Emerging Disability Research 11 am- 7 pm on Zoom, Wednesday April 9

Disability is an intersectional area of exploration for vast research. Join us for this day of emerging research as we explore a myriad of topics, including the arts, care work, access, medicalization, institutionalization, travel, employment, and much more!

ASL and CART services will be provided.

Schedule

Track 1 Option: Disability and the Arts  11:15 AM-2:05 PM

11:15 AM: Access Artistry for Community Disability Archive UNDUE BURDEN

Presented by Julia Havard, Miriam Saperstein, Shannon Brooks, Maggie Mills, Miranda Blas, Jaggar DeMarco, Andrew Keller

The Access Artistry Project, created by disability art and mutual aid collective Hook&Loop, aimed to make accessibility irresistible by activating the artistry, innovation, and knowledge production culturally held by disability community and create expansive access via cross-disability organizing and emergent art practices.  This presentation will reflect on the process of building radical access for Hook&Loop’s fall 2024 residency at performance space The Painted Bride in Philadelphia, PA. The residency celebrated Hook&Looop’s virtual archive, UNDUE BURDEN, an ongoing digital community archiving project led by Disabled, Sick, MAD, neurodivergent+ people in Philadelphia. The residency involved the creation of a physical installation that displayed the virtual entries from UNDUE BURDEN’s archive and five multi-sensorial multi-genre programs that invited the public to engage with and add to the archive.  

Building access for this project involved collectively writing an access artistry manifesto to state intentions and situate political importance of the work, which will be published online through Theater Journal. Access installations were created across the space to invite in the fullness of disabled embodied experience, including a cozy library with hand-made cushions, quilts, and rugs, a low-stim lounge with sensory tools, a space for expressing disability rage, and an access altar to honor our disabled ancestors and reclaim spirituality. The events incorporated poetry, music, dance, a touch-based gallery, and an ILL-legal wedding party, each encouraging immersion, interdisciplinarity, audience engagement, and the valuation of disabled art-making beyond nondisabled aesthetic constraints. 

11:30 AM: TouchTree: A tool for touch object development using digital fabrication methods 

Presented by Chloe Adkins 

Museum staff should make a conscious effort to incorporate nonvisual formats of information to accommodate Blind and Low-Vision (BLV) visitors. Touch objects are one type of tactile offering that are accessible to BLV visitors and there are many ways to produce them. Our team studied the prevalence of BLV accessible items in museums and identified a need for a tool that would assist museum staff in finding the appropriate fabrication method to produce high quality touch objects. In this presentation, we will introduce TouchTree, a decision tree that aids in the process of creating high fidelity touch objects across fabrication methods. We are exploring applications of TouchTree with museum professionals, as well as artists or designers who have their work on display. Key takeaways from this presentation will be insights from the development of the tool itself as well as the visualization format of the logic contained within the tool. 

11:45 AM: The Misrepresentation of American Sign Language and Deaf Culture in Mainstream Film Media: A Call for Inclusive Representation 

Presented by Katherine Hamilton 

Mass film media has the power to shape popular culture and influence public opinions and perceptions; thus, properly portraying Deaf characters, the correct linguistic model of American Sign Language (ASL), and Deaf Culture in this powerful medium is crucial. This research examines the misrepresentation of Deaf Culture and ASL in film and its impact on real-world interactions between Deaf and hearing c/Communties. By analyzing historical film trends, bringing modern trends to light, and creating educational tools, this study aims to create measurable change in media practice. The study uses online questionnaires and interviews with ASL-fluent participants from the Deaf Community who have film media experience to highlight the Deaf American’s perspective and understand what values are priority. Accurate Deaf life portrayal in storylines, abandoning archetypal Deaf characters, and intentional character composition emerge as key factors; findings demonstrate high value placed on accurate representation and vehement support for projects aligned with these values. The results of this study are intended to impact Deaf and hearing c/Communities by educating production companies on the realities of working with Deaf actors and crew, strategizing methods to do so, and educating consumers. 

