Queer Disability Resource Guide

This guide includes an introductory list of local (UW-Madison, City of Madison) and national resources for people who identify as LGBTQ+ with a disability.

Table of Contents

Introduction................................................................................................................. 3

People......................................................................................................................... 3

Academics......................................................................................................... 3

Eli Clare.................................................................................................... 3

Emi Koyama............................................................................................. 3

Robert McRuer......................................................................................... 3

Activists............................................................................................................. 4

Colin Kennedy Donovan.......................................................................... 4

Loree Erickson......................................................................................... 4

Danielle "Doc" Peers ............................................................................... 4

Dragonsani "Drago" Renteria................................................................... 4

Artists................................................................................................................ 4

Qwo-Li Driskill.......................................................................................... 4

Laura Hershey.......................................................................................... 5

Sandra Gail Lambert................................................................................ 5

Riva Lehrer............................................................................................... 5

Raymond Luczak...................................................................................... 5

Mia Mingus............................................................................................... 5

Leah Lakshmi Piepzna-Samarashina....................................................... 5

Greg Walloch............................................................................................ 6

Academics at UW-Madison........................................................................................ 7

Professors......................................................................................................... 7

Elizabeth B. Bearden............................................................................... 7

Eunjung Kim............................................................................................. 7

Ellen Samuels.......................................................................................... 7

Jenell Johnson......................................................................................... 7

Teryl Dobbs.............................................................................................. 7

Classes............................................................................................................. 8

Campus Resources................................................................................................... 10

McBurney Disability Resource Center.............................................................. 10

Americans with Disabilities (ADA) Coordinators............................................... 10

Center for User Experience.............................................................................. 10

Facilities, Planning and Management............................................................... 10

Rehabilitation Psychology................................................................................. 11

Testing and Evaluation Services (T&E)............................................................. 11

Transportation Services.................................................................................... 11

Vice Chancellor for Administrative Legal Services........................................... 11

Mental Health on Campus......................................................................................... 12

University Health Services (UHS) Counseling and Consultation Services....... 12

School of Education Counseling Psychology Training Clinic............................ 12

School of Psychology........................................................................................ 12

City of Madison Resources........................................................................................ 13

Access to Independence, Inc............................................................................ 13

Accessibility in Winter in Madison..................................................................... 13

Adaptive Recreation.......................................................................................... 13

Disability Pride Madison.................................................................................... 13

Epilepsy Foundation Heart of Wisconsin.......................................................... 14

Madison Disability Rights & Services Program................................................. 14

Madison’s Spinal Cord Injury Group................................................................. 14

Paratransit........................................................................................................ 14

Peer Mentoring Action...................................................................................... 14

Waisman Center............................................................................................... 14

Wisconsin Council for the Blind........................................................................ 14

National Resources................................................................................................... 15

Educational....................................................................................................... 15

ADA Foundations..................................................................................... 15

Blind LGBT Pride International................................................................. 15

Deaf Queer Resource Center................................................................... 15

Disability Services.................................................................................... 15

National Center for College Students with Disabilities............................. 16

In Their Shoes.......................................................................................... 16

Sins Invalid............................................................................................... 16

Recreational...................................................................................................... 16

BENT: A Journal of CripGay Voices......................................................... 16

Service.............................................................................................................. 16

Great Lakes ADA Center.......................................................................... 16

Social................................................................................................................ 17

Association of Higher Education and Disability........................................ 17

Disability Pride Parade............................................................................. 17

Feminists with Disabilities (FWD) for a way forward................................ 17

National Alliance on Mental Illness.......................................................... 17

Passing Twice: An Informal Network of Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and
Transgender Persons Who Stutter & Their Friends..................................17

 

Introduction

At UW-Madison, there is a very powerful community of LGBTQ people with a variety of disabilities.  Because UW-Madison is very large, it is necessary to compile a list of resources for people at the intersection of being LGBTQ and having disabilities. This guide aims to give an introductory list of resources for people at this intersection at UW-Madison and beyond.  The resources are organized from an activist approach to a list of general services. 

People

There are many people doing queer disability work throughout the nation.  Many are interested in topics that are specific to different issues between the intersection of queer and disability. The list of people contains many different talents from artists to activists to athletes.

Academics 

Eli Clare

Emi Koyama

Robert McRuer

Activists

Colin Kennedy Donovan 

Loree Erickson

Danielle “Doc” Peers

Dragonsani "Drago" Renteria

Artists

Qwo-Li Driskill

Laura Hershey

Sandra Gail Lambert

Riva Lehrer

Raymond Luczak

Mia Mingus

 Leah Lakshmi Piepzna-Samarashina

Greg Walloch

Academics at UW-Madison

Disability Studies Initiative (DS) is a new field.  Both interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary, DS embraces the arts, humanities, sciences and social sciences.  Since it is a new field, classes are still being developed and are growing.  Below are some classes that are part of UW-Madison’s Disability Studies Initiative and professors who may include disability studies in their coursework.

