Officials said a conference launching in Kentucky will be one of the first of its kind for the region. The University of Kentucky’s Symposium on Dis/Ability and Debility in Appalachia aims to draw Appalachians, disabled people, and participants with an intersection of identities together.
Mack Thompson is a student with UK’s Appalachian Center, which is hosting the event, and an organizer of the Symposium. He said the region is often recognized as a “disability belt,” which can bring harmful stereotypes and expectations. Thompson said the symposium’s organizers want to give marginalized voices a platform to discuss issues and work toward solutions.
“A lot of people consider Appalachia as a place with a lot of people that may be this construction of unintelligence. Which isn’t true, first of all,” said Thompson. “But also, this idea that people, if they have an intellectual disability, [they] are struggling with these typical ideas of ‘what can make these people smart is an IQ test.’”
Thompson said one topic that speakers and attendees might take interest in exploring is the accessibility of healthcare, especially for disabled people in the region.
“In these more rural areas, in the mountains, and places that currently are without healthcare access. Especially when there’s factors of rurality and economic status of who is able to receive care. Making sure that we are supporting the needs of people, that we’re not making conditions worse.”
The Symposium is set to run all day on Saturday, September 28th at the Healthy Kentucky Research Building on UK’s Campus in Lexington. Registration is free for both online and live attendance, and in-person participants will receive a complimentary lunch. Thompson said physical spots are limited, so in-person attendees are encouraged to register as soon as possible. Online registration closes on September 9.
More information on registration and schedules can be found by emailing appalachiadisability.symposium@gmail.com, and registration is available at the Appalachian center website.