12:15 PM: Intersections Between Art and Disability in Contemporary Japan 

Presented by aliwen 

The following session seeks to interconnect contemporary case studies of artworks created by Japanese disabled artists from a feminist and queer-crip perspective. In tandem with other global legislative milestones such as the ADA in the United States, Japan’s Disabled Peoples’ Fundamental Law from 1993 allowed important anti-discriminatory measures designed to improve the daily lives of people with disabilities. However, when acknowledging the artistic production created by contemporary disabled artists in Japan, we can perceive how these legislative advancements transfer with varying degrees of success to their own lived experiences. Starting with the controversial vandalization of La Gioconda during its viewing at National Museum in Tokyo by YONEZU Tomoko in 1974, the contemporary history of the intersections between art in disability in Japan has had a strong component of gendered discontent and politics. Yonezu was not only an active participant of the student movement of the late 1960’s and the ūman ribu movement during the 70’s, but historians such as Anna Vittinghoff claim that these previous experiences with the politics of bodily autonomy shaped her later pursuits within disability advocacy groups such as SOSHIREN. Considering how contemporary disability and accessibility activisms have benefited from the visibility and sensitive articulation of artistic production in line with the theories of Alison Kafer (2013) and Shayda Kafai (2021), this paper seeks to propose a critical reading of the artistic production (such as installation, video, and performance) of Japanese/based in Japan artists: KONDŌ Ginga, HIWA Kazuhiko, and WEI Jia. 

12:30 PM: Accessible Weaving with Intertwine Arts 

Presented by Ria G. Hawks

Intertwine Arts is a nonprofit organization that provides fiber arts workshops to people with intellectual, developmental, or physical disabilities and/or chronic illness, and their families. Many disabled people face exclusion from creative opportunities and traditional programs for art-making and community due to issues of accessibility and social pressure. We offer the opportunity to explore art through fiber art and free style weaving. Our workshops address the challenges of creative exclusion by tailoring our programs to meet our audience’s needs, abilities, and interests and by bringing additional artistic resources to supplement the valuable work done by our partner organizations. In our programs, people with disabilities experience joy, curiosity, and self-confidence as they explore fiber art within a supportive and expansive philosophical framework. This presentation will illustrate the impact of our process of making fiber art within the disability community by story and illustration. 

12:45 PM: The Agency of Access: Contemporary Disability Art and Institutional Critique 

Presented by Amanda Cachia 

This talk is based on an overview of my forthcoming book, The Agency of Access: Contemporary Disability Art and Institutional Critique, to be released in December 2024 by Temple University Press. In the book, I argue that contemporary disabled artists are moving away from representations of disability, instead creating an art of access, or access aesthetics, through artworks that center translation, sensory expansion, touch, and movement for audiences that offer an experience of “being with” disability. By making inequities in the museum more transparent, artists are also engaging in institutional critique, demanding agency, voice, empowerment, and social justice. On a broader level, this book also shows how disability art extends and repurposes art historical precedents in directions that compel us to regard the artistic past differently. Showcasing artwork by contemporary disabled artists Corban Walker, Christine Sun Kim, and Carmen Papalia, among others, The Agency of Access inscribes contemporary disability art in the broad canon of contemporary art. 

1:15 PM: Access as Invitation: Challenging the Constraints of Normative Arts Participation 

Presented by Lisa Sonneborn, Maria Théresa Rodriguez, Nicki Pombier, and David Bradley

People with disabilities continue to experience barriers to cultural participation as audience members and as artists. This is particularly true for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities, including those who are neurodiverse and/or who do not use language in traditional ways.  
 
Through its award-winning work in Media Arts and Culture (MAC), the Institute on Disabilities uses arts-based methodologies to explore persistent questions in our community. We are committed to “always on” access, modeling new/best practices in accessibility, and building the capacity of local artists of all abilities to welcome disabled audiences. In a city like Philadelphia, which is home to one of the largest populations of people with disabilities in the country, we recognize that a sea change in the arts and culture sector begins at the grassroots level, with the disability community, artists, cultural providers, and community partners working together to challenge the constraints of normative art-making and participation in bold and imaginative ways. 
 
