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disstudies.bsky.social
Society for Disability Studies
@disstudies.bsky.social
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SDS is a lively scholarly association made up of artists, scholars and activists who promote Disability Studies. #DSQArchives #Soc4DisStudies

Find out More At: linktr.ee/dis_studies
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disstudies.bsky.social
SDS 2026 Awards
Curatorial or Exhibition Award

Honors curatorial, artistic, or exhibition-based work that advances the visibility of Disability Studies in arts, culture, or public engagement - submit by 31st March 2026

disstudies.org/nominate/

#DisabilityStudies
SDS 2026 Awards Category Curatorial or Exhibition Award Honors curatorial, artistic, or exhibition-based work that advances the visibility of Disability Studies in arts, culture, or public engagement. Eligibility: Exhibitions or creative projects featuring multiple works; projects do not need to be institutionally framed as Disability Studies. Nominations: Self-nominations and nominations by Disability Studies community members accepted. Include a letter (of up to four (4) pages) describing the project’s scope, accessibility practices, and impact - by 31st March 2026
February 13, 2026 at 12:31 PM
disstudies.bsky.social
We are excited to announce Mara Green's Author Talk!
10th March 2026, 12pm EST

Join E. Mara Green, anthropologist, and Octavian Robinson, historian, for a book talk focused on Green's Making Sense: Language, Ethics, and Understanding in Deaf Nepal.

Register:
us06web.zoom.us/meeting/regi...
Poster for the event, with blue and dark red writing on top of a light blue background. The poster also features the cover of the book titled Making Sense. We are excited to announce Mara Green's Author Talk! Join E. Mara Green, anthropologist, and Octavian Robinson, historian, for a book talk focused on Green's Making Sense: Language, Ethics, and Understanding in Deaf Nepal. We are excited for this cross-disciplinary conversation. March 10, 12 PM- 1:15PM EST Schedule: Short opening remarks by Green, a short response by Robinson, then a conversation (40-minutes). We will take a 5-min break before Q&A (30 min). Access Provided: ASL interpretation; access copies of pre-written comments for select questions, shared in the chat during the 5-minute break between the conversation and Q&A. Register: https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/DGUCw4dRT2SHm-gL2HFUfQ For access needs, reach out to Gaby at admin@disstudies.org
February 12, 2026 at 12:44 PM
disstudies.bsky.social
SDS event - 2 March, 12pm EST

Deborah Lefkowitz will present "Navigating Disability: Living, working, and surviving financially with long COVID"

A 40-min talk will be followed by a break & 35-min Q&A

Please email Gaby any questions at [email protected]

Register
us06web.zoom.us/meeting/regi...
Poster with details about the event, featuring Deborah's portrait photo on the right. It reads: "Navigating disability: living, working and surviving financially with long covid. Long COVID, described as a “mass disabling event,” forces millions of Americans to take time off work, work part-time, or leave the workforce altogether. Drawing on her extensive interview data, Deborah Lefkowitz discusses how individuals with long COVID navigate disability within complicated, not always consistent, legal, administrative, and workplace requirements". 12pm EST March 2. 40-minute talk followed by 35-min Q&A. Access copy of talk and slides provided; 5-minute break
February 12, 2026 at 12:47 AM
disstudies.bsky.social
Society for Disability Studies (SDS) 2026 Awards

Edited Collection Award

Eligibility: Books published within the past two years, including co-edited or revised editions - submit by 31st March 2026

Self-nominations and publisher nominations accepted.

#DisabilityStudies
disstudies.org/nominate/
SDS 2026 Awards Category Edited Collection Award Eligibility: Books published within the past two years, including co-edited or revised editions. Nominations: Self-nominations and publisher nominations accepted. Include a letter (up to (3) pages) outlining the collection’s contribution and significance. Submission: Via the SDS Nominations and Awards Form. Electronic copies of books are required for review. Physical copies of books may be requested for review - by 31st March 2026
February 9, 2026 at 3:59 PM
disstudies.bsky.social
SDS First Book Award

Celebrates an author’s first single-authored book that makes a significant contribution to Disability Studies.

