Activism, Ambition, Action…and Austerity? Disabled Young People Speak Out
Date: Wednesday 5th November 2014
Location: Venue TBC, but will be at the University of Sheffield
The aim of this event is to instigate critical dialogues concerning disability, youth, ambition, action and activism in the context of an increasingly precarious environment for disabled people politically, culturally, legally, and economically in Britain. These dialogues are vital to all of us as social scientists, but are particularly pertinent to young disabled people who have become the subjects/object of severe austerity measures set out by the Coalition Government. Thus far, these have targeted their Access to Work, their right to live independently/interdependently and contribute to their own communities, and most recently, their access to higher education through proposed cuts to the Disabled Students Allowance (DSA).
We invite disabled, D/deaf, Mad, learning disabled and neurodiverse people (hereby young people) and their organisations as activists, students, self/advocates, artists, academics and attendees. We also invite researchers, academics, teachers and associated professionals, practitioners and policy makers. Excitingly, we have confirmed well-known and well-loved activist, campaigner and (neurodiverse) artist, Touretteshero, as our keynote speaker for the day (touretteshero.com). Touretteshero’s activism has garnered inter/national media attention over the past few years since the publication of her bestselling book, Welcome to Biscuit Land: A Year in the Life of Touretteshero, Souvenir Press Ltd.
Furthermore, we are thrilled to have confirmed three inter/national supporting speakers (two social scientists; one activist; each of whom identify as young and/or disabled/Mad) (session titles tbc): Dr Jenny Slater, Sheffield Hallam University; Danielle Landry, School of Disability Studies, Toronto, Canada; and Dr Kirsty Liddiard, University of Sheffield.
Register for this event here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/activism-ambition-actionand-austerity-disabled-young-people-speak-out-tickets-13004738523
Accessibility details: Wheelchair accessible venue; Accessible toilets; limited accessible parking; British Sign Language Interpretation
Getting to the Venue: Venue TBC
Lunch: Will be provided, please indicate any dietary requirements when registering with Eventbrite.
Please let us know if we can try to do anything else to make this event accessible to you. If you have any other questions please don’t hesitate to get in touch: k.liddiard@sheffield.ac.uk
Disability Research Forum 