This round table session will focus on our recent work, File/Life: We Remember Stories of Pennhurst, setting the stage for a dynamic conversation about artistic co-creation with people with intellectual disabilities, community-led exploration of archive materials pertaining to institutionalization, and building spaces where access is an integral part of the aesthetic. We'll talk about our intention to radically shift ideas around audience “invitation” and “inclusion,” an understanding of which is key to equity in and beyond the arts. Presenters include File/Life, artists and community archivists. 

1:45 PM: Collective Q&A and Discussion 

Moderated by Lukey Ellsberg and Maxwell Feinstein  

Track 2 Option: At the Nexus of Medicine, Technology, and Institutionalization 11:15 AM- 2:05 PM

11:15 AM: We are the Doctors for You: Improving Internal Medicine Resident Education to Better Serve Adults Living with Disabilities 

Presented by Maisie Orsillo, Lucy Kohlenberg

This session explores a critical gap in medical education regarding the care of adults with disabilities, who represent 27% of U.S. adults. Surveys in 2021 and 2023 revealed that only 11% of family and internal medicine residents received explicit training, and 77% of program directors felt residents were inadequately prepared.

To address this, 52 primary care internal medicine residents participated in a three-hour educational program during their ambulatory medicine rotation. The curriculum included a lecture on healthcare disparities and ADA requirements, small group discussions, and a patient-physician panel.

Results showed over 90% of residents had treated disabled adults, but just 40% recalled relevant education, and confidence levels were low. Only 30.8% felt competent in managing physical disabilities, and 9.6% in handling intellectual disabilities.

The curriculum will be enhanced in 2024-2025 with clinical encounters involving community volunteers. Pre-post survey data will be presented in April, offering insights into improving medical education for disability care.

11:30 AM: Neurodiversity & Accessibility in the Therapy Process - Considerations for General Practitioners 

Presented by Ernesto Martinez  

While neurodiversity as an acknowledgement of natural variations in human cognition is gaining recognition in therapeutic communities, adapting talk therapy to meet neurodiverse needs remains a challenge. This presentation explores accessible considerations for non-specialized therapists who service neurodiverse clients through traditional talk based therapeutic approaches. This discussion will introduce non-exhaustive frameworks to enhance client engagement through concepts like “channels of experiencing” and expanding feedback navigation. The presentation also seeks to address common challenges that non-specialized therapists may encounter such as limited time, capacity and resources in a provider role to navigate comprehensive options that increase abilities in providing accessible care. A final intention of this presentation is to explore decentralization of authority on neurodiverse-informed care, and foster dialogue between a ‘non-specialist’ presenter and audience. Attendees will leave with a deeper understanding of accessibility in traditional talk based therapeutic settings, and perspectives on how to adapt their practice for neurodiverse clients. 

11:45 AM: The (Un)fit Doctor: Technical Standards in American Medical Education at the Yale School of Medicine and the AAMC from 1915–2000 

Presented by Samuel Suh 

In recent years, medical educators have grappled with the deployment of technical standards in US medical school admissions, questioning its inclusivity for applicants with disabilities. Technical standards are a set of criteria to determine if an applicant has the physical, cognitive, and behavioral capacity required to satisfactorily complete all aspects of the medical curriculum. In 1979, the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) publicized the first standardized “technical standards,” redefining disabilities in the context of an individual’s “fitness” to pursue medicine. Spanning 1915-2000, this project illuminates the how and why behind the establishment of the AAMC technical standards, while also exploring how certain medical institutions evaluated applicants with disabilities before and after 1979. By leveraging the AAMC Archives and Yale Medical Archives, this project attempts to answer—what was deemed “too unfit” to pursue medicine during this epoch, and how did the utilization of technical standards reify the stigma surrounding disabilities?

