Healthy Communities: Race, Disability, Gender, and First Responder Violence

A Discussion with the Disability Studies Reading Group

How are police, social workers, and first responders trained (or not) to interact with individuals with disabilities across the city and in different communities? Is training enough to eliminate ableist structures and attitudes? Given the disproportionate amount of violent first responder engagement with men of color and LGBTQ people, how are community activists and academics already addressing this intersection of race, disabilities, diagnostic categories, and gender? Discussion will be led by Dustin Gibson, a Black Disabled community builder, and Professor David Harris, University of Pittsburgh School of Law.

Dustin Gibson’s [heart]work is to undo ableism and racism, operating through a framework of disability justice. Alongside everyday people and grassroots organizations collectively, he aims to eliminate the system of policing and incarceration while supporting disabled and racialized communities. David Harris studies, writes and teaches about police behavior and regulation, law enforcement, and national security issues and the law.

To RSVP and receive access to the readings, email jessicabenham@pitt.edu by February 7th. Please include any accommodation requests and dietary restrictions. Appetizers provided. 

Funding provided by the Year of Healthy U, along with the Center for Bioethics + Health Law, Department of English, Department of Sociology, Department of Communication, Rhetoric Society of America, Cultural Studies, the Humanities Center, and Students for Disability Advocacy.