Blackness and the Disability Experience

On February 26, 2021, The Office of Accessible Education held the event, Blackness and the Disability Experience. The original summary of the event can be found below:

Blackness and the Disability Experience: This conversation will explore the relationship between ableism and anti-Blackness, discuss Black ASL as a case study for understanding the intersection of these two systems of oppression, and cover resources for students with disabilities and their allies at Stanford. The presenters will be Black staff from the OAE, Heather Hoover (Accommodations Coordinator) and Roselyn Thomas (Disability Advisor).

The full recording of the event can be found below.
Note: This recording has ASL interpreting and has been captioned.

Further Resources:

The OAE has compiled the following resources for those looking to learn more about the information presented:

Slides from Blackness and the Disability Experience

TL Lewis:

• For those looking to learn more about Talila "TL" Lewis and their work on ableism and racism, we are including a link to their blog: 
  • https://www.talilalewis.com/blog
• The clip we presented from TL Lewis' working definition of ableism came from their webinar Stolen Bodies, Criminalized Minds, & Diagnosed Dissent: The Racist, Classist, Ableist Trappings of the Prison Industrial Complex, found here: 
  • https://youtu.be/NJpkrQnpOrI

Black American Sign Language:

• The Hidden Treasure of Black ASL takes a deep, research-based dive into the history of Black American Sign Language, how it differs from ASL, and how the language has changed over time: 
  • http://gupress.gallaudet.edu/the-hidden-treasure-of-black-asl.html
• Signing Black in America is a PBS documentary about Black American Sign Language. Several of the clips from our presentation came from this documentary: 
  • https://youtu.be/oiLltM1tJ9M
• Class of '52 is a documentary focused on desegregation within Deaf Education during the 1950s, and the fight for civil rights among Black Deaf students: 
  • https://youtu.be/NY602gjDr1E

Community and Organizations:

• A Stanford-specific list of disability-related organizations focused on advocacy, community, and access: 
  • https://oae.stanford.edu/stanford-disability-organizations
• Black CAPS: Members of our community can make an appointment to speak with a Black CAPS staff member for 30 minutes. Appointments can be made through the Vaden Health portal: 
  • https://vaden.stanford.edu/caps
• National disability organizations and resources at the intersection of Blackness and disability, among many others intersectional identities: 
  • https://oae.stanford.edu/students/advocacy-community/national-disability-organizations-and-resources