12:15 PM: Public Health and disability research in a Pandemic’s Aftermath: Tensions and Possibilities 

Presented by Kara M. Mannor 

From traditional prevention frameworks that understand disabled bodies as problems to be solved to eugenic entanglements (past and present), public health has a fraught relationship to disabled people. As such, readily-available concepts for asking questions about disabled people’s lives and health outcomes are constrained if not harmful when it comes to advancing anything like health equity for these groups. This has been starkly evidenced through the COVID-19 pandemic response and its aftermath, which continues to abandon and harm disabled people today. As the pandemic unfolded, issues of ableism — including the explicit use of that term — started to be discussed in mainstream public health journals and other arenas in ways typically relegated to the field’s margins. Yet, it remains unclear to what extent these rhetorical appeals to issues of ableism are indicative of any meaningful change in future public health research and practice. Given public health’s strong entrenchments within biomedical traditions, there is a risk that, through this heightened awareness of ableism, the field co-opts rather than harnesses critical social science and social justice-oriented concepts in disability-focused research. This could ultimately chart a path towards further biomedicalizing disability instead of disrupting ableism in the field. This presentation explores these tensions and possibilities by analyzing the emergence of mainstream public health discourse on topics like ableism and ‘disability justice.’ I consider whether we can understand these developments through liberal notions of progress or as a product of interest convergence and the implications for public health knowledge production about disabled peoples’ health. 

12:30 PM: In the Dreaming: New Futures, Rethinking Disability 

Presented by Litia Perta 

This presentation invites audiences to dream of new futures by rethinking disability through the lens of non-compliance. While western medicine has offered advances in diagnostic care and medical intervention, the landscape of disability remains impacted by the mentality that our bodies are sites where problems arise: that we are problems to be solved. But what if we imagine our own bodies as sites of non-compliance, sites that reveal ruptures in systems of oppression that have long harmed all human bodies as well as the planetary body of the earth? Through examining the neurological disorder of narcolepsy as a form of disability that refuses conventional ideas of sleeping and waking as discrete and separate states, this presentation approaches disability as a pathway into new forms of consciousness, new futures and more plural forms of resistance. 

12:45 PM: The Ongoing Fight Against Institutional Abuse: Survivor-Led Movements and Creative Actions 

Presented by Samantha Fein 

Disabled individuals have long fought for the right to live independently and free from institutional settings, where human rights violations such as injury, abuse, and death are prevalent. Many survivors are now advocates, campaigning against abusive practices and promoting oversight and transparency. This presentation highlights two survivor-led initiatives: #BreakingCodeSilence and #StopTheShock, detailing their campaigns and current legislative efforts at state and federal levels.

Change extends beyond policy, requiring a societal shift in understanding disability treatment. Artistic interventions play a crucial role, raising awareness and connecting emotionally with broader audiences. These creative efforts include social media campaigns, zines, poetry, documentary films, and collaborative art, which challenge the dominant narratives constructed by institutional industries.

The presentation will showcase examples from the #StopTheShock and #BreakingCodeSilence movements and feature a virtual tour of "The Corrections," an art exhibit by survivors of institutional abuse. This art humanizes disabled individuals and challenges societal assumptions.

It concludes with resources for involvement in these movements. The speaker combines policy advocacy, grassroots organizing, and personal experience, providing an honest discussion on the challenges faced in these creative campaigns and offering critical insights for future endeavors in disability justice.

1:15 PM: Where the ADA and the Medical Model Meet: Young Adults with Rare Conditions 

Presented by Court(ney) Felle 

In recent years, the concept of an “ADA Generation” has grown, including young adults who came of age under the protections of the Americans with Disabilities Act and represent second-generation disability activism. Lesser discussed is the role of the Orphan Drug Act (ODA) in “creating” a rare disease population by defining what counts as a rare disease and framing this group as a set of legally relevant stakeholders. Young adults with rare conditions have grown up as part of an “ODA Generation,” taking for granted this legal definition and building off past activism (Williams and Williams). It is in part the capacity to strategically code-switch between the policy language and identity frameworks of both disability and rare disease that set up young adults with rare conditions for success.  
 
What characterizes the “ODA Generation” is the fact that the civil rights model of the ADA is not enough for their embodied experiences and (sometimes up to fatal) symptoms. The medical model is at times a more appropriate default, even in the preferred linguistic convention of “disease.” The expansion of “patient engagement” represents an attempt to modernize the medical model with patients’ expertise included, suggesting that the medical model still holds practical use for many advocates with rare conditions.  
 
