice; and (3) to mentor a new
generation of federally funded disability studies researchers and
practitioners. We particularly welcome submissions from clinicians/clinical
researchers close to disability (whether disabled or not) who are interested in
cutting edge disability studies perspectives.
Disability History (Sponsored by the Disability History Association
(DHA))
Historical
presentations from a variety of research perspectives that explore the history
of disability and disabled people in the public sphere.
If you would
like your proposal to be considered as part of one of these thematic strands,
please note the strand in your submission information.
Other strands
may emerge from member proposals as we receive them.
SESSION
FORMATS:
Important Note on Virtual Presentations:
These will NOT
be available for the Phoenix 2016 conference.
The accessibility and infrastructure is not available to us given the
location as well as the predicted size and scope of this year’s conference.
Important Note on Multiple
Submissions
Participants
MAY NOT appear in more than ONE major role (peer-reviewed presentation), excluding
evening performances, non-presenting organizer, non-presenting moderator, New
Book/Work Reception. Conference participants submitting more than one proposal
must rank-order their preferences for participation. The program committee will
prioritize spreading program slots across the membership before offering
multiple slots to any one participant.
If you intend
to participate in multiple events, please complete the submission process for
each event.
All submissions
are peer-reviewed, unless otherwise indicated below. All session formats are 90
minutes in length, including all introductions, presentations, discussion, and
closure. Proposals may be submitted for presentations in any of the following
formats:
·
Complete
Panels:
·
Groups
of 3-4 presenters (each with 15-20 minutes) and a designated organizer / contact person and moderator (need
not be the same person), plus an optional discussant, are encouraged to submit
proposals around a central topic, theme, or approach. Panel proposals require
BOTH a 300-word proposal describing the panel AND a 300-word abstract for each
paper/presentation. List all paper/presentation co-authors, identify the
presenting author(s), and provide credentials for the discussant, if one is
planned.
·
Individual
Presentation:
Individual
presentations will be placed alongside two or three other panelists with a
similar topic and a moderator chosen by the Program Committee. In general, we
assume 15-20-minute presentations (if you are requesting more time, please
specify and explain why). Presenters are required to submit 300-word abstracts
for individual papers/presentations. List all co-authors, if any, and designate
the presenting author(s).
·
Discussion:
A topical
discussion with a designated organizer / contact person and moderator (need not
be the same person), but with only short (5-7 min.) presentations to start
discussion, if any. Submit a 500-word proposal, including a description of how
the time will be used, complete contact information for the designated
organizer and each participant in the discussion, and a description of their
roles.
·
Workshop:
Engaged
application of a specific program or exercise involving a minimum of 4 planners
/ presenters. Proposals should include a 500-word proposal that addresses
methodology and anticipated learning outcomes. Proposals must describe the
format of the workshop. How will you use the time? Please describe the
credentials and role of each workshop participant, designate a contact
person/moderator, and provide complete contact information for each planner /
presenter.
·
Poster:
Individuals or
small teams will be provided a common space and time with an easel (and/or
table if requested) to present a display of a research, training, service, or
advocacy project, or other work. Presenters should be in attendance at the
poster session. Submissions for the poster session require a 300-word abstract,
complete contact information for anyone involved in the project who will attend
SDS, and a designated lead contact person. Each year, SDS proudly awards the
Tanis Doe Award for the best poster.
·
Performance
or Art Event/Exhibit:
We encourage submissions of a creative/artistic event in any media
by individuals and/or groups. All proposals should clearly list at least one
person who will register for and attend the conference as the event
presenter/host. Submissions must include a 500-word proposal, and sample of the
proposed work (up to 2,500 words of text, ten images of artistic work, demo CD,
YouTube or other Internet link, DVD, or other appropriate format). Send via
email at SDSCONF2016@GMAIL.COM or postal mail to the SDS Executive Office at: Society for Disability Studies/ 538 Park
Hall – History Dept / University at Buffalo / Buffalo, NY 14260-4130 / USA. Submissions
must reach the SDS Executive Office by the submission deadline. Please describe
the background and role of each artist/participant and designate a contact
person / moderator.
Performers
should be aware that SDS does not have the ability to provide theatrical and or
stage settings. While every effort will be made to provide appropriate
performance spaces, proposing performers are advised that special lighting,
audiovisual equipment, and staging requests cannot be accommodated.
