The University of Toronto’s Institutional Equity Office (IEO) invites you to the Inclusion in Action Speaker Series.

The Inclusion in Action Speaker Series is a collaboration between the Institutional Equity Office (IEO), and the UTM Equity, Diversity & Inclusion Office (UTM EDIO). 

The goal of this series is to host local and international experts, academics, and advocates to increase dialogue and understanding of equity, accessibility, and inclusion in postsecondary environments. Through an intersectional lens, the series focuses on systems of discrimination with the aim of dismantling attitudes and processes that uphold ongoing exclusion and marginalization.

Date: Monday June 12, 2023

Time: 10:00 am – 12:00 pm

Understanding Black Disability Justice: Advancing Disability Justice in Postsecondary Contexts

This session will explore disability justice and its principles with a particular focus on conversations of intersectionality and Blackness. Participants will learn practical strategies within teaching and learning to embed disability justice within various environments. Dr. Sami Schalk will join a panel of U of T community members to critically analyze how ableism manifests and can be disrupted in working and learning environments.

Additional speakers to be announced.

About the Speaker:

Dr. Sami Schalk (she/her) is an associate professor of Gender & Women's Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She is the author of Bodyminds Reimagined: (Dis)ability, Race and Gender in Black Women's Speculative Fiction (Duke 2018) and Black Disability Politics (Duke 2022). Dr. Schalk’s academic work focuses on race, disability, and gender in contemporary American literature and culture. She also writes for mainstream outlets, including a monthly column called “Pleasure Practices” in TONE Madison. Dr. Schalk identifies as a fat, Black, queer, disabled femme and a pleasure activist.

Format: Virtual – Zoom Platform. Accessibility Information for Zoom.

Audience: Faculty, Staff, Librarians, Students, and External Community Members

Participation: Participants will be invited to ask questions of panelists towards the end of the session.

Accessibility: ASL interpretation and live captioning will be provided.

If you have any accessibility questions or are looking for further information on how we might support your participation including accommodation requests, please contact s.baig@utoronto.ca, and we will work with you to make appropriate arrangements.

Cost: Free

Further information and registration