Join in on Global Accessibility Awareness Day as Cal Poly welcomes renowned Communications and Disability Expert, Suresh Canagarajah. Canagarajah shares his intriguing research on the communication practices of a group of international STEM scholars.

Language and writing instruction methods often force minoritized and multilingual students to conform to privileged social group norms. Any deviations from these norms are mistakenly viewed as deficiencies in language or cognitive abilities. “This talk will propose an alternate way of thinking about language and ability by drawing on how my cancer diagnosis and resulting impairments transformed my writing practice, as well as on my research on the writing and communication practices of international STEM scholars,” Canagarajah says. Canagarajah argues that embracing diverse languages and skills encourages people to develop the qualities of relational ethics and vulnerability in their interactions. These qualities are essential for successful communication.

This event is sponsored by Cal Poly’s Office of Writing and Learning, the College of Liberal Arts, the English and Political Science departments, and the Disability Faculty-Staff Association. The event is accessibly designed, featuring an ASL interpreter and CART real-time captioning. Attendees may contact John Lee (jlee245@calpoly.edu) with questions about event accessibility or requests for disability-related accommodations. Learn more about the event.