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Meeting Summary

What does having “a disability” mean? How can we explain the complex relationships among disability, illness, handicap, and impairment? How can persons with disabilities take their proper role in our society?

Answers to these and other questions are urgently needed. In the United States , one out of every ten people has a learning disability, a mental illness, or some physical limitation. There are more than 70,000 persons with disabilities in the Memphis metropolitan area, and anyone can acquire a disability at any time. But, most of the working definitions of disability are at least 12 years old, so much work remains.

That work began on June 29, 2005, when Dr. Chrisann Schiro-Geist hosted the seminar, “Visioning an Institute on Disability Research and Education: Beginning with the Data.” In her opening remarks, Dr. Schiro-Geist laid out the twofold purpose of this meeting: to explore existing datasets in disability so that our faculty researchers can capitalize on what already exists, and to define the future direction for the institute.

Following this, the five panelists—Dr. Emer Broadbent, Dr. Lee Crandall, Mr. Nelson J. Rambath, Dr. E. Sally Rogers, and Dr. Diane Shinberg—introduced their work to the 42 attendees. Reactions were provided by Dr. Douglas Strohmer of the University of Memphis , who provided a local perspective; Dr. Bruce Growick of Ohio State University with a national perspective; and Dr. Jin Shin of Hofstra University with an international perspective.

Panelists and attendees then broke into groups for a working lunch, at which suggestions for the new institute were formulated. The consensus was that the local public needs a research center and academic clearinghouse for data—a needs and resource assessment body—providing guidance on how to get information for jobs, transportation, etc. because there is no guidance from local government or libraries. Such an institute is an excellent example of engaged scholarship that benefits the community by turning research into action and policy. It is also an indication of the proactive nature of our new Vice Provost for Academic Affairs.