Eligibility: Authors of a debut scholarly monograph published within the last two years - submit by 31 March 2026

#DisabilityStudies
disstudies.org/nominate/
SDS 2026 Awards Category First Book Award Celebrates an author’s first single-authored book that makes a significant contribution to Disability Studies. Eligibility: Authors of a debut scholarly monograph published within the last two years. Nominations: Self-nominations and publisher nominations accepted. Include a 3-page letter describing the book’s innovation and impact. Submission: Via the SDS Nominations and Awards Form. Electronic copies of books are required for review. Physical copies of books may be requested for review - by 31st March 2026
February 7, 2026 at 2:58 PM
disstudies.bsky.social
SDS 2026 Awards Category
Senior Book Award

Honors an outstanding single-authored scholarly book published in the past two years by an established scholar.

Eligibility: Authors of scholarly monographs - submit by 31st March 2026.

#DisabilityStudies
More information: disstudies.org/nominate/
SDS 2026 Awards Category Senior Book Award Honors an outstanding single-authored scholarly book published in the past two years by an established scholar. Eligibility: Authors of scholarly monographs. Nominations: Self-nominations and publisher nominations accepted. Include a letter (up to three (3) pages) describing the book’s contribution to Disability Studies. Submission: Via the SDS Nominations and Awards Form. Electronic copies of books are required for review. Physical copies of books may be requested for review - by 31st March 2026
February 5, 2026 at 5:37 PM
disstudies.bsky.social
Mentoring Award

Recognizes exceptional commitment to mentoring students, activists, artists, and practitioners within or beyond academic settings.

Eligibility: Open to any member of the Disability Studies community - submit by 31st March 2026
disstudies.org/nominate/

#DisabilityStudies
SDS 2026 Awards Category Mentoring Award Recognizes exceptional commitment to mentoring students, activists, artists, and practitioners within or beyond academic settings. Eligibility: Open to any member of the Disability Studies community. Nominations: Must include at least two nominators. Letters (of up to four (4) pages) should provide examples of the nominee’s mentoring and its outcomes - by 31st March 2026 https://disstudies.org/nominate/ #DisabilityStudies
February 4, 2026 at 2:45 PM
disstudies.bsky.social
SDS 2026 Awards Category:
Lifetime Achievement Award

Honors a senior member of the Disability Studies community whose sustained work has shaped the field.

Submission: Via the SDS Nominations and Awards Form by 31st March 2026.

#DisabilityStudies #SDSAwards
disstudies.org/nominate/
SDS 2026 Awards Category Lifetime Achievement Award Honors a senior member of the Disability Studies community whose sustained work has shaped the field. Eligibility: Senior scholars and community leaders whose impact includes scholarship, theory, teaching, or institution-building. Nominations: Must be made by colleagues (self-nominations are not accepted). Letters (of up to four (4) pages) should describe the nominee’s contributions and influence. Submission: Via the SDS Nominations and Awards Form. Electronic copies of books are required for review. Physical copies of books may be requested for review - by 31st March 2026
February 2, 2026 at 9:34 PM
disstudies.bsky.social
If you're not yet a member, please join us! We have sliding scale membership dues that allow us to foster #DisabilityStudies scholarship and community engagement. If you have the resources, you can also gift membership to another! Register: www.patreon.com/SocietyforDi...

#Academic #Disability
A blue variegated poster with dark blue and orange text with the Society for Disability Studies logo in the top right. On the left, a cartoon of a young person with short cropped brown hair and brown skin, wearing a yellow striped tshirt. They sit at a desk with a computer and drawing in front. A cane rests against the table. Reads "Why should you become a member of SDS? Your membership dues directly support Disability Studies and help us build access. We use dues to: fund the oldest journal in Disability Studies, one that's dedicated to open-access and accessible publishing. Secure needed accessibility supports for events. Pay org staff who help coordinate everything."
February 2, 2026 at 7:50 PM
disstudies.bsky.social
Our next event with Charles Bell and Alysse Loomis is taking place on February 10 from 12 - 1:15 Eastern. Please email any access requests to our admin coordinator Gaby at [email protected]. Register today at: us06web.zoom.us/meeting/regi...

#DisabilityStudies #AcademicChatter #EdStudies
A tan poster with pink and grey accents. Reads "Author Talks: Charles Bell & Alysse Loomis: How Restraint & Seclusion in K-12 Harm Families of Children with Disabilities." On the left are pictures of Bell and Loomis. Bell is an African American man wearing glasses, dressed in a navy blue suit. Loomis is a person with long, straight hair wearing an orange sleeveless top who stands outdoors against a blurred green background. Poster reads "Join Charles Bell, author of No Restraint: Disabled Children and Institutionalized Violence in America's Schools," and early childhood trauma scholar, Alysse Loomis, for a discussion on how restraint and seclusion harm children with disabilities and their families." The talk includes a 25-30 min presentation, a 10-15 min reader response from Loomis, and a 30-min Q&A. There will be a 5 min break in the middle. A photo of Bell's book cover shows a person sitting in the corner of a dark room, with another appearing in the lit doorway.
January 26, 2026 at 10:57 PM
disstudies.bsky.social
The Society for Disability Studies invites nominations for the 2026 SDS Awards, which recognize outstanding contributions to Disability Studies across scholarship, activism, mentorship, & creative practice

