Including the deaf community as partners in research has helped center existing deaf knowledge about signed languages and culture; yet tensions remain between the community and non-deaf researchers. Similar tensions exist between the autistic community and neuro-typical researchers. While disability centered frameworks are clear about the culture in deaf and disability communities, some non-deaf, and/or neuro-typical researchers continue to adhere to medical models. Understanding the barriers to communication among various communities will lead to more meaningful discourse. We invite all stakeholders (Deaf and autistic community members, families of deaf and autistic people, clinicians, policy-makers, teachers, and scientists) to participate in a conversation about doing better, more diverse scientific research. Steve Silberman, the neuro-typical author of NeuroTribes: The Legacy of Autism and the Future of Neurodiversity, will discuss his work on neurodiversity.
Conference organizing committee: Marie Coppola, Diane Lillo-Martin, Rachael Steiner, Kirsty Coulter, Katelyn Porto, and Inge-Marie Eigsti (University of Connecticut); Matt Lerner and Mark Aronoff (Stony Brook University); Elliot Keenan (University of California, Los Angeles); Jon Henner (University of North Carolina at Greensboro); Luisa Soboleski (Principal, American School for the Deaf (retired)).
Funded by the Humanities Institute Public Discourse Project and by the Institute for the Brain and Cognitive Sciences, University of Connecticut. Many thanks to UConn Interpreting Services and the UConn Center for Students with Disabilities for their support.
Registration is limited, so please register promptly!