July 8, 2025 - Teach Disability History Conference - Keene State College - Keene, New Hampshire - 9:00am - 4:00pm
- K-12 teachers, instructors of pre-service teachers, disability historians, disability studies educators, and disability rights advocates from across the U.S. will share resources and discuss ways to expand and strengthen the teaching of stories of disability history in K-12 schools.
- ASL and CART provided for all presentations.
- Lunch will be provided in a Keene State cafeteria with options for any with food sensitivities. Coffee and snacks provided.
- The conference is free thanks to a Library of Congress Teaching with Primary Sources grant.
- Teachers and disability advocates may receive $100 stipends to help with travel or other costs. Apply with registration.
- Register for the conference and apply for the teacher / disability advocate $100 stipend. Register by July 1.
July 8 Conference Program (Tentative)
- Deep Exploration of Disability History:
- Impacts of Slavery on Disability: Jenifer Barclay, Associate Professor of History, Department of History, & Associate Director, Center for Disability Studies, College of Arts and Sciences, University at Buffalo, State University of New York
- Labor and Disability: Sarah F. Rose, Associate Professor in History & Geography, & Director of the Minor in Disability Studies, University of Texas at Arlington
- Finding and Using Source Material on Disability:
- Legislation and Disability, the Process and Impacts of the Law: Hope Bibens, Associate Professor of Librarianship and Director, University Archives and Special Collections, and Curator of the Political Papers Collection of Tom Harkin, Cowles Library, Drake University
- State and Local Sources, Rural and Urban- New Hampshire and Beyond: Rodney Obien, Head of Special Collections & Archives and Associate Professor, Keene State College; Jenna Carroll, Executive Director, Historical Society of Cheshire County; Brian Burford, former New Hampshire State Archivist
- Integrating Disability History into Teacher Preparation:
- Innovative Strategies Lance Neeper, Associate Professor, Special Education, Keene State College (KSC); Nancy F. Peck, Professor, Early Childhood Education, KSC; John Sturtz, Professor, Social Studies Education, KSC
- How We Teach Disability History:
- Panel of veteran teachers in K-12 and college, possibly including: Ross Newton, high school history teacher, HEC Academy; Kate Benson, Special Education professional and President of the Belchertown State School Friends Association; Graham Warder, Associate Professor of History, Keene State College.
- What Is Taught? What Do Teachers Need?
- Studies from the field on implementation at district and state levels.
Session Schedule
8:30-9:00 Registration
9:00-9:50 Plenary 1 (50 minutes)
10:00-11:00 Breakout 1-A Breakout 1-B (60 minutes)
11:10-12:00 Breakout 2-A Breakout 2-B (50 minutes)
12:00-12:50 LUNCH - No program - (no ASL)
1:00-1:40 Plenary 2 (40 minutes)
1:50-3:20 Breakout 3-A Breakout 3-B (90 minutes)
3:30-4:00 Plenary 3 (30 minutes)
- Watch this space. More details to come very soon!
Learn More About the Teaching Disability History Project
Learn more about the Teaching Disability History project at Keene State College, supported by a Library of Congress Teaching with Primary Sources grant. Keene State College received a Library of Congress Teaching with Primary Sources (TPS) project grant in October, 2024. Link to the project announcement.
Project partners will host the annual conference at the Harkin Institute at Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa (2026), and at the University of Texas at Arlington (2027).
Photo Credit
Photo by Tom Olin. See the EveryBody online exhibit of the Smithsonian National Museum of American History.
Conference Sponsors
