About The Guests

Heather D. Evans, PhD
Heather D. Evans, Ph.D.
Pronouns: she / her / hers
Email: hdevans@uw.edu
Heather is a socio-legal scholar who focuses on the ways in which institutions such as the law, higher education, and the medical field interact with marginalized populations. She has conducted statistical analyses, ethnographic fieldwork, and evaluation research. Heather’s current work is in the field of Critical Disability Studies examining disclosure, identity management, and workplace accommodations among people with physical, mental, and sensory differences that are not readily apparent. She is also committed to community based research and does consulting work for local social justice organizations, primarily focusing on disparities within the criminal justice system. Heather earned a Ph.D. in Sociology at the University of Washington and spent 8 years teaching courses in the Department of Sociology; Disability Studies Program; and the Law, Societies & Justice Department at UW. She joined the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine at UW in July 2021 as an Acting Assistant Professor and Research Director for the Northwest ADA Center.

Heather Feldner, PT, PhD, PCS
Heather Feldner, PT, PhD, PCS
Pronouns: she/her/hers
Dr. Heather Feldner, PT, PhD, PCS is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, core faculty in the Disability Studies Program, and an Associate Director of the Center for Research and Education on Accessible Technology and Experiences (CREATE) at the University of Washington. Her research centers at the intersection of mobility, disability, and technology. This includes examining perceptions and outcomes of mobility technology, how understandings of disability and identity emerge and evolve through technology use, and how disability can be further integrated into intersectional Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion initiatives. Her current work incorporates multidisciplinary, mixed methods approaches drawing from her background as a pediatric physical therapist, doctoral work in disability studies, and postdoctoral research in user-centered rehabilitation and design in mechanical engineering
About The Episodes
Episode 1: Definitions, Language, Conceptual Framework
In this episode our guests, Drs. Heather Feldner and Heather Evans, guide us through foundational concepts of disability, ableism and allyship, unraveling important terminology, and emphasizing the importance of language
Show Resources
Episode 1 Transcription: Definitions, Language, Conceptual Framework Transcription
Bias Training
UW implicit bias training, which includes disability material (this is now required to be on search committees and is freely available to the UW community). https://depts.washington.edu/podscan/gcw/implicit-bias/?_ga=2.69121425.1218851216.1639665509-786956136.1638917014#/
Disability Attitudes Implicit Association Test (DA-IAT) freely available at Project Implicit hosted by Harvard. Project Implicit: https://implicit.harvard.edu/implicit/selectatest.html
Medical Education Training Guide in Disability Competence
Resource Guide for Training on Disability Competence: A resource guide for PT and PTA faculty, clinicians, and students (December 2021): https://cdn.ymaws.com/www.aptahpa.org/resource/resmgr/communications/Resource_Guide_for_Training_.pdf
Learn about disability history in the U.S.
- American perspectives (Vol. 6). NYU Press
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OFS8SpwioZ4
- Shapiro, Joseph. (1994). No pity: People with disabilities forging a new civil rights movement. Three Rivers Press.
