Title:Radical Inclusion at the DisCo: Reproductive Justice is Disability Justice
Description:
The Reproductive Rights Law Initiative (RRLI) at Case Western Reserve University's School of Law is hosting a daylong conference called Radical Inclusion at the DisCo: Reproductive Justice Is Disability Justice. This conference explores the intersection of disability, accessibility, and reproductive justice, focusing on abortion providers, support workers, and advocates. We will provide a grounding in the Americans with Disabilities Act, as well as the concepts of Reproductive Justice and Disability Justice. Additionally, we will cover lessons we can learn from Southern disabled reproductive justice organizers, the unique barriers and marginalization faced by folks at the intersection of racial justice and disability justice, how mental illness and invisible disabilities impact access to reproductive rights and care, and the challenges facing disabled pregnant and birthing people. The conference features a diverse lineup of legal academics, disabled self-advocates, organizers, and attorneys.
Webinar Date+Time:
Friday, April 4th, 2025
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM Eastern Time
Register Now For This Free Continuing Legal Education Webinar!
Speakers:
See Conference Schedule Below.
By:
Case Western Reserve University School of Law
Credit:-
Ohio: 6.5 hours of CLE credit, pending approval
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Other Jurisdictions: You may be able to self-apply to your credit-granting authority.
Cost:
Free and open to the public.
Conference Schedule
8:00 am - 9:00 am - Breakfast (in-person only)
8:50 am - 9:00 am - Welcome & Intro: Maggie Scotece, Jessie Hill, and Dean Paul Rose
9:00 am - 10:00 am - The Aftermath of Dobbs: Unmet Needs and Access Crisis - Katie Corwin [Moderator], Amanda Spriggs Reid, Chakir’ Underdown, and Colleen Damerell
Description: This panel will provide a basic grounding in the Americans with Disabilities Act and set the stage for how siloing of reproductive and sexual health has both silenced and negatively impacted disabled Americans. Further, this panel will reflect on the access crisis and abandonment of patients that occurred following the 2022 Dobbs decision through the lens of the ADA.
10:00 am - 11:15 am - Grounding the Struggle: Bridging Gaps in Reproductive and Disability Justice in the South - Dean Laura McNally [Moderator], Mia Ives-Rublee, Laurie Bertram Roberts, and Christopher Reed
Description: Community workers and disabled folks in the South have been sounding the alarm about the dangers of pregnancy criminalization, abortion restrictions, and abandonment of poor and rural communities long before the fall of Roe. This panel will reflect on what lessons and strategies all organizers and advocates can use from the deep knowledge of our Southern comrades.
11:30 am - 12:45 pm - Shades of Access: The Intersections of Race, Gender, and Disability in Reproduction and Sexuality - Chakir’ Underdown [Moderator], Madeline Morcelle, Robin Wilson-Beattie, Dara Baldwin, and Dessa Cosma
Description: This panel will discuss the ways in which pregnancy-capable folks at the intersection of racial identity, gender/sexuality and disability status experience barriers to accessing sexual health and reproductive support. Additionally, we will address how medical providers, support workers, and educators can work with accessibility in mind to ensure their care is inclusive of all folks who need access to care.
12:45 - 1:30 pm - Lunch
1:30 pm - 3:00 pm - Unseen Burden: Mental Illness and Invisible Disabilities - Jillian Macleod [Moderator], Dr. Susan Hatters-Friedman, Professor Stephanie Hoffer, Professor Ruth Colker, and Professor Jasmine Harris
Description: From Carrie Buck to Britney Spears and beyond, mental illness, developmental disabilities, and other invisible disabilities continue to provide social and legal grounding for the restriction of sexual and reproductive rights. This panel will discuss various barriers faced by those with invisible disabilities as well as reflect on the ways stigma, lack of access, and desexualization can harm disabled folks.
3:15 pm - 4:45 pm - Pregnancy & Parenting in a Criminalized Body - Maggie Scotece [Moderator], Professor Robyn Powell, Stephanie Woodward, Marissa Ditkowsky, and Jessica Roach
Description: This panel will reflect on the learnings throughout the conference and how many barriers disabled adults face when they want to have families of their own. We will touch on the ways stigma, medical racism/ableism, state surveillance, and outright criminalization harm disabled persons and their families.
4:45pm - Closing Remarks & Thank Yous: Maggie Scotece
Description:
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