About the Conference

Following the success of last year’s “A Neighborly Conversation”—which brought together over 250 attendees from across Los Angeles, Southern California, and the west coast—Loyola Marymount University is proud to host the second annual Disability Studies and Advocacy in Los Angeles Conference (DSALA 2026).

This year’s theme, “Ethics, AI, and Social Justice for People with Disabilities,” is presented in partnership with LMU’s Mellon Foundation–funded initiative, “Habitable Worlds: A Disability, Ethics, and AI Think Tank.” The grant supports faculty fellowships, courses, and community collaborations that explore how technology can help shape a more ethical and inclusive world.

Call for Proposals:  

Disability Studies & Advocacy in  Los Angeles (DSALA 2026)
Theme: Ethics, AI, and Social Justice for People with Disabilities
When: Saturday, March 28, 2026, 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM
Where: Loyola Marymount University, Westchester Campus, Los Angeles, CA 90045

Conference Focus

DSALA 2026 invites proposals from academics, activists, technologists, artists, and community members working at the intersection of disability, technology, and ethics. We especially encourage proposals that engage critical questions such as:

• How can artificial intelligence and other technologies be designed, used, or resisted to promote social justice for people with disabilities?
• What ethical frameworks emerge when disabled communities lead technological and social innovation?
• How can advocacy, research, and lived experience work together to build more “habitable worlds”?

We aim to balance academic scholarship and community advocacy, fostering interdisciplinary dialogue among students, faculty, organizers, industry partners, and local advocates.

Presentation Formats

We welcome proposals in multiple formats:

Papers and Panels: 10-15 minute presentations on research, creative work, or policy analysis.
Workshops: Interactive sessions focused on skill sharing, creative practice, or applications.
Roundtables: Facilitated discussions connecting researchers, community members, technologists and advocates.
Posters or Visual Installations: Research or community projects presented in accessible formats.

We also invite technology startups, designers, and developers whose work centers accessibility, assistive innovation, or inclusive design to participate. DSALA 2026 will include dedicated spaces for technology demonstrations and feedback sessions, offering an opportunity for creators to showcase prototypes, apps, or AI tools and receive insights from disabled users, scholars, and advocates. These sessions aim to foster mutual exchange between design and lived experience, helping to ensure that emerging technologies evolve in dialogue with the communities they serve.

Possible Topics

We invite submissions on any topic related to disability studies, disability justice, and advocacy, including but not limited to:

Disability and Artificial Intelligence
Ethics, Technology, and Accessibility
Community-based Disability Advocacy
Disability and the Arts, Media, and Design
Disabled Futures and Design Justice
Accessibility Innovation and Assistive Technologies
Disability Law, Policy, and Governance
Lived Experience and Storytelling
Critical Pedagogies and Student Research
Cross-sector collaborations (academia, industry, community)

Submission Guidelines

Submit a proposal
Submissions should include:

Title of presentation, session, or demonstration
250-word abstract or description outlining the paper or project’s focus, goals, and relevance to disability, ethics, or technology
Presenter name(s), affiliation(s), and contact information
Preferred format (paper, workshop, roundtable, poster, demonstration/showcase)
Accessibility requests or needs (for presenters or participants)

Deadline: December 31, 2025

Notification of acceptance: Early February 2026
Contact: For questions, please contact the conference organizers at disabilitystudies@lmu.edu.