- Longmore, P. K., & Umansky, L. (Eds.). (2001). The new disability history:
Learn about disability identity from a diversity perspective:
- Davis, Lennard J. (2013) “Introduction: Normality, power, and culture.” The disability studies reader 4 : 1-14. Pdf online at: https://ieas-szeged.hu/downtherabbithole/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/Lennard-J.-Davis-ed.-The-Disability-Studies-Reader-Routledge-2014.pdf#page=15
- Stella Young. “I am not your inspiration, thank you very much.” TED Talk (2014). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8K9Gg164Bsw
- Maysoon Zayid. “I have 99 problems… palsy is just one.” Ted Talk(2013) http://www.ted.com/talks/maysoon_zayid_i_got_99_problems_palsy_is_just_one
- Adams-Spink, Geoff. “Social Model of Disability Animation.” (Nov. 7 2011). You Tube. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9s3NZaLhcc4
UW Resources:
- Bree Callahan, Tri-Campus ADA Coordinator, leading equity and compliance efforts for ADA/section 504
- The D Center – UW Seattle campus Deaf and Disability Cultural Center: https://depts.washington.edu/dcenter/
- Student Disability Commission: https://careers.uw.edu/organizations/asuw-student-disability-commission/
- DO-IT: https://www.washington.edu/doit/
- Disability Studies Program: https://disabilitystudies.washington.edu/
- CREATE: https://create.uw.edu/
- CLIME symposium- Anti-ableism in Healthcare Education – join us on June 10th! https://clime.washington.edu/2022-clime-together-symposium-2/ Lisa Meeks (co-founder of Coalition for Disability Access in Health Science Education) and Neera Jain (board member of the same organization, rehab counselor, and postdoctoral fellow at UBC in Vancouver working in disability equity in health science education). We will be interviewing Conrad Addison, a practicing physician who trained at UW Medical School
Other Groups of interest:
- Coalition for Disability Access in Health Science Education https://www.hsmcoalition.org/
- Stanford Medicine Alliance for Disability, Identity, and Equity https://med.stanford.edu/smadie/about.html
- Disability Rights Washington
https://www.disabilityrightswa.org/
- Look for Disability Justice Collectives in your area
Episode 2: The UW Experience
In this episode, our guest speakers “Evans and Feldner” share data from their CLIME-funded research project on the lived experience of ableism and allyship of students, staff and faculty at the University of Washington, who identify as D/deaf, disabled, living with a disability, or as having a chronic health condition.
Show Resources
Episode 2: The UW Experience Transcript
Bias Training
UW implicit bias training, which includes disability material (this is now required to be on search committees and is freely available to the UW community). https://depts.washington.edu/podscan/gcw/implicit-bias/?_ga=2.69121425.1218851216.1639665509-786956136.1638917014#/
Disability Attitudes Implicit Association Test (DA-IAT) freely available at Project Implicit hosted by Harvard. Project Implicit: https://implicit.harvard.edu/implicit/selectatest.html
Medical Education Training Guide in Disability Competence
Resource Guide for Training on Disability Competence: A resource guide for PT and PTA faculty, clinicians, and students (December 2021): https://cdn.ymaws.com/www.aptahpa.org/resource/resmgr/communications/Resource_Guide_for_Training_.pdf
Learn about disability history in the U.S.
- American perspectives (Vol. 6). NYU Press
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OFS8SpwioZ4
- Shapiro, Joseph. (1994). No pity: People with disabilities forging a new civil rights movement. Three Rivers Press.
- Longmore, P. K., & Umansky, L. (Eds.). (2001). The new disability history:
Learn about disability identity from a diversity perspective:
- Davis, Lennard J. (2013) “Introduction: Normality, power, and culture.” The disability studies reader 4 : 1-14. Pdf online at: https://ieas-szeged.hu/downtherabbithole/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/Lennard-J.-Davis-ed.-The-Disability-Studies-Reader-Routledge-2014.pdf#page=15
- Stella Young. “I am not your inspiration, thank you very much.” TED Talk (2014). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8K9Gg164Bsw
- Maysoon Zayid. “I have 99 problems… palsy is just one.” Ted Talk(2013) http://www.ted.com/talks/maysoon_zayid_i_got_99_problems_palsy_is_just_one
- Adams-Spink, Geoff. “Social Model of Disability Animation.” (Nov. 7 2011). You Tube. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9s3NZaLhcc4
UW Resources:
- Bree Callahan, Tri-Campus ADA Coordinator, leading equity and compliance efforts for ADA/section 504
- The D Center – UW Seattle campus Deaf and Disability Cultural Center: https://depts.washington.edu/dcenter/
- Student Disability Commission: https://careers.uw.edu/organizations/asuw-student-disability-commission/
- DO-IT: https://www.washington.edu/doit/
- Disability Studies Program: https://disabilitystudies.washington.edu/
- CREATE: https://create.uw.edu/
- CLIME symposium- Anti-ableism in Healthcare Education – join us on June 10th! https://clime.washington.edu/2022-clime-together-symposium-2/ Lisa Meeks (co-founder of Coalition for Disability Access in Health Science Education) and Neera Jain (board member of the same organization, rehab counselor, and postdoctoral fellow at UBC in Vancouver working in disability equity in health science education). We will be interviewing Conrad Addison, a practicing physician who trained at UW Medical School
Other Groups of interest:
- Coalition for Disability Access in Health Science Education https://www.hsmcoalition.org/
- Stanford Medicine Alliance for Disability, Identity, and Equity https://med.stanford.edu/smadie/about.html
- Disability Rights Washington
https://www.disabilityrightswa.org/
- Look for Disability Justice Collectives in your area
Episode 3: Dismantling Ableism and Practicing Allyship
In this episode, we explore a wealth of readily accessible resources and practical tips to go beyond just acknowledging ableism and eliminating ableist behavior, to actively supporting our disabled friends and colleagues.
