Frequently Asked Questions
When did the IDGS start?
The first Disability Summit was held in 2016 with 100 people in a basement of a library, and has grown to attract more than 1,000 internationally in 2021. The Including Disability Global Summit (IDGS) is a forum for professionals, educators, academics, service providers, advocates, family members, and disabled people (of course) focusing on disability issues to dialogue and collaborate across types of disability and institutions. The goal of the Summit is to bring focus to and promote discussion of key current events and research impacting disability in society. Read more about the history of the Summit.
What accessibility measures are a part of the event?
All presentations will have Live Captioning and ASL interpretation. The Opening and Closing Keynotes will have CDI interpretation as well. Presenters are encouraged to share their slides in advance, and these can be found on each presentation page of the Event Program. If there are other accessibility features you’d like to recommend please reach out, we want everyone to feel included in the Summit!
Who gets involved in IDGS and what do they talk about?
In past years, attendees have included people from a range of universities, local and state governments, funding agencies, medical institutions, federal agencies, and non-profit and advocacy groups. Topics have included access to employment, design of physical structures and challenges of home ownership, special education, afro-futurism, usable and accessible technologies, diet and nutrition, racial injustice, criminal justice system, health systems, pandemics, online environments, voting, and wearable technologies, among much else.
What is the cost of the event?
FREE, for all! However, if you’d like to contribute financially to the event please let us know, we couldn’t do this without our amazing team of sponsors!
Do you have Continuing Education (CE) credits?
Not at this time.
How do I submit an abstract?
Stay tuned for 2025 and subscribe to our listserv to ensure you get all the up-to-date information. You can also follow our Twitter Account at @InclDisability.
I would like to volunteer, what can I do to help?
Volunteer roles include volunteer moderators for each session, and a team of volunteers to help with the media and technical logistics. If you are interested in joining these efforts, stay tuned or contact us at disabilitysummit-committee@umd.edu with questions.