Descriptions of all 9 awards: disstudies.org/nominate/
Nominations form: bit.ly/2026SDSAwards
Poster for the SDS 2026 Awards: Call for Nominations Dark blue text written on a yellow background, with a photo of a desk surrounding the writing
January 14, 2026 at 3:16 PM
disstudies.bsky.social
JANUARY 5, 2026 12-1:15 PM EST
Molly Joyce is joining SDS next week! Come and check it out!

MOLLY JOYCE: DISABILITY AS A CREATIVE SOURCE
Join composer and performer Molly Joyce for a talk on exploring disability as a creative source.
1/3
#DisabilityStudies #Disability
A cream colored poster with dark text. The Society for Disability Studies logo at the top. Titled "Molly Joyce: Disability as a Creative Source." Event description reads "Join composer and performer Molly Joyce for a talk on exploring disability as a creative source. This session will highlight a range of Joyce's works across music, video, curation, and follow with a discussion/Q&A. This talk will include a 450minute lecture followed by a 30-minute Q&A." The event will take place January 5, 2026 from noon to 1:15 PM Eastern Time. Access features include comfort breaks, access copies of materials, sign language interpretation in several videos, descriptions of all visual material, auto captions will be on during the webinar, and chat enabled. On the left, a picture of Joyce playing a small MIDI keyboard with her right hand while her left hand, fitted with a prosthetic, manipulates wires connected to a circuit board. She is lit by warm spotlighting against a dark background."
December 30, 2025 at 7:52 PM
disstudies.bsky.social
If you want to join us today, you can connect though our Patreon: patreon.com/SocietyforDi... 6/6
A light blue infographic with the "Society for Disability Studies" logo at the top. At the bottom, a comic of a person signing the word for "love" in ASL. Behind them is a chalk board that says "sign of the day: love" with a large heart. Text reads "Ready to join? Become a member on Patreon" and a link to Patreon is provided.
December 29, 2025 at 9:04 PM
disstudies.bsky.social
For early career scholars, the SDS has been an important space. It's really hard to carve out space that centers disabled knowledge in the academy, especially as many disciplines are slow to adopt disability theory. SDS offers a meaningful space to connect. 5/6
Comics of three disabled people taking photos and doing crafts. Reads "Our Board Members Say..." “As someone just starting my academic career, I find it so helpful to have a central place for DS scholarship. Through the SDS, I can meet fellow DS researchers, connect to events and resources, and develop my knowledge of what it’s really like to be disabled while working in higher education.” - Court(ney) Felle “The Society for Disability Studies’ flagship journal, Disability Studies Quarterly, welcomed me into the field of disability studies as a teenager. I cannot understate the life-sustaining importance of SDS and DSQ as beacons and guides for disability identity and community formation within and beyond academia.” - Kelsey Henry “DSQ gave me the tools to make sense of my own disabilities and helped me let go of internalized ableism. Exploring art, research articles, and theoretical works, I learned about disability history, community, and culture." - Nicole Schroeder
December 29, 2025 at 9:04 PM
disstudies.bsky.social
Whether you're part of the academy proper or you exist beyond its limited boundaries, anyone interested in the field is welcome to join the SDS. Joining grants you access to our Google Group listserv, Discord, and Patreon platforms where scholars connect and share their work. 4/6
A light blue infographic with the "Society for Disability Studies" logo at the top. At the bottom, a comic of a cane user walking with a friend. The two are carrying food in their arms. Text reads "Who can join the SDS?" four bullet points detail: "Scholars at any level, including tenured and tenure-track faculty, non-tenure-track faculty, administrative staff, independent scholars, and graduate students interested in Disability Studies. Artists, writers, and cultural workers engaged with Disability Studies. Activists working toward access and liberation. Anyone interested in Disability Studies scholarship!
December 29, 2025 at 9:04 PM
disstudies.bsky.social
For decades, SDS has promoted research and highlighted the works of disabled authors and artists in Disability Studies Quarterly. The SDS also brings researchers together for online events, and promotes the growth of Disability Studies as a recognized discipline. 3/6
A light blue infographic with the "Society for Disability Studies" logo at the top. At the bottom, a comic of two people who are wheelchair users painting and drawing together. Reads "What does the SDS do?" Four bullet points follow. One: Manage Disability Studies Quarterly, one of the most successful and leading journals internationally on Disability Studies. Two: Host online events with scholars across their careers to discuss important new research in Disability Studies. Three: Host mentorship events for emerging scholars interested in Disability Studies. Four: Recognize important advancements in the field of Disability Studies through annual awards.
December 29, 2025 at 9:04 PM
disstudies.bsky.social
Since the early 1980s, the SDS has been the major org promoting the advancement of Disability Studies. Early scholars promoted disability rights alongside meaningful disability research. They pushed for emancipatory research and the inclusion of disabled folks in higher ed. 2/6
A light blue infographic with the "Society for Disability Studies" logo at the top. Reads "The Society for Disability Studies (SDS) is a scholarly organization dedicated to promoting Disability Studies. For more than forty years, members with backgrounds in advocacy, activism, and scholarship have joined the SDS to hone and expand upon the field of Disability Studies. Multinational, multi-disciplinary, and multi-generational, the SDS fosters Disability Studies within and outside of the academy."
December 29, 2025 at 9:04 PM
disstudies.bsky.social
If you are involved in #DisabilityStudies we hope that you consider becoming a member of the Society for Disability Studies! Becoming a member and paying dues is an awesome way to support disability research and the advancement of Disability Studies in #HigherEd 1/6
A light blue infographic with the "Society for Disability Studies" logo at the top. At the bottom, a comic of three disabled people with prosthetics and assistive devices who are posing for photos with one another. Reads "Why Join the Society for Disability Studies?"
December 29, 2025 at 9:04 PM
disstudies.bsky.social
And the following week, on January 13, please join us for a conversation with Angela Frederick along with Sunaura Taylor and Julia Watts Belser. Register today at: us06web.zoom.us/meeting/regi... 2/3
A cream colored poster with bright red accents. Society for Disability Studies logo at the top. Title reads "Author Talks: Angela Frederick with Sunaura Taylor & Julia Watts Belser." On the left, a picture of Frederick alongside the cover of her book. Frederick, a white woman in her 40’s with blond hair and blue eyes, is smiling in the photo and wearing a black short sleeve top. Her book "Disabled Power: A Storm, A Grid, and Embodied Harm in the Age of Disaster" is out with New York University Press. The book cover shows maintenance vehicles parked in a row along the powerlines, with red cones sectioning them off from the road. The event description reads "Disabled Power tells the stories of Texans with disabilities who endured Winter Storm Uri and the 2021 Texas power crisis, one of the deadliest and costliest disasters in recent U.S. history. Drawing from in-depth interviews with disabled Texans and those who provide long-term care for severely disabled family members, sociologist Angela Frederick illuminates how people with disabilities and chronic health conditions bear unique forms of harm in disasters like Winter Storm Uri, when infrastructure, such as power and water, is disabled. Frederick also emphasizes another meaning of the term "disabled power," that is, the individual and collective resilience Texans with disabilities employed to survive the disaster." Event takes place January 13, 2026 from noon to 1:15 PM Eastern Time. Event includes a 20-minute author talk, followed by two 10-minute reader responses, followed by a break and a 25-minute Q&A.
December 21, 2025 at 7:20 PM
disstudies.bsky.social
Wishing you a wonderful holiday and a meaningful break, whatever that looks like for you! We hope you're able to join us when you return for some upcoming events.

