Image

The New Directions in Black Disability Studies Conference is a one-day event hosted by the Carter G. Woodson Institute on the grounds of the University of Virginia on April 25, 2025. Black Disability Studies scholarship has grown steadily over the last two decades, but many stories remain untold. This conference explores the lived experiences and representations of Black disabled people across all time periods, in Africa and the Diaspora. We are excited to bring scholars together from across the globe to examine this important topic from a variety of disciplines. The conference will culminate in a keynote panel on the state of the field featuring Stefanie Hunt-Kennedy, Keith Mayes, Rezenet Moges-Riedel, Therí Pickens, and Dennis Tyler.

Registration: Registration is entirely free and is open from now until April10th for in-person participants. Online registration closes on April 21st. Follow this link to register.

We seek to make this conference accessible and look forward to meeting the access needs of participants as fully as possible. We value the well-being and safety of all attendees; with the ongoing pandemic, we will center the needs of disabled and ill colleagues as well as others who are particularly vulnerable. All sessions will be hybrid (virtual and in-person) with ASL interpretation and CART services.

Hotel: We have reserved a block of rooms at the Graduate Hotel which are available at a discounted rate until February 22nd. The conference will take place at Minor Hall on the grounds of the University of Virginia.

Travel Funding: We can offer some financial support for those on the conference program. If you would like to apply for a travel grant, you should upload a concise budget and explanation (one-page total) through the conference registration page by March 15th.

We would like to thank the following groups at UVA for their generous support of the conference: Carter G. Woodson Institute, Center for Global Inquiry and Innovation, Page-Barbour Lectures, Disability Studies Initiative, Department of English, ASL Program, Department of Women, Gender, & Sexuality, Division of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. We would also like to thank the Virginia Association on Higher Education and Disability and the Department of History at William & Mary for their support of the conference.

Please reach out to Jasper Conner with any questions – gjconner@wm.edu