In celebration of Bess Williamson’s Accessible America: A History of Disability and Design, which was awarded the 2019/20 Mr. and Mrs. Raymond J. Horowitz Book Prize, leading disability history scholars, artists, and designers will discuss studies of access and design history.

In the morning, “Conversations” brings together writers on architecture, space, and sound to reflect on the role of disabled activists, designers, and engineers in producing the technological world we live in. As longtime collaborators and correspondents, they also share correspondences between their work across academic fields that come together in the practices of Disability Studies.

The afternoon panel brings together Riva Lehrer, Jennifer White-Johnson, and Josh Halstead—artists, designers, writers, and creative thinkers with deep ties to activist and creative histories of disability. They share their own practices that draw on disability community and justice stories of past and present. Author Bess Williamson will moderate and invite audience discussion.

All times below are Eastern Daylight Time.

Conversations on Disability History and Academic Community (10 am–12 pm)

10 am - Welcome and Introduction

10:15 am - Bess Williamson and Aimi Hamraie

11 am - Break

11:15 am - Jonathan Sterne and Mara Mills

Who Makes Access? Designer + Artist roundtable (1:30–3 pm)

With Riva Lehrer, Jen White-Johnson, and Josh Halstead, moderated by Bess Williamson

Cart captioning and ASL provided. All visual material will be described.

This event will be held via Zoom. A link will be circulated to registrants by 8 am on the day of the event.

Image: Book cover of Accessible America: A History of Disability and Design by Bess Williamson. On the book cover there are bright colored squares on a beige background.

Conversations on Access and Design