APA/AAPT Teaching Hub - Disabled Philosophers: Equity and Accessibility in the Philosophy Classroom

The APA Committee on the Teaching of Philosophy (CTP) and the American Association of Philosophy Professors (AAPT), in collaboration with the APA Committee on the Status of Disabled People in the Profession, are seeking panelists for a session on “disabled philosophers: equity and accessibility in the philosophy classroom” at the AAPT-APA Teaching Hub at the 2022 APA Eastern Division meeting.

We envision three to four presentations addressing the advantages of having disabled faculty and students in the philosophy classroom and/or innovative ways to counter ableism in the philosophy classroom. Possible topics for discussion include, but are not limited to the following:

1. Integration of philosophy of disability scholarship. What is the impact of having courses or course sections on philosophy of disability on the philosophy classroom, and how might these be implemented?
2. Disabled faculty and students as valuable resources. How does the philosophy classroom benefit from the presence of disabled faculty and students, and how might these benefits be maximized?
3. Student evaluations of teaching effectiveness. In what ways do such evaluations benefit and harm disabled students and faculty, and how might this knowledge be integrated into their usage?
4. Countering structural ableism in philosophy programs. What sorts of curricular changes may be necessary to increase the number of disabled students and faculty in the philosophy classroom and how might these be implemented?
5. Accommodations and the philosophy classroom. What have we learned about accommodations as a result of the pandemic, and how might we put this knowledge to use?

Format: Teaching Hub sessions are expected to be highly interactive. Proposals should indicate how audience members will participate in the session. For example, one option is a short presentation, of fifteen minutes or less, followed by Q&A. Alternatively, one might have participants working through an interactive experience of thirty minutes or less. The session will consist of three or four presenters. Group presentations are possible.

Submissions: Proposals of no more than 500 words, prepared for anonymous review, should be emailed to Maeve O’Donovan ([email protected]) by Sunday July 31, with the subject line “TH Disabled Philosophers session.” Please include a brief explanation of what you will share in your presentation, how it will be interactive, and what will make it accessible to disabled persons in attendance. Supporting material, such as syllabi or handouts, is also welcome. In the body of the email, please include your name, contact information, and relevant institutional or organizational affiliation and position (if any). The organizing committee will select three to four participants, or one group presentation, and will aim to assemble a session that is diverse in many respects, including career stage and institutional affiliation. Presenters will be notified of their acceptance in early August.

For questions about this session, please contact Maeve O’Donovan ([email protected]). For any questions about the Eastern APA Teaching Hub more generally, contact the 2022 Eastern Division Teaching Hub Co-Chairs, Rebecca Millsop ([email protected]) and Jerry Green ([email protected]).

The AAPT-APA Teaching Hub is a series of interactive workshops and conversations designed specifically for philosophers and created to celebrate teaching within the context of the APA divisional meetings. Jointly organized by the APA Committee on the Teaching of Philosophy (CTP) and the American Association of Philosophy Teachers (AAPT), the Teaching Hub aims to offer a range of high-quality and inclusive development opportunities that address the teaching of philosophy at all levels, pre-college through graduate school.

For general information about the AAPT-APA Teaching Hub, please check out the AAPT website at https://philosophyteachers.org/. and the CTP website at https://www.apaonline.org/group/teaching. For more information on the APA Committee on the Status of Disabled People in the Profession, please check out their website at https://www.apaonline.org/group/disability.

For general information about the AAPT-APA Teaching Hub, please check out the AAPT website and Facebook page and the  CTP website and Facebook page.