Disability and Language

What’s the “right” way to talk about disability? Which terms are current, and which should be retired? How can we respectfully learn what labels or language a friend, colleague, or student prefers? And what about common idioms—does it feel awkward to say “See you later!” to a blind friend, or invite a wheelchair user to “take a walk”?

In this engaging presentation, Dr. Margaret Price (she/they)—Professor of English (Writing, Rhetoric & Literacy) and Director of the Disability Studies Program at The Ohio State University—draws on more than 30 years of experience as both a disability-studies researcher and a disabled person (or “person with disabilities”—she doesn’t have a preference). Dr. Price will explore how language, identity, and access intersect in everyday communication, offering insight and guidance for fostering more thoughtful, inclusive interactions.

About the author
Dr. Margaret Price (she/they) is Professor of English at The Ohio State University, where she also serves as Director of the Disability Studies Program and co-founder of the Transformative Access Project. Her work centers on disability studies, rhetoric, and the ways access is collectively created and sustained in academic and public spaces.

Dr. Price is the author of two influential, award-winning books: Crip Spacetime (Duke University Press, 2024; open source) and Mad at School (University of Michigan Press, 2011). Her scholarship has been widely recognized for advancing critical conversations around access, inclusion, and the politics of mental disability in higher education. To learn more about Margaret, visit https://english.osu.edu/people/price.1225 .

The event date is Jan 29, 2026 12 PM - 1 PM in Central Time (US and Canada)

Registration
The Zoom link will be provided a week prior to the event date. Registration is required.

Individuals with disabilities are encouraged to attend. If you are a person with a disability who requires a reasonable accommodation in order to participate in this meeting, please contact the organizer in advance at humanrights@iowa-city.org or by calling 319-356-5022. The views and opinions expressed during programs of this office are those of the presenters and do not reflect the official policy or position of the City of Iowa City.