Coming up on January 5th is a session with Molly Joyce. Register today at: us06web.zoom.us/meeting/regi... 1/3
A cream colored poster with dark text. The Society for Disability Studies logo at the top. Titled "Molly Joyce: Disability as a Creative Source." Event description reads "Join composer and performer Molly Joyce for a talk on exploring disability as a creative source. This session will highlight a range of Joyce's works across music, video, curation, and follow with a discussion/Q&A. This talk will include a 450minute lecture followed by a 30-minute Q&A." The event will take place January 5, 2026 from noon to 1:15 PM Eastern Time. Access features include comfort breaks, access copies of materials, sign language interpretation in several videos, descriptions of all visual material, auto captions will be on during the webinar, and chat enabled. On the left, a picture of Joyce playing a small MIDI keyboard with her right hand while her left hand, fitted with a prosthetic, manipulates wires connected to a circuit board. She is lit by warm spotlighting against a dark background."
December 21, 2025 at 7:20 PM
disstudies.bsky.social
Mad Methods - Disability Studies Quarterly's new Special Issue
We invite everyone to read “Encountering the Blank Page: Improvising through Illegible Movements of Mad (Not)Doings” by Jose Miguel Esteban
dsq-sds.org/article/id/6...
#MadStudies #DisabilityStudies #MadMethods #AcademicChatter #DSQ
Poster for the article, featuring DSQ's logo. Light blue text is written on a darker blue background. Underneath the dark blue background is a photo of books and a lamp. It reads: “Encountering the Blank Page: Improvising through Illegible Movements of Mad (Not)Doings by Jose Miguel Esteban (University of Toronto) This article is part of a new Special Issue: Mad Methods, in Disability Studies Quarterly”
December 20, 2025 at 8:00 PM
disstudies.bsky.social
Mad Methods - Disability Studies Quarterly's new Special Issue
We invite everyone to read “Sounding Mad Poetics as Resistant-Methods and Research-Creation” by Christina Foisy
dsq-sds.org/article/id/6...
#MadStudies #DisabilityStudies #MadMethods #AcademicChatter #DSQ
Poster for the article, featuring DSQ's logo. Light blue text is written on a darker blue background. Underneath the dark blue background is a photo of books and a lamp. It reads: “Sounding Mad Poetics as Resistant-Methods and Research-Creation by Christina Foisy Keywords: Mad Research-Creation, Mad Poetics, Sound Art, Listening Otherwise, Radical Compassion, Epistemic Justice, Sound Epistemologies, Ethics of Listening, Arts-Based Inquiry, Disability and Neurodiversity, Decolonial Listening, Anti-Sanism, Sonic Epistemologies This article is part of a new Special Issue: Mad Methods, in Disability Studies Quarterly”
December 20, 2025 at 1:45 PM
disstudies.bsky.social
Mad Methods - Disability Studies Quarterly's new Special Issue
We invite everyone to read "Academic Antipsychiatry: Exploring Methods and Language of Psy Abolition in Mad Studies" by Efrat Gold
dsq-sds.org/article/id/6...
#MadStudies #DisabilityStudies #MadMethods #AcademicChatter #DSQ
Poster for the article, featuring DSQ's logo. Light blue text is written on a darker blue background. Underneath the dark blue background is a photo of books and a lamp. It reads: “Academic Antipsychiatry: Exploring Methods and Language of Psy Abolition in Mad Studies by Efrat Gold (University at Buffalo, State University of New York) Keywords: mad studies, antipsychiatry, psy abolition, mad methodology, language and naming, professionalization, abolitionist critique, psy complex This article is part of a new Special Issue: Mad Methods, in Disability Studies Quarterly"
December 19, 2025 at 6:02 PM
disstudies.bsky.social
Mad Methods - Disability Studies Quarterly's new Special Issue
We invite everyone to read "Contending with the 'adult gaze' in Mad Studies: Participatory research methods led by psychiatrized children & youth" by Maria Liegghio
dsq-sds.org/article/id/6...