I am interested in beginning a conversation on what other models can be developed beyond the civil rights model of the ADA and the medical model that we are not yet capturing within the embodied experiences of young adults with rare conditions. 

1:30 PM: Metaphors of Diagnostic Identities in Young Adults with Rare and Undiagnosed Disease 

Presented by Bailey Miller 

The goal of this project was to examine the personal experiences of the “diagnostic odyssey” of young adults (age 18-31) with rare/undiagnosed diseases. I hoped to better understand the ways that these patients relate to their diagnostic identities, the overarching concept of diagnosis as it applies to rare disease, and their diagnostic narratives. To do this, I conducted semi-structured interviews and then used metaphorical analysis to find thematic patterns. 

There are limited formalized taxonomies available for the complexities of diagnostic stages and identities that patients experience. It is important for researchers to understand that not all patients fit cleanly in a category of diagnosed, undiagnosed, or misdiagnosed. Rare disease diagnosis can be extremely complex, with many stages and gradations of diagnosis, and multiple comorbidities. Metaphor, a profoundly integral aspect of our communication and way of making meaning of the world, is an apt tool that can help us move from the unknown to the known (Anton & Goering, 2015) and examine this complexity through language. I argue that metaphor can play an important role in bridging the gap between established and emerging diagnostic narratives and categories, all while focusing on the first person experience. 

1:45 PM:  Collective Discussion and Q&A 

Moderated by Kenya Loudd and Venus Obazuaye 

Disability and Care Work 2:15-3:45 PM

2:15 PM:  Deaf populations and human trafficking: Risk and protective factors for consideration 

Presented by Elizabeth Bowman, Carrie Kobek Pezzarossi, Teresa Crowe 

Deaf populations have a significant vulnerability to sex trafficking and the commercial sexual exploitation of children. Despite the presence of literature on the incidence of sexual abuse and other types of gender-based violence in Deaf communities, this topic has gone un-researched to date. This research article utilizes an integrative review approach to analyze experiences of Deaf populations and sex work, domestic violence, sexual abuse, and other overlapping types of violence which often obfuscate victim identification. Recommendations for practice with this population are provided based on findings for application among anti-trafficking providers, policy makers, and researchers. 

2:30 PM: Exploring Social Support and Family Well-Being Through Family Routines for Parents of Autistic Children 

Presented by Angela Makris 

Parents raising an autistic child face significant challenges in maintaining family routines, which can be complex, stressful, and emotionally demanding. Social media, as a resource and support system, holds potential to alleviate parental stress, yet its role in this context remains underexplored. Public health-informed research on how social media influences family routines and parental stress is scarce, particularly when routines are disrupted. 

A qualitative, two-phased exploratory study examined this relationship and revealed that social media serves two critical functions. First, it provides preventative support, helping parents minimize disruptions to family routines. Second, it offers valuable informational support, especially during the initial diagnosis, with usage increasing in specificity as parents gain experience. 

These findings highlight social media’s potential as a tool for enhancing social support, aligning with the social and community context pillar of the social determinants of health framework in Healthy People 2030, and paving the way for future research. 

2:45 PM:  Racialization, Racelessness, and Racial Inscrutability: The Global Woman and the Robot in Kazuo Ishiguro’s Klara and the Sun

Presented by Sabrina Li  

In Klara and the Sun, a disabled teenage girl is physically cared for by Melania, a migrant woman, and emotionally cared for by Klara, a robot. By defining Melania and Klara via the racial proxies of disability care worker (enmeshed in racial and gender capitalism) and robot (enmeshed in techno-orientalism and Asian female racialization), Ishiguro explores race without ever explicitly mentioning it. By depicting race via proxy, Ishiguro forces us to confront our assumptions about racialization and the precarity of labor, the role of the robot within disability narratives, and post-identity as a racial commentary within Asian anglophone literature. By writing a deracialized robot into the racialized histories of disability care work and techno-orientalism, Ishiguro exhibits how the care worker –– racialized or not –– is always subject to exploitation, debility, disability, and disposal as long as they are asked to “care” within our current geopolitical models of disability and racial capitalism.

