Author Talk: Against Technoableism: Rethinking Who Needs Improvement

Join Dr. Ashley Shew, author of Against Technoableism: Rethinking Who Needs Improvement, (W.W. Norton, 2023) as she examines what we think we know about disability, and how disabled persons are the real experts when it comes to the intersection of technology and disability. This program is presented in conjunction with October National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM), which celebrates the contributions of America’s workers with disabilities, including some Department of the Navy workers at the Washington Navy Yard and its tenant commands. 2023 also marks the 50th anniversary of the passage of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, which was the first federal legislation that addressed access and equity for people with disabilities.

About the Author: Ashley Shew is an associate professor of Science, Technology, and Society at Virginia Tech, where she works in philosophy of technology at its intersections with emerging technologies, animal studies, and disability studies. Shew's current research focuses on the representation of disability in technological narrative and imagination. In 2016, she received the Sally Bohland Award for Excellence in Access and Inclusion from the Virginia Tech office of Services for Students with Disabilities. You can find out more about her current research at www.techanddisability.com.

Note: Due to security requirements at the Washington Navy Yard, you will need to be escorted onto the base. If taking metro, get on the Green Line and exit the Navy Yard/Ballpark stop, then walk to the entrance at 11th and O Street SE (about 15 minutes). Plan to arrive at the entrance gate by 11am. A museum educator will be at the entrance gate to bring you onto the base and to the museum (Bldg. 76). The last gate pickup will occur at 11:20 PM. If you need to contact the museum on the day of the program, call our front desk at 202.685.0589.

CAC holders, active duty and retired military members and their dependents do not need to be escorted.

Parking: There is no parking at Washington Navy Yard; however, paid and free parking is located in various areas surrounding the yard.

This program will be recorded and shared on the museum’s Facebook page for viewing at a later date. For more information about this program, email the National Museum of the U.S. Navy at [email protected]

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

National Museum of the U.S. Navy, 736 Sicard Street Southeast, Washington, D.C., United States