Welcome to the APSA Committee on the Status of Disability in the Profession’s website. The committee monitors the status of political scientists with disability at all levels; advances research on disability as well as on issues of particular relevance to disability; develops and promotes curriculum materials on disability; works to ensure fair and equal treatment of disabled people throughout the profession.
Vision Statement
Guided by a commitment to disability justice and equity, the committee’s goal is to build a vision for the discipline of political science where disability is actively valued as a dimension of diversity. Although this list is by no means exhaustive, we envision a discipline where:
- Faculty and students are empowered to disclose their disabilities– free from stigma and discrimination– and lead conversations about their needs and interests
- Accessibility is a forethought, not an afterthought, in planning and design processes for professional conferences; all buildings, programs, and services should be usable for all people, to the greatest extent possible
- Faculty and students who care for and assist people with disabilities receive support and accommodations for care work
- Departments actively recruit and retain graduate students and faculty members with disabilities, providing supports and services at all levels of the career stage
- There are opportunities for scholars working on disability-related research to gather, network, and collaborate
- Research on disability is supported by grant funding and published in mainstream political science journals
- Syllabi and teaching materials across all subfields integrate disability-related political research and issues into mainstream political science course materials
Recent News and Events
2026 APSA Annual Meeting: Committee Events!
The 2026 APSA Annual Meeting will take place in Boston, MA from September 3-6, 2026. Please join the Status Committee on Disability at the following events throughout the conference:
- Panel: Teaching Disability, Accommodating Disability, and Teaching While Disabled, Thursday September 3rd 4-5:30pm
- Reception: Joint Reception of APSA Status Committees, Caucuses, and REP Organized Section, Friday September 4th 8-9:30pm
- Panel: Tough Choices, Turbulent Times: Strategies for Thriving on Today’s Academic Job Market, Saturday September 5th 2-3:30pm
- Roundtable Cafe: Next Steps: Academic Job Market Café, Saturday, September 5th 4-5:30pm
Relevant Events and Programs Around the Discipline
The Society for Disability Studies will be hosting “Here and There, Then and Now: Disability Studies at the End of the World” virtually on April 23 and 24, 2027. You can find the conference CFP, opportunities to connect with other scholars, and further conference details on our conference website. Submissions are open through September 20, 2026.
APSA Mentoring Program
The APSA Mentoring Program connects undergraduate, graduate students, and junior faculty from all backgrounds to mentors in the political science discipline. Potential mentoring topics include graduate school admissions, navigating the academic job market, applied careers in political science, and work-life balance. APSA accepts applications from mentees two times a year – at the beginning of the fall and spring semesters. Mentors can submit or update their profile at anytime.
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FAQs: Learn more about the committee here.