3 PM: What's so wrong with a pity party anyway? 

A discussion led by Maya Williams 

Although grief is an all encompassing emotion human beings go through, there aren't enough accessible ways to effectively talk about it. Join Maya Williams in a reading of spoken word poetry about where grief comes from, what it's like to support a loved one through grief, what it's like to grieve in community, and what an accessible "pity party" can look like for our grief. Maya will be reading from eir poetry collections, Judas & Suicide, Refused a Second Date, and What's So Wrong with a Pity Party Anyway? Stay tuned for a q&a afterwards. 

3:20 PM: Collective Discussion and Q&A 

Collective Discussion and Q&A moderated by Diana Paulin and Kathryn Carroll, Esq.  

Creating Access 4-5:15 PM

4 PM: Growing Inclusion: ADA Accessibility in Community Gardens 

Presented by Quin Hricik 

Community gardens are inclusive community hubs where people of all ages can engage in informal learning and cultivate positive social connections. These grassroots spaces thrive on creative, resourceful improvisation, mirroring the innovation inherent in disability culture. However, despite their potential benefits and the natural alignment between disability culture and community garden culture, community gardens are often physically inaccessible. This is not typically due to malicious intent but rather because they are designed by community members without formal accessibility training or comprehensive understanding of the ADA. This presentation will explore how we can increase awareness of ADA accessibility requirements in community gardens, balancing legal standards with the informal, underfunded nature of these spaces. I will share insights from my experience making a community garden more physically accessible on a limited budget and introduce an instructional guide for supporting similar efforts in other gardens. 

4:15 PM: The Future of Accessibility: Expanding the Reach of WCAG 

Presented by Molly Gertenbach  

As we celebrate the 35th anniversary of the ADA, the one-year anniversary of its explicit requirement for WCAG A/AA compliance marks a significant milestone in digital accessibility. This presentation delves into the nuances of these standards, exploring how they ensure inclusivity for people with disabilities in the digital realm. 
 
We'll discuss the "accessibility gap" created by the rapid digitalization of society. Given the limited access to desktop computers for many Americans, the importance of responsive design in public utilities becomes paramount. Additionally, we'll examine the potential consequences of relying heavily on digital-first processes for services that aging and less digitally inclined populations depend on. 
 
By understanding the implications of WCAG standards and addressing the real-world challenges of digital accessibility, businesses, and organizations can create more inclusive digital experiences. This presentation will offer practical guidance for implementing inclusive practices that align with ADA requirements and best practices in web accessibility, while also encouraging deeper exploration of how these standards can be expanded to better address emerging accessibility challenges. 

4:30 PM: Access Denied: Investigating Disability Discrimination in Restroom Access 

Presented by Avra Janz and Nnamdi Jogwe  

In this research project, we investigate the extent to which individuals with invisible disabilities are able to access legally enshrined disability accommodations. Drawing on a state law that requires private businesses to provide people with gastrointestinal disorders with access to restrooms, we sent actors to 1,600 New York City businesses to request to use the restroom due to their invisible disability, Crohn’s disease. In a related pilot experiment, we observed significant variability in the success of these requests, suggesting that many individuals with individual disabilities face barriers to accessing legally-guaranteed accommodations. Indeed, during site visits at 106 New York City businesses, actors who indicated a medical need to use the restroom were denied access 31.3 percent of the time. This presentation details the results from a Fall 2024 expansion of our experiment to 1,600 locations and explores their implications for scholarship on disability and accessibility.

4:45pm: Design Ethnography to Co-Investigate a More Accessible Ferry System 

Presented by Megan Marini and Lucas Vaqueiro 

With an average daily ridership of over 19,000 commuters, the NYC Ferry operates six service lines, connecting 25 landing points across the five boroughs and providing vital access points to several major healthcare institutions. Against the backdrop of fare changes and service expansions, 3x3 partnered with New York City’s Economic Development Corporation and the NYC Mayor’s Office for People with Disabilities to facilitate a study centering on the experiences of people with disabilities riding the NYC Ferry. Through a design ethnography approach, the study sought to assess the accessibility of the ferry system and identify changes needed to ensure its accessibility to people with disabilities as a dignified and inclusive transit option. 
 
