Neurodiversity and Disability Studies Summit 2025
Event Details
April 5th, 2025
11:00am-2:30pm
Furcolo Hall (and Zoom)
We are so excited to announce our second annual Neurodiversity and Disability Studies Summit at UMass Amherst this spring! This year, we are partnering with the Boltwood Project. We will have a poster session of undergraduate and graduate student projects, breakout presentations, and a keynote presentation.
Location
The event will take place at the College of Education (Furcolo Hall) at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. The physical address is 831 North Pleasant Street, Amherst, MA 01003. Parking is available directly outside the building at no cost.
The keynote and several breakout sessions will be live streamed as a Zoom webinar. Use the registration form above to receive the link two weeks prior to the event. Recordings will be posted for all speakers who agree to it.
Poster Session
11:00-11:45
Furcolo Hall (hallway outside of The Hub Cafe)
Undergraduate and graduate students are invited to present a poster (4×6) on a disability or neurodiversity related topic. Projects can include theses, research studies, independent studies, course projects, creative projects, and more! Posters submitted to the conference organizers will be printed at no cost to the student.
Please submit your proposal by March 15th. Late submissions will be considered.
Keynote Presentation
11:45-1:00
Carney Family Auditorium (Furcolo Hall 125) or Zoom
Expanding the Margins: Blackness, Disability Justice, and Intersectionality in (Global) Higher Education
Dr. Kat J. Stephens-Peace ‘22 is an award-winning scholar and educator whose work illuminates the intricate intersections of race, gender, and disability in higher education. A 2025 recipient of the ACPA Coalition for Disability “Intersectionality Award,” Dr. Stephens-Peace brings an unparalleled commitment to fostering equity and justice in academia. As an Assistant Professor in Ball State University’s Student Affairs Administration and Higher Education Program and an editorial board member for NASPA’s Journal of Women and Gender in Higher Education, she continues to lead critical conversations about dismantling structural ableism. Her keynote will explore the transformative potential of disability justice, drawing from her research on critical neurodivergence, disability culture at Predominantly White Institutions, and the lived experiences of Black women graduate students. Blending personal narratives, qualitative insights, and practical frameworks, Dr. Stephens-Peace inspires a reimagining of academia as a space of inclusion and belonging.
About Dr. Stephens-Peace
Dr. Kat J. Stephens-Peace (she/her) is an Assistant Professor at Ball State University, an award-winning scholar, and a leading voice in higher education, disability justice, and intersectionality. As a 2025 recipient of the ACPA Coalition for Disability “Intersectionality Award,” her work is distinguished by its use of arts-based methodologies, such as poetic inquiry, to illuminate the experiences of marginalized communities. A scholar of the Global South, Dr. Stephens-Peace focuses on Blackness and disability across the African Diaspora, exploring the intersections of race, gender, and colonial legacies. Her scholarship, featured in leading journals, advocates for systemic transformation and academic inclusion.
Lunch Break
1:00-1:30
The Hub Cafe, Furcolo Hall
We will have a range of food options available. To accommodate dietary restrictions, please be sure to register for the event.
Breakout Sessions
1:30-2:30
Furcolo Hall
We will have a broad range of breakout sessions to choose from. More details are forthcoming, but we anticipate having breakout sessions on:
- Assistive technology
- Universal design for learning
- Anthropology of disability
- Neurodiversity affirming psychotherapy
- Disability advocacy
- Disability history