Crip Narratives: Controlling our Stories 

April 22 – 24, 2025 

Online for now, forever 

The IDGS ‘25 theme is “Crip Narratives: Controlling our Stories.” 

Disabled researchers, journalists, artists, authors, musicians, and other creators have worked to center the voices of their communities through their projects—and have succeeded in many arenas. The digital landscape presents opportunities for innovation and collaboration in advancing disability rights, but accessibility is often seen as an afterthought. Through collective action and a commitment to accessibility, we can ensure that the digital world becomes a place where all voices are heard and valued, regardless of ability.

Submit Proposals using this Google form by January 25th, 2025. Each submission should include a 500 word (maximum) abstract.

We are accepting proposals for:

• Lecture-style Presentation (15 minutes with 10min Q&A): Single presenter, lecture-style presentations can range from in-depth scientific research to academic scholarly practices

• Workshop (45–60 minutes including Q&A): Session focused on skill building or formal professional workforce training.

• Panel Presentation (60 minutes including Q&A): Three to five topic area presenters offer their perspective on a proposed disability studies topic. Each panel member will have the opportunity to briefly introduce themselves followed by moderated questions and questions from the audience. Panel members with divergent perspectives on the topic make for a more engaging presentation.

• Virtual Poster Session (5 minutes): Each accepted submission will provide a single slide (e.g. Powerpoint, Keynote) summarizing their work. These will be available for viewing at any point during the Summit on our website. Each day of the conference, during an extended break, authors will be scheduled for 5 min to summarize, contextualize, or elaborate on their slide, as well as receive feedback and questions from attendees.

• Pre-recorded Performances (recommend 10–20 minutes): Pre-recorded presentations can be shared with the summit attendees in an asynchronous manner. While these will not be part of the formal three day program, they will be highlighted in the program, shared directly with presenters and given the opportunity to become a part of the Accessibility Studies archive at the University of Maryland.

Stay connected! Sign up to receive updates by emailing disabilitysummit-mailing+subscribe@umd.edu

Questions? Please contact us at disabilitysummit-committee@umd.edu