In this presentation, we aim to share learnings from the co-investigator model and reflect on the opportunity that applied inclusive research holds to amplify the voices of people with disabilities for more accessible and dignified public services. 

Employment  5:15-6:30 PM

5:15 PM: Responses to job candidate disclosure of bipolar disorder: The role of identity management strategies and educational affiliation 

Presented by Janice Y. Lam 

Job candidates with mental disabilities encounter challenges in accessing employment because of harmful stereotypes. In this research, we explore how different identity management strategies can mitigate the influence of stereotypes in hiring. We specifically examine why and when two identity management strategies, integration and decategorization, differ in effectiveness in influencing hiring managers' evaluations of job candidates with bipolar disorder, a mental disability stereotyped as low in both competence and warmth. We also examine how educational affiliation influences these relationships. Across three studies, including a survey with persons with bipolar disorder along with an experiment and an interview-based study with hiring managers, we find that hiring managers perceive job candidates as higher in competence and warmth when the job candidates use the integration strategy, and higher only in competence when using the decategorization strategy, which influences observers’ hiring intentions. Importantly, results vary by the educational affiliation of the job candidates. 

5:30 PM: Advancing Accessibility and Inclusion through Proactive Disability Management: Insights from the Canada Energy Regulator 

Presented by Naveed Murtaza 

This presentation explores innovative approaches to advancing accessibility and inclusion through proactive disability management strategies at the Canada Energy Regulator (CER). By examining the intersection of the social model of disability, workplace practices, and cultural transformation, it demonstrates how proactive measures challenge traditional medical model approaches. 

In recognition of the ADA's 35th anniversary, the presentation offers a timely cross-cultural comparison with Canada’s Accessible Canada Act (ACA), highlighting the evolution of disability rights frameworks. Over two years, the CER significantly enhanced representation for persons with disabilities in its workforce, reducing the gap between workforce representation and labour market availability from 31 percentage points to 6 percentage points. This achievement translates into increased opportunities for people with disabilities to contribute their skills and talents. 

The presentation showcases accessible recruitment practices, such as diverse interview panels and advance provision of interview questions. It contrasts the ADA's emphasis on individual rights and legal recourse with the ACA's focus on proactive accessibility standards and organizational compliance. A notable example is the Government of Canada’s Accessibility Passport, which streamlines accommodation processes. 

This session emphasizes universal design, inclusive leadership, and data-driven solutions to foster a workplace culture that celebrates disability as a driver of innovation and diversity. Attendees will gain practical strategies for implementing proactive disability management, fostering inclusive leadership, and driving organizational change through data-driven approaches. 
 

5:45 PM:  Mentorship: A Proactive Approach to Disability-Specific Career Services 

Presented by Yardena Gerwin  

Over the course of my MPhil at Cambridge, and through my disability studies at Middlebury, I have researched the University to work transition for disabled students, collecting data across the US and UK that supports the need for institutions to enable a new, proactive approach to career services.  
 
In the United States, only 26% of Universities offer specialized career services for students with disabilities. Meanwhile, in the United Kingdom, 77.2% of Universities offer disability-specific career counseling. However, only 7.9% of disabled students are using these services.  
 
By comparing this data, the need for a proactive approach is evident: while the US fails to prioritize the issue of career preparedness in University settings by struggling to 1) provide disability-specific career services and 2) prioritize accessibility to disabled students, the UK only succeeds on a surface level. Career services websites in the UK may include information regarding disabilities, and they may have a career counselor claiming to be disability proficient, yet they still fail to reach disabled students. Further research indicates that the low utilization rates are due to a multitude of factors: lack of awareness, fear of stigma, time tax, and barriers to physical accessibility.  
 
My project focuses on an approach that has been successful at overcoming these hurdles and supporting disabled students: mentorship. A government-funded program at Cambridge shows that disabled students who were matched with a mentor met more career goals and reported higher rates of self-advocacy/efficacy while navigating the University to work transition. 

6:00 PM: Collective Discussion and Q&A 

Moderated by Logan Roberts