Professors

There are several professors at UW-Madison who are working on Disability Studies and its intersections in their respective departments.  They all are a great resource for learning more about this growing field.  Many have office hours to allow people to come and talk to them about their various fields of study.  Furthermore, many are more than willing to answer questions via email. 

Elizabeth B. Bearden

    • Associate Professor, Department of English
    • Office: 7147 Helen C. White Hall
    • Email: ebearden@wisc.edu

Eunjung Kim

    • Assistant Professor, Department of Gender and Women’s Studies
    • Office: 309 Sterling Hall
    • Office phone: 608-890-3889
    • Email: ekim63@wisc.edu

Ellen Samuels

    • Assistant Professor, Department of English
    • Office: 102d Ingraham Hall, Mark H
    • Phone: 608-263-2190
    • Email: ejsamuels@wisc.edu

Jenell Johnson

    • Assistant Professor, Department of Communication Arts
    • Office: 6033 Vilas Communication Hall
    • Phone: (608) 262-4921, (608) 262-2543
    • Email: jmjohnson22@wisc.edu

Teryl Dobbs

    • Assistant Professor, Department of Music Education
    • Office: 5549 Mosse Humanities Bldg.
    • Phone: (608) 890-1490
    • Email: tdobbs@wisc.edu

Classes

There are several classes related to disability studies that are offered each semester.  Many of them will be of interest to people studying disability.  Unfortunately, most of these classes are not offered every semester.   If you are interested in taking any of them, check the course guide on MyUW to learn when they may be offered again. 

Adapted Fitness and Personal Training

  • The Adapted Fitness and Personal Training classes offered through the Physical Education Activity Program serve a very diverse student population. The classes are designed to accommodate students with permanent as well as temporary disabilities. 

Biomedical Engineering 

  • BME 662: Design and Human Disability and Aging

Communication Arts

  • CA 610: Rhetoric of Health
  • CA 610: Limits of the Human
  • CA 610: Introduction to Disability Studies

Curriculum & Instruction

  • CURRIC 760: Sex/Gender-Related Issues in Curriculum and Instruction
  • CURRIC 948: Diversity Issues in Music Teaching

Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis

  • ELPA 735: Leadership for Equity and Diversity

English

  • ENGLISH 763: Discourses of Disability: Antiquity to Renaissance

Gender & Women's Studies

  • GWS 102: Gender, Women, and Society in Global Perspective
  • GWS 310: Special Topics in Gender, Women and the Humanities: Gender and Disability
  • GWS 340: Topics in LGBT Studies: Queer Bodies
  • GWS 370: Topics in Gender and Disability
  • GWS 424: Women’s International Human Rights
  • GWS 449: Topics in Feminism and Social and Cultural Theory: The Body in Theory
  • GWS 760: Sex/Gender-Related Issues in Curriculum and Instruction

Industrial and Systems Engineering

  • SY E 662: Design and Human Disability and Aging

Law

  • LAW 854: Clinical: Disability Rights Wisconsin

Medical History

  • MED HIST 554: A History of Western Disability

Physical Education Activity Program

  • PE ACTIV 125: Adapted Fitness and Personal Training

Physical Therapy

  • PHY THER 541: Issues of Culture and Diversity in Health Care

Rehabilitation Psychology & Special Education

  • RP & SE 450: Collaborating with Families of Individuals with Disabilities
  • RP & SE 560: Psychosocial Aspects of Chronic Illness and Disability
  • RP & SE 710: Multicultural Issues in Special Education
  • RP & SE 855: Individuals with Disabilities: Evolving Concepts

Social Work

  • SOC WORK 874: Advanced Practice in Health, Aging, and Disability
  • SOC WORK 875: Health, Aging, and Disability Policy and Services
  • SOC WORK 934: Advanced Practice Issues in Developmental Disabilities

Therapeutic Science

  • THER SCI 546: Adaptation/Construction of Equipment for People with Disabilities
  • THER SCI 641: Clerkship in Physical Disabilities 

Campus Resources

There are many resources on campus that can help with different types of accessibility.  Navigating through the list of resources can be difficult because the campus is large.  A good starting point for students is McBurney Disability Resource Center.  McBurney has many connections around campus to help navigate the different services offered.  Beyond McBurney, there are many additional resources to help with any accommodations you may need. 

McBurney Disability Resource Center

McBurney Disability Resource Center provides many different services for students and guests at UW–Madison.  The list includes advising, adaptive/assistive technology access, Braille, captioning services, document conversion, note taking, scholarships, study and learning skills (SLSS), and many more. 

    • 702 W. Johnson Street, Suite 2104, Madison, WI 53715
    • (phone) 608-263-2741
    • (text) 608-225-7956
    • (fax) 608-265-2998 

Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Coordinators

The ADA Coordinators help ensure that no qualified individual with a disability be denied access to or participation in services, programs, and activities at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. Visit the Compliance website 

Center for User Experience

The Center for User Experience helps people create their websites as accessible as possible to as many people as possible.  DoIT also provides services for evaluation and repair tools for websites.  Their services can be used for both academic and non-academic websites. 

