DDGC Disability Studies Research Cooperative
The DDGC Disability Studies Research Cooperative is a scholarly collective dedicated to advancing the principles of disability justice in research, pedagogy, public engagement, and advocacy within the field of German Studies. To address ableism and exclusionary practices that have long been embedded in both academia and broader society, this collective promotes interdisciplinary and intersectional approaches that foreground disability as a dynamic site for inquiry, analysis, and creativity.
To this end, we invite members to examine concepts and lived experiences of (dis)ability as well as systemic and interpersonal ableism as they manifest in public policy, educational spaces, digital platforms, cultural landscapes, rhetorical usages, and various media. While the primary regional focus of the collective pertains to German-speaking areas, diasporic communities, and post-colonial communities, we encourage a globally inclusive perspective on (dis)ability. Beyond academic inquiry, Disability Studies Research Cooperative also serves as a support network fostering mutual aid, resource-sharing, and open community among its members.
We meet virtually and in-person, depending on participants’ needs and availability. As a starting point, the collective will have a flexible monthly or bimonthly meeting schedule. Scheduling will depend upon members’ availability. Current planned activities include a reading group and virtual talks and panel discussions. Our first prospective events (already in the planning stages) include an introductory gathering via Zoom, a reading discussion of an overview disability studies chapter, and a shared talk on European disability studies taking place online.
Membership
Disability Studies Research Cooperative welcomes all participants committed to anti-oppression scholarship, including disability justice alongside and intersecting with anti-racist, queer, feminist, decolonial, and anti-fascist perspectives. We invite:
Members who are disabled, non-disabled, neurodivergent, questioning, etc.
Members at any stage of their career, including graduate students and emeritus scholars.
Members with any level of knowledge or no knowledge about disability justice and disability studies.
Members of any institutional background, including members who are in K-12 education or not affiliated with an educational institution.
Contact Information