#MadStudies #DisabilityStudies #MadMethods
Poster for the article, featuring DSQ's logo. Light blue text is written on a darker blue background. Underneath the dark blue background is a photo of books and a lamp. It reads: Contending with the “adult gaze” in Mad Studies: Participatory research methods led by psychiatrized children and youth by Maria Liegghio (York University) Keywords: adult gaze, children and youth, psychiatrisation, participatory action research, youth engagement This article is part of a new Special Issue: Mad Methods, in Disability Studies Quarterly"
December 19, 2025 at 2:30 PM
disstudies.bsky.social
Mad Methods - Disability Studies Quarterly's new Special Issue
We invite everyone to read "Mad Dreaming with SF: A Plea to Educators to Create Spaces for Reimagined/Transformative Futures" by Maria Karmiris
dsq-sds.org/article/id/6...

#MadStudies #DisabilityStudies #MadMethods #AcademicChatter #DSQ
Poster for the article, featuring DSQ's logo. Light blue text is written on a darker blue background. Underneath the dark blue background is a photo of books and a lamp. It reads: Mad Dreaming with SF: A Plea to Educators to Create Spaces for Reimagined/Transformative Futures by Maria Karmiris Keywords: anti-ableism, inclusive practices, imagination, contesting developmentalism This article is part of a new Special Issue: Mad Methods, in Disability Studies Quarterly"
December 18, 2025 at 7:03 PM