Editor's Introduction, Fall 2008
Brenda Brueggemann & Scot Danforth
Ohio State University
WE HAVE GONE COMPLETELY OPEN ACCESS! (And yes, it's worth shouting about.) Now you, your friends, your students, your co-workers, your colleagues in whatever fields you associate with (inside disability studies, outside disability studies, around and about disability studies)—and people all around the globe—can just type in http://dsq-sds.org (or run "Disability Studies Quarterly" in their search engine) and, presto, here we are: for ALL to browse. So, let the browsing begin! And pass the word along while you're at it.
For many of us, it's back to school. Our Fall 2008 issue reflects that as well. Our special feature this time around is on "Disability Studies in the Undergraduate Classroom," co-edited by Dr. Cynthia Lewiecki-Wilson (Miami University of Ohio), Dr. Margaret Price (Spelman College), and Dr. Amy Vidali (University of Colorado-Denver). It's a massive issue in both quantity and quality. It's not a Russian novel—but it could be.
Back to school also means a time for change. While going open access is a major one (in our minds at least), we also have some small—yet still significant—changes in the editorial office. Our editorial assistant of two years, Kami Darling, ended her term in May 2008. As a Ph.D. Student in the College of Education at Ohio State University she has gone out to do what she's been trained to do: teach. We've appreciated and benefited from her daily stitching of the various seams holding us all together throughout the past two years. Over the summer, Nick Hetrick, a Ph.D. Student in English at OSU, who is pursuing disability studies interests and who has co-authored one of the book reviews in this issue as well, lent us a very helpful hand and eye toward the considerable task of copyediting. And now we have a new editorial assistant, Jennifer Dunkle, who is a Ph.D student in the College of Education at OSU. In just one month's time, Jennifer has already put us in order in impressive and innovative ways.
In addition to the voluminous offerings in the "Disability Studies in the Undergraduate Classroom" section, there are three diverse peer-reviewed articles in this issue: Robert Pedlow's analysis of how the changeover to digital broadcasting in 2009 will influence the accessibility of TV for Americans with disabilities; Griet Roets and Dan Goodley's theoretical exploration of "the smooth and nomadic qualities of self-advocacy" whereby disability and citizenship intersect; and Kathryn Young's investigation of institutional and theoretical questions regarding a combined credential program. There's also a tasty plate of creative work to sample from: collaborative poetry by Petra Kuppers and Neil Marcus; two poems by Daniel Simpson; and a short story (that might also be a dance?) by Catherine Cole. Don't leave unbrowsed these as well: the calls for papers (you might have something worth sending for those?); the cultural commentary, "Trig or Treat?" by Laura Mauldin about the prominence of disability in this year's presidential campaign; and the critical and extensive set of book/film reviews we have for you in this issue.
It's time to hit the screen and study up!
