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Disability Plus Faculty & Staff Affinity Group

Disability+ Faculty & Staff Affinity Group

Our Mission

The mission of the Disability+ Faculty & Staff Affinity Group (D+ FSA) is to create spaces for disability and neurodivergence culture to thrive at American University. As disabled/neurodivergent/autistic/blind/mad/chronically ill faculty and staff, we unite to foster community and celebrate our differences.

We envision a campus where disabled and neurodivergent faculty and staff are fully included and welcomed in our campus culture and communities. Centering the voices of those with lived experience, we seek to educate, advocate, and contribute to a better AU.

Our affinity group is anti-racist, anti-colonial, and feminist and welcomes all who want to learn more about disability and neurodivergence. While our founding members identify as disabled/neurodivergent/chronically ill, anyone is welcome to learn more about disability justice, mad pride, and neurodivergence.

When we say “Disability+” we want to describe any and all forms of neurodivergence, visible or invisible disability, chronic illness, trauma, etc. This includes but is not limited to: anyone who is Deaf, who has AD(H)D, who uses a wheelchair or other mobility device, who has (C)PTSD, or who has depression. We invite everyone to participate in this group, whether you identify as disabled/neurodivergent/etc. or are just starting to figure out if maybe you feel like this group would benefit you. We don’t expect anyone to come to the group with a certain knowledge about disability justice, mad pride, or neuroqueerness -- we are here to learn together, grow together, and support one another. If you are interested in learning more, we have added some resources below that are good starting points.

Below we offer some general resources to help folks who aren’t sure what language to use or how to think about themselves or others in respect to disability and neurodivergence. We will expand this section over time; feel free to email disabilityfsa@american.edu your suggestions and ideas!

Get Involved

Join our email list to receive information on upcoming events, news, and more!

Join Disability+ Listserv

Contact Information

Email: disabilityfsa@american.edu

If you are a staff member interested in joining our leadership team, please reach out to one of us.

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