For this week’s member spotlight, we’re celebrating Eduardo Ledesma, who has been an MLA member since 2006. Read about how Eduardo’s engagement with the Committee on Disability Issues in the Profession has shaped his work:
“My participation in the Committee on Disability Issues in the Profession (CDI) has made me more aware of the many barriers encountered by individuals with disabilities in academia (in terms of issues related to hiring, access, equity and so on). Although, as a visually impaired scholar I have long been aware of the challenges facing those with similar issues related to sight, my involvement with the Committee has raised my level of awareness about the ways individuals with different abilities navigate academia (in particular, I have learned much about mobility issues, Deaf culture, neurodivergence, etc.). My participation in CDI also has made me realize the rich contribution we, as disabled scholars, make to our disciplines and to the field of Disability Studies (for many of us, our research also examines disability from various perspectives beyond advocacy).”
Recommended resource: “In terms of the CDI’s advocacy, our work in the Committee this past year, revising Hiring Guidelines, has also made me more cognizant of the need to be fair during our work in hiring committees in our institutions. Often disabled scholars are less visible and are marginalized in the Academic Job Market, and even the best-intentioned search committees neglect putting into practice the best policies to avoid ableist practices.”