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The Stories We Tell: The Americans with Disabilities Act After 25 Years Prof. Lennard J. Davis Date: Wednesday May 6th 2015 Time: 2.15pm–3.45pm Place: Eden 036, Liverpool Hope University, UK In the narrative we tell about the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act, there are certain shared formulas which we have seen in the civil rights movement and other political upheavals. The story template is that governmental intransigence was met with loud and unruly protests, which caused the government to back down and led to the passage of legislation and some kind of change of heart or mind. Was this the case with the narrative we now know well concerning the ADA? This seminar will explore the behind-the-scenes machinations that led to the passage of the Act, and will consider the role of activism alongside the three other levels of involvement – that by prominent politicians, their staffs, and disability lobbyists. Lennard Davis is Distinguished Professor of Liberal Arts and Sciences at the University of Illinois at Chicago in the departments of Disability and Human Development, English, and Medical Education. He has written or edited over 20 books, including Enforcing Normalcy, Bending Over Backwards, Obsession: A History, and The End of Normal. He is the editor of The Disability Studies Reader. His latest book is Enabling Acts: The Hidden Story of How the Americans with Disabilities Act Gave the Largest US Minority Its Rights. This seminar is part of the CCDS series, The Voice of Disability. The next seminar is: 17 Jun 2015, Working together for positive outcomes’: The Appropriation of Collaboration, Voice and Choice in SEN policy formation, Claire Penketh. Also, Disability and Disciplines: The International Conference on Educational, Cultural, and Disability Studies will be held 1-2 July, 2015. For further information please contact: David Bolt