By examining the characteristics of societies and cultures in relation to disability, the concerns of disability studies are useful for geography, as they enable us to reflect on spatial barriers and on the diversity of ways of perceiving or representing space. Over and above the question of accessibility, spatial approaches enable us to reflect on the habitability of territories, whether highly urbanized or rural, in terms of disability.

EUGEO Association of European Geographical societies, Vienna (Austria) from September 8 to 11, 2025.

Presentation

Eugeo is an annual event, working on spatial issues, with diversified topics and analyses. My colleagues and I proposed a session on "Disability: spatial and geographical approaches" with very wide perspectives of responses in a geographical way.

By examining the characteristics of societies and cultures in relation to disability, the concerns of disability studies are useful for geography, as they enable us to reflect on spatial barriers and on the diversity of ways of perceiving or representing space. Over and above the question of accessibility, spatial approaches enable us to reflect on the habitability of territories, whether highly urbanized or rural, in terms of disability.

Accessibility as a category for public action

-  How do disability-related issues lead public authorities to reconfigure space?

-  How does this translate into accessibility policies on different scales (from global to worldwide) and according to different types of space (urban/rural)?

Disability and the space we use, perceive and experience

-  How do disabled people use space?

-  How do they negotiate, appropriate and transform space?

-  What spatial barriers do they face?

-  What are the advantages of studying disability through a sensitive, cultural geographical approach?

Disability and geography: epistemological, conceptual and methodological issues

-  What role does and can geography play in disability studies?

-  To what extent does the spatial and geographical approach raise epistemological and methodological issues for the various research streams in disablity studies?

-  How do spatial and geographical approaches reconfigure disability?

-  How can we work on disability in geography?

-  What methodological tools can be used to gain access to the experience of people with disabilities?

Submission guidelines

Abstracts (350 words) have to be submitted on the online platform EUGEO 2025 - ConfTool Pro - Login  by selecting « Session 121 Disability: spatial and geographical approaches ".

until January 20th 2025.

Organizers

• Meddy Escuriet, formateur ITSRA, Clermont-Ferrand, membre de l'UMR Territoires
• Mauricette Fournier, MCF Université Clermont-Auvergne, UMR Territoires
• Franck Chignier-Riboulon, PR Université Clermont Auvergne, UMR Territoires.