A balding, white, middle-aged man with glasses and a dark beard. Smiling and wearing leis.
Byline
Steven E. Brown
Country
United States
Email
disculture@gmail.com
Website and social media
www.instituteondisabilityculture.org
www.healinglightworkers.com
Twitter: disculture
Instagram: discultureandme
Facebook: Steve Brown
Skype: stevenebrown
Bio
Historian Steven E. Brown (PhD, University of Oklahoma, 1981) is Co-Founder, Institute on Disability Culture and retired Professor of Disability Studies, Center on Disability Studies, University of Hawaii .
Brown encountered disability-based employment discrimination based shortly after earning his doctorate, which changed his career path. In the 1980s, Brown worked at and directed an independent living center in Oklahoma, organized numerous community advocacy coalitions, and represented regional Independent Living Centers in legislative education about the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act. In 1990, Brown moved to California to become Training Director at the World Institute on Disability (WID). In 1993, Brown received the first federal funding to research disability culture, which resulted in the monograph, Investigating A Culture of Disability: Final Report.
After relocating to New Mexico, with his wife and partner Lillian Gonzales Brown, in 1994, they co-founded the non-profit Institute on Disability Culture. In 2002, they moved to Hawaii, where Brown joined the Center on Disability Studies (CDS).
Brown has published many articles about disability rights and is a national and international speaker. His books include Movie Stars and Sensuous Scars: Essays on the Journey from Disability Shame to Disability Pride (2003); Surprised to be Standing: A Spiritual Journey (2011); and Ed Roberts: Wheelchair Genius (2015), a Middle Grade biography of the late 20th century disability rights pioneer. He is also a co-editor of the anthology, Rethinking Disability: World Perspectives in Culture and Society (2016). He has presented on disability rights and culture throughout the U.S. and in Canada; Germany; Hungary; Korea (via remote video) Japan; Norway; Saipan; Sweden; Taiwan; and Thailand.
Brown retired from his full-time Professor position at CDS in 2014. He continues to write, advocate, speak, and teach.
Brown’s work remains driven by the Institute on Disability Culture mission/vision: “Promoting pride in the history, activities, and cultural identity of individuals with disabilities throughout the world.” This includes
ReConnective Therapy (RCT) energy healing work, or which Brown is a practitioner.
Brown blogs periodically at http://www.instituteondisabilityculture.org/manifesto and is on Twitter @disculture.
Clips
Expertise
Disability Culture, Disability Rights
Availability
Source, Personal Essays
Additional Credentials
PhD History
ReConnective Therapy Certified Practitioner
