Report from First Disability Studies in Education SIG Meeting

April 26, 2000
New Orleans, LA

1. Membership:

Approximately 50 people attended our organizing meeting. Almost everyone signed the list to request that AERA give us official SIG status. 21 people joined the SIG at the meeting. Added to our previous 22 members, that gives us exactly the 43 we need for a real live paper session at the conference. This doesn't give us any room for error, though, so if you've been intending to join but procrastinating. do it quickly. The numbers I send in the next few weeks will be what counts toward program slots next year.

2. Executive Committee:

An executive committee of 10 people was formed, per the request of the membership. Here are the names/roles/emails. Feel free to contact any of us:

• Scot Danforth, Co-Chair, scot@umsl.edu
• Susan Gabel, Co-Chair, sugabel@umich.edu
• Valerie Owen, Assist. Membership/Treasurer, vowe@wheeling1.nl.edu
• Deb Gallagher, Program Chair, Deborah.Gallagher@uni.edu
• Robyn Smith, Assist. Program, smithrm@matrix.newpaltz.edu
• Mara Sapon-Shevin, liaison between SIG/AERA/access committee msaponsh@syr.edu
• Jim Wheeler, Website manager, jwheeler@nekesc.org
• Linda Ware, executive committee member, warel@troi.cc.rochester.edu
• Susan Peters, executive committee member, speters@msu.edu
• RC Saravanabhavan, executive committee member rsaravanabhavan@howard.edu

3. Concerns of SIG members:

Members were concerned about our SIG being involved in several issues: numerous access issues related to the annual conference, the inclusion of people with disabilities in responsible roles (e.g., session chair/discussant), possibly doing something to support scholars with disabilities who are AERA members. The executive committee met after the SIG meeting and mapped out some plans to work with Mara (liaison to AERA) to advocate for better access and information for the Seattle conference. Susan Gabel is preparing a statement to be submitted to all divisions and SIGs offering an argument for why submissions in disability studies should be seriously considered and included in all division and SIG programs every year.

4. Membership/Money:

Right now we have about $585. In the next 2 weeks, $100 will go to AERA as our SIG dues. Eventually, all SIG dues will be paid directly through AERA. You'll be seeing things about this in mailings. DO NOT pay dues to AERA until we notify you that it's time to do so. Right now, the association is in a transition from SIG's collecting dues to the association collecting them. When we make the transition, we'll work to assure that those of you who paid for multiple years will either be able to get a refund or continue to maintain membership for those years. Until that's straightened out, all membership should go through Susan Gabel.

5. Representation:

We will be required to elect a representative to the "committee on SIGs" in the near future. AERA is forming this to allow SIGs a greater voice in the operations of AERA.