WS 590/
Disability Studies
ARCH 609/EDUC 580/ENGLISH 528/KINESLGY 505/PMR 580/RACKHAM
580/SOC 580/SW 572
Tuesday 2-4p
Petra Kuppers
petra@umich.edu
Office Hours: Wed 2.30-4 and by appointment (always email me before you come to
office hours: I am gladly available to you, but I’d like to know if someone is coming)
This class will introduce students to disability arts and culture, and to the perspectives of
artists who navigate stigmatized identities, and yet find community and identity in
difference. We will investigate different cultural perspectives on disability, and on
differences in the conception of embodiment. This version of the course will work
through the arts, not just about it – writing and performance exercises will be part of the
class work. Students will also have the opportunity to interact with visiting speakers.
Accessible classroom with realtime captioning.
Requirements: 1 credit: attendance and C-Tools response to each class’s readings; 3
credits: attendance, C-Tools, participation, class project or paper
September 3
Introduction. Free write exercise in class (please bring laptop or
pen and paper): http://www.mymodernmet.com/profiles/blogs/herbert-baglione-1000shadows, Painted Shadows in an Abandoned Psychiatric Hospital (Herbert Baglione).
After class, please put your freewrite and a reflection on the exercises of the day on the
forum in your C-Tools site.
10
Talking about Disability (Simi Linton, Knoll, Gill). Also read
‘Languages of Disability’ chapter draft. Check out Wired article on DeafSpace
(http://www.wired.com/design/2013/08/what-architects-can-learn-from-a-dorm-designedspecifically-for-deaf-students/). Watch this documentary: Disability Culture: Research in
Motion: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AI77zqrAvoo and this arts video, the
Disability Culture Rap: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j75aRfLsH2Y&feature=share)
Comment on these readings/viewings in two one-page entries on the relevant forum in CTools (the ‘Languages’ entry is optional, but I’d LOVE to have it).
17
Disability and Art Practice (Access All Areas materials, Ann
Millett-Gallant). Audio Description exercise.
24
Guest Visitor: Jane Berliss Vincent: Accessible Technologies
Readings (all in one document, uploaded as Jane Berliss Vincent on C-Tools): range of
short materials, including section from Pullin, Graham. Design Meets Disability.
1 Oct
Visitor Talk: Gili Hammer. Blindness and Gender followed by
Ekphrasis Action in the Museum (Georgina Kleege, Gili Hammer essay draft)
8
Guest Visitor: Kathy Westwater:
Environment/Toxicity/Remediation. Check out this project:
http://www.kathywestwater.org/kathy_westwater_company/CURRENT_WORK.html
(Alison Kafer: Bodies of Nature: Environmental Politics of Disability +
Accessible Futures, Future Coalitions (in: Feminist Queer Crip), Mel Chen:
Mercurial Affects (in Animacies))
15 (break)
For those of us in town: 1pm, opening of Downtown Tactile
Garden – maybe we can go as a group?
22
Guest Visitor: Neil Marcus followed by Creative Writing exercise
(Reading: Special Effects: Advances in Neurology,
http://www.publicationstudio.biz/books/93, watch this video:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=jix-mY-W2d4)
29
Guest Visitor: Susan Brown – Helping Profession discussion
(Nirmala Erevelles/Ginsburg and Rapp ( http://www.dsqsds.org/article/view/1239/1284)/tbc)
5 Nov
Barrow Community Arts Project (Alison Hedge Coke/Elizabeth
Povinelli)/Visit with Denise Leto
12 Nov
Guest Visitor: Melanie Yergeau (excerpts from: Julia Bascom: Loud
Hands, Erin Manning: Always More than One, and surf around this website:
http://kairos.technorhetoric.net/18.1/coverweb/yergeau-et-al/index.html, watch
Loving Lampposts)
19
Guest Visitor: Qwo-Li Driskill. (Readings TBC)
26
Disability in the Museum, followed by Action in Natural History
Museum (Cindy Wu)
3 Dec
Experience Day: student groups create experiences
10 Dec
Project Sharings
Readings are provided via C-Tools or are available on-line.
ADA Statement: UMInDS
It is our intention to support the full participation of all students in the learning process of
this class. We have incorporated a variety of instruction techniques and evaluation
methods in the course process. In spite of these efforts, situations may occur in which the
learning style of individual students is not met by the instructional climate. It is our
expectation that students who require specific or additional support to acquire the course
content or demonstrate their achievement of the objectives will inform us of their needs
immediately. A useful contact is the Office of Students with Disabilities, G664 Haven
Hall, at 763-3000.