Disability Myths and Rhetorics

This talk is part of a series focusing on Dis/Ability Studies both within and beyond German Studies, organized by Professor Michael Boehringer as part of his Disability in German Literature course and sponsored by WCGS.

On Thursday, February 3, 2022 (1:00-2:20 pm EST) Professor Jay Dolmage (UW) will discuss "Disability Myths and Rhetorics."

Talk Description: In this discussion, Professor Dolmage will work through an overview of myths that offer a shorthand for the ways that disability is narrowly represented or depicted across cultures. These myths offer evidence of some of the most basic and omnipresent ways that disability is rhetorically shaped. Laying out these disability wrongs generates a range of possible awareness, critical tools, and disruptions. The fact that disability is so naturally and habitually associated with negativity means that we cannot neglect to question these natural habits, and we cannot forget that the pause, reflection, and reconsideration we might engender will themselves be critical and creative opportunities. The discussion should lead us to identify further examples of such myths and to challenge them.

Bio: I have a lovely partner named Heather, a dog named Bingo, and three hilarious children named Vern, Francine, and Murphy. I am committed to disability rights in my scholarship, service, and teaching. My work brings together rhetoric, writing, disability studies, and critical pedagogy. My first book, entitled Disability Rhetoric, was published with Syracuse University Press in 2014. Academic Ableism: Disability and Higher Education was published with Michigan University Press in 2017 and is available in an open-access version online. Disabled Upon Arrival: Eugenics, Immigration, and the Construction of Race and Disability was published in 2018 with Ohio State University Press. I am the Founding Editor of the Canadian Journal of Disability Studies.

All talks are free and open to the public and will be hosted on Zoom. If you would like to learn about the other talks in the series please visit our website.

Please register for each event separately.