Show Resources
Episode 3: Dismantling Ableism and Practicing Allyship Transcription
Bias Training
UW implicit bias training, which includes disability material (this is now required to be on search committees and is freely available to the UW community). https://depts.washington.edu/podscan/gcw/implicit-bias/?_ga=2.69121425.1218851216.1639665509-786956136.1638917014#/
Disability Attitudes Implicit Association Test (DA-IAT) freely available at Project Implicit hosted by Harvard. Project Implicit: https://implicit.harvard.edu/implicit/selectatest.html
Medical Education Training Guide in Disability Competence
Resource Guide for Training on Disability Competence: A resource guide for PT and PTA faculty, clinicians, and students (December 2021): https://cdn.ymaws.com/www.aptahpa.org/resource/resmgr/communications/Resource_Guide_for_Training_.pdf
Learn about disability history in the U.S.
- American perspectives (Vol. 6). NYU Press
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OFS8SpwioZ4
- Shapiro, Joseph. (1994). No pity: People with disabilities forging a new civil rights movement. Three Rivers Press.
- Longmore, P. K., & Umansky, L. (Eds.). (2001). The new disability history:
Learn about disability identity from a diversity perspective:
- Davis, Lennard J. (2013) “Introduction: Normality, power, and culture.” The disability studies reader 4 : 1-14. Pdf online at: https://ieas-szeged.hu/downtherabbithole/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/Lennard-J.-Davis-ed.-The-Disability-Studies-Reader-Routledge-2014.pdf#page=15
- Stella Young. “I am not your inspiration, thank you very much.” TED Talk (2014). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8K9Gg164Bsw
- Maysoon Zayid. “I have 99 problems… palsy is just one.” Ted Talk(2013) http://www.ted.com/talks/maysoon_zayid_i_got_99_problems_palsy_is_just_one
- Adams-Spink, Geoff. “Social Model of Disability Animation.” (Nov. 7 2011). You Tube. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9s3NZaLhcc4
UW Resources:
- Bree Callahan, Tri-Campus ADA Coordinator, leading equity and compliance efforts for ADA/section 504
- The D Center – UW Seattle campus Deaf and Disability Cultural Center: https://depts.washington.edu/dcenter/
- Student Disability Commission: https://careers.uw.edu/organizations/asuw-student-disability-commission/
- DO-IT: https://www.washington.edu/doit/
- Disability Studies Program: https://disabilitystudies.washington.edu/
- CREATE: https://create.uw.edu/
Other Groups of interest:
- Coalition for Disability Access in Health Science Education https://www.hsmcoalition.org/
- Stanford Medicine Alliance for Disability, Identity, and Equity https://med.stanford.edu/smadie/about.html
- Disability Rights Washington: https://www.disabilityrightswa.org/