37th Annual Pacific Rim International Conference on Disability and Diversity
Mobilize For Action!
February 28 – March 1, 2022 (HST)
Join us in this unique moment to move forward together. Come reconnect and renew. Celebrate achievements, share lived experiences and lessons learned. As we explore innovative strategies for advocacy and activism, you are invited to weave in your voice. Together, we’ll magnify our collective power for meaningful action. Let’s mobilize!
Conference Dates
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Feb. 26
Pre-Conference Virtual Events
Saturday, February 26, 2022 (FST): Workshops, Capacity Building Institutes, Forums, and More. Available for Pac Rim 2020 registrations and as standalone events for those not attending Pac Rim.
Feb. 28
Conference Day 1
Keynote speaker (Judy Heumann), 30 + live presentations, poster sessions with live Q & A, exhibitor sessions, recorded video sessions, and more!
Mar. 1
Conference Day 2
Connection meeting, 30 + live presentations, Superfest Film festival, recorded video sessions, closing keynote session, and more!
Keynote and Featured Speakers
Judy Heumann - Keynote Speaker
The civil rights leader featured in the Oscar-nominated Crip Camp (2020) will be keynote speaker at Pac Rim 2022. In this extraordinary year when the whole world has turned its attention to the body and social justice like never before, we are delighted to share that Disability Rights Legend Judy Heumann will be among the prominent speakers at this year’s Pac Rim conference.
February 28, 2022, 8:30 to 10:00 am HST
Kathy Jetnil-Kijiner - Keynote Speaker
Kathy Jetnil-Kijiner is a poet who serves as Climate Envoy for the Marshall Islands government as well as Co-Founder and Director of the Marshall Islands based youth environmental nonprofit Jo-Jikum.
March 1, 2022, 5:00 to 6:00 pm HST
Sara Minkara - Featured Speaker
Petra Kuppers - Plenary Speaker
Petra Kuppers (she/her) is a disability culture activist, a writer, and a community performance artist, and the Anita Gonzalez Collegiate Professor in Performance Studies and Disability Culture at the University of Michigan. She uses ecosomatics, performance, and speculative writing to engage audiences toward more socially just and enjoyable futures. She has been engaged in community dance and disability culture production since the late 80s, and her third performance poetry collection, Gut Botany, was selected as one of the top ten poetry books of 2020 by the New York Public Library. Her new book is Eco Soma: Pain and Joy in Speculative Performance Encounters (UoMinnesota Press, February 2022, open access), which explores disability culture perspectives on moving in diverse worlds.
February 28, 2022, 12:00 to 1:00 pm HST
Kara Ayers, PhD - Plenary (Pre-Conference)
Kara Ayers, PhD, is the Associate Director and an Associate Professor at the University of Cincinnati Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities (UCCEDD). She is Director of the Center for Dignity in Healthcare for People with Disabilities and also a co-founder of the Disabled Parenting Project. Dr. Ayers’ interests include disability identity/culture, healthcare equity, bioethics, community inclusion, and the use of media to teach, empower, and reduce stigma. She infuses the mantra, “Nothing about us without us,” into all of her scholarly and community-based pursuits.
February 26, 2022, 12:00 to 1:00 pm HST
Pac Rim 2022 Virtual Backpack
Access Zoom backgrounds for attendees and presenters!
For Attendees
Join us for the 37th annual Pac Rim conference as an attendee where you will learn what it means to “Mobilize for Action!”
For Presenters
The call for proposals is closed for 2022. Proposals are still being reviewed. Final decisions will be made by January 21, 2022.
Become an Exhibitor or Sponsor for Pac Rim 2022!
View the sponsorship benefits and exhibitor features:
Pac Rim and the Center on Disability Studies
About the Pac Rim Conference
The Premier International Gathering on Disability – Our 37th Year!
Hosted by the Center on Disability Studies (CDS), College of Education, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa since 1988, Pac Rim has evolved into an international conference that has welcomed thousands of presenters and attendees from across Hawaiʻi, the nation, and the world.
Learn more about our virtual Pac Rim 2021 conference or view our program archive from 2018-1989.
About the Center on Disability Studies
As one of 67 national University Centers for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities Education, Research, and Service (UCEDD), the Center on Disability Studies supports a national vision of inclusion. We assist thousands of people with disabilities and their families, as well as Native Hawaiians, Pacific Islanders and other underrepresented populations. We do this through research, training, and demonstration activities, and sharing our work with community members, professionals, students, and policymakers.
Attendee Feedback from Pac Rim 2021
Experience
Extraordinary
Beyond my expectations.
…Very interactive and I felt engaged throughout the sessions.
Accessibility was on point.
I am impressed to say the least.
Topics
Dynamic choice of topics.
Wide range of topics and presentations.
All the themes of sessions were useful, relevant and well-prepared.
Every session I attended was targeted for ALL attendees regardless of their ability. The sessions were excellent, topical, and modern in their approach and information.
Overall
Innovative approaches…quality presentations, overall vibe and excellent communication throughout.
…engaging, and I learned a lot from the sessions or presentations.
…format kept it engaging. The ability to connect worldwide in a time of severe isolation was invaluable.