·
Films
(non peer-reviewed):
Ideally, film
submissions do not exceed 60 minutes in length in order to allow for commentary
and discussion. All film entries accepted for presentation at the 2016
Conference must be provided to the SDS Executive Office on DVD not less than 30
days prior to the start of the Conference in open-captioned format, and the
film’s sponsor
should be prepared to provide audio description as needed. As SDS cannot pay
distribution rights for film screenings, the film’s sponsor is fully responsible for
securing any necessary permissions from trade and copyright holders for public
screening. Sponsors of accepted films must register for and attend the
conference, host the screening, bring documentation of rights clearance to the
Conference and make it available during the film screening. SDS may request the
right to schedule more than one screening at the conference. SDS program
committee may request more samples and cannot return materials that are
submitted for consideration. Films and film clips may also be submitted as part
of format categories A-F as described above and are subject to the same
accessibility requirements as full-length film proposals.
·
Student
and Other Interest Groups/Caucus/Other Meetings (non peer-reviewed):
Various ad hoc
and organized SDS or other non-profit groups may wish to have business,
organizational, or informational meetings or some other kind of
non-peer-reviewed event or exhibit space at the meetings. Anyone hoping to host
any such event should request space by December
1, 2015 by using the proposal submission form. After December 1, space will
be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis. No meetings can be planned
through SDS after the early-bird deadline of May 1, 2016. All presenters at
such events must register for the conference. Requests from groups not
affiliated with SDS may be assessed a share of cost for space and access
arrangements. Please provide the name of group, a description of the group
and/or meeting purpose and format (in 300 words), and contact information for at
least one organizer and a designated moderator. SDS will provide ASL/CART as
needed. Organizers should contact SDS to request catering or any other special
arrangements. Most of these meetings
will take place in designated time blocks; be aware then that a proposed SIG or
Caucus or Meeting will be scheduled against many others.
TERMS OF
PARTICIPATION for SDS:
All
participants must register and pay for the conference through the SDS website (http://disstudies.org/) or the Executive Office by the
early bird deadline: May 1, 2016, or
they will be removed from the program. Early bird registration will begin
Monday, March 7, 2016.
Participants will be notified of the status of their proposal and
their paneling/place by Feb. 19, 2016.
Any
cancellations and requests for refunds after May 1, 2016 (the early bird
deadline) may incur a cancellation fee. Any participant unable to attend must
notify SDS in a timely fashion.
Please note:
low income/student/international member presenters are eligible for modest
financial aid for meeting costs. Applications for financial assistance will be
available via the SDS listserv in the coming months.
New
Books/Materials:
Any participant
with a book or other materials (e.g., DVD, CD) finished within the last three
years (2013, 2014, 2015) is welcome to participate in the New Book/Work
Reception. At least one person must register and be in attendance to host the
reception display. You will be provided a table for display and the opportunity
to interact with conference participants. The fee for representation in the New
Book/Work Reception is $45.00. You will have the opportunity to register as an
author attending the New Book Reception when you register for the conference.
Please indicate
on the submission form whether you are willing to serve as moderator for a
session.
Accessibility:
In keeping with
the philosophy of SDS, we ask that presenters attend carefully to the
accessibility of their presentations. As a prospective presenter, you agree to
follow the SDS Guidelines for accessible presentations found here: http://www.disstudies.org/conferences/accessible-presentations.
AUDIO / VISUAL
INFORMATION: Presentation rooms* for the SDS 2016 Conference will be equipped
with:
2
(two) microphones for use by presenters;
1
(one) LCD projector, screen, power source, and cables;
Head
table suitable to comfortably accommodate 4 (four) people;
Both
table top and podium presentation spaces; and
Non-dedicated,
WIFI Internet access (i.e. not functional for audio/video download reliably) Do
NOT depend on WIFI access. Have a
back-up.
SDS does not
provide computers, overhead projectors, or other audio/visual equipment as a
matter of course. Presenters are responsible for ensuring that presentation
structure and planning works well within these audio/visual parameters.
*This
information may not be applicable to film showings and some other events.
SUBMISSION
AGREEMENT: PLEASE READ CAREFULLY. YOU ARE AGREEING TO ALL OF THESE CLAUSES.
By submitting
to SDS 2016 in Phoenix, you give SDS permission to publish your abstracts,
photograph you, publish such photographs on the SDS web site or other
publications, audio or video record your presentation, transcribe the
presentation for access needs, and transmit or post and archive such recordings
and transcriptions via live-streaming, podcast form, or any other electronic
means. If submitting on behalf of multiple presenters and authors, you certify
that each presenter and author has granted his/her permission to Society for
Disability Studies for purposes described in this paragraph. By giving this
permission, you understand that you retain full rights to your work but give
SDS the right to use your presentation in the context of the 2016 conference,
including (but not limited to) charging attendees and others for access to
derivative audio or video products, recordings or podcasts.
For further
information contact the Program Committee at SDSCONF2016@GMAIL.COM
