The EDI Scholar in Residence program is pleased to host the Disability Justice Book Club across Term 1. The club, led by Dr. Jennifer Gagnon, will explore themes of disability justice, ableism, allyship, and what it means to be disabled in academia. We will read a selection of texts each month before meeting to discuss takeaways.

This club meeting is for the Disability Allies cohort. Join this cohort if you do not presently identify as disabled or would prefer not to disclose your relationship to disability. If you do self-identify as disabled and would like to discuss these texts in community with other self-identified disabled folks, then please join the Disabled and Proud Cohort. The book club is open to everyone -- you do not need to be a member of the UBC community to join. The club is a valuable opportunity to ask questions, be introduced to new topics, and grow in your understanding of Disability Justice and how to be in solidarity with Disabled people.

For our December meeting, participants will have the opportunity to select a source or text of their choosing. We will provide a range of curated options that the club will vote on, and participants are also free to suggest sources. For this meeting, we may choose from a variety of formats, including books, articles, videos, graphic novels, and more.

Location:  Online (Link to be provided upon registration) 

Date & Time: Monday, December 15, 2025 – 2.00-3.00PM PT

Accessibility Information

We strive to make this event as accessible as possible for all participants. In advance of the first meeting, we will provide each participant with an Accessibility Guide document listing the available formats for each month’s texts, including where to access e-books and audiobooks. We have endeavored to identify texts and formats that are compatible with a variety of accessibility tools -- if you encounter a barrier please let us know and we will update the Accessibility Guide and work with you to find an alternate format.

Our first meeting is a hybrid format and will be hosted online and in-person. All future meetings will be online only using Zoom. For those attending in-person, we will provide distanced seating for anyone practicing social distancing or who needs a little more space for any reason. To support Covid-conscious and immunocompromised folks, we encourage you to wear masks if that is accessible for you. Eating will be permitted during the meeting in designated areas of the room. We ask that attendees refrain from wearing perfumes and scented products to prevent causing allergic reactions for other attendees. While the room has a capacity of 60 people, we have consciously capped in-person attendance to 40 people as an accessibility measure. Windows in the room can be opened to improve air circulation. An online meeting option will also be provided and we aim to empower those attending online to participate as fully as those attending in-person. Microphones will be used both by the presenter and by audience members to ensure that online participants can engage with what is being said in the room. A more detailed accessibility guide related to accessing the Pena Room in IKBLC and attending in person will be provided prior to the event.

While we have endeavored to proactively design in accessibility, we recognize that things might not be 100% accessible for everyone, and that our access needs might sometimes conflict. We are committed to collectively working together to create as much access as possible while occupying and challenging ableist spaces. Should you have any access needs that you would like to communicate, you can contact Allan Cho with the EDI Scholars Program at: allan.cho@ubc.ca or share your access needs with Dr. Jennifer Gagnon at any time.

Confidentiality

A core practice of Disability Justice is confidentiality. Accessibility, safety, and inclusion all require that we are mindful not to disclose confidential information about the lived experiences of others. Many disabled folks have heightened concerns about confidentiality because of their experiences with ableism, discrimination, and marginalization. While some of us might feel comfortable sharing our experiences with disability and ableism, no one is required or expected to disclose. Folks may also not be "out" about their relationship to disability in all contexts and places at UBC and beyond. To support confidentiality and safety in these spaces, please treat the experiences of individuals as confidential and do not disclose anyone's lived experiences without their enthusiastic consent. This Book Club is an opportunity to grow our knowledge and understanding of Disability Justice, and potentially "read yourself in" to Disabled community or explore how disability and ableism are already present in your experiences.