Facilities, Planning and Management

Facilities, Planning, and Management (FP&M) tries to provide a fully inclusive, unobstructed environment to employees, students, and visitors.  FP&M has a guide with helpful information on physical accessibility on campus. 

For a snow removal request on campus, you can call Physical Plant at 608-263-3333. After providing the building location and entrance needed, a plant employee will meet the person making the request to get access to the building. Learn more about snow removal. Connect with Physical Plant Customer Service.

Rehabilitation Psychology

The Rehabilitation Psychology and Special Education department trains students to work with, or on behalf of, people with disabilities, their families, rehabilitation counselors, psychologists, and counselor educators; special education teachers and teacher educators; and rehabilitation and special education researchers. 

Testing and Evaluation Services (T&E)

T&E is an instructional support unit that provides scanning services, scoring and statistical analysis of exams and evaluations, and administration of local and national standardized exams.  T&E makes every effort to honor reasonable accommodation requests.  

Transportation Services

Transportation Services administers disabled parking and transportation services/issues.  All faculty, staff, and students need to have a parking permit in order to park on campus, even with a state-issued disabled parking permit.    

Vice Chancellor for Administrative Legal Services

Vice Chancellor for Administrative Legal Services processes discrimination appeals and also provides resources for ADA and disability-related resources on campus.  After contacting other offices for accommodations, a person should contact this office.  

Mental Health on Campus

UW-Madison offers a variety of resources for mental health and mental disability.  Some services may be free for students if provided by University Health Services (UHS), and other departments may offer services at a reduced cost on a sliding scale.

University Health Services (UHS) Counseling and Consultation Services

UHS provides mental health counseling and psychiatric services on a broad range of issues for students.  There is no charge to students for a limited number of counseling services, because services are paid through tuition and other fees.

School of Education Counseling Psychology Training Clinic

Counseling Psychology Training Clinic (CPTC) provides confidential counseling services for individuals, families, adolescents and children. Services are provided on a sliding scale fee based on income.  Faculty, doctoral, and masters’ students staff the clinic. 

School of Psychology

The Psychology Research and Training Clinic (PRTC) provides outpatient treatment for issues such as depression, anxiety disorders, problems with stress and adjustment, relationship and couples problems, eating disorders, substance use, learning problems, child/adolescent emotional and behavior problems, and parent-child relational difficulty.  The PRTC provides a variety of psychological testing.

The PRTC does not have a psychiatrist on staff and cannot provide management of psychiatric medications. However, graduate clinicians are available to consult with physicians if referred clients are currently prescribed medication. Learn more at the Department of Psychology website.

City of Madison Resources

In addition to being able to utilize resources offered from UW-Madison, a student, faculty, or staff member may be able to access services provided throughout the Madison community. 

Access to Independence, Inc.

Access to Independence, Inc. is a non-profit, consumer controlled Independent Living Center (ILC) that provides an array of services to people of all ages with all types of disabilities in Dane, Columbia, Green, and Dodge counties in south-central Wisconsin.

Accessibility in Winter in Madison

A resource compiled by the City of Madison for residents with disabilities to report areas that need clearing of snow, such as streets, curbs, crosswalks, and bus stops.  They also list resources for free or reduced snow removal services for people who cannot afford the services.  Learn more on the City of Madison website.

Adaptive Recreation

Madison School & Community Recreation (MSCR) offers a variety of sports and recreational activities designed specifically for individuals with disabilities. Their inclusion staff helps to provide necessary services to adequately serve the public. Learn more about Adapted Recreation.

Disability Pride Madison

Disability Pride Madison is a group of people with various abilities, identities, and beliefs coming together to promote disability pride.  They aim to create and support a cross-disability community supporting pride and positive engagement in the broader community.  

Epilepsy Foundation Heart of Wisconsin

The Epilepsy Foundation Heart of Wisconsin leads the fight to stop seizures, find a cure, and overcome the challenges created by epilepsy.  They exist to increase public awareness and understanding of a neurological disorder that affects over 3 million Americans, with more than 50,000 living in Wisconsin.

Madison Disability Rights & Services Program

A program from the City of Madison set up to comply with ADA regulations to help people with disabilities in Madison.  They list many resources from brochures, commissions, FAQ, forms, complaints, and Madison General Ordinance for people with disabilities. Learn about the Disability Rights and Services Program. 

Madison’s Spinal Cord Injury Group

Madison’s Spinal Cord Injury Group provides an open forum for discussion on spinal cord injury, issues, & disease topics including wheelchair activities and accessibility issues.  They provide mentoring and offer adaptive and accessible events & activities for the individual & family.

Paratransit

People with mobility impairments are encouraged to register with Madison Metro Paratransit, which is a free service for eligible UW- Madison employees and students.  This service provides free door-to-door service when requested.

Peer Mentoring Action

Peer Mentoring Action is a program for individuals and families living with new spinal cord injuries (SCI) or other medical issues seeking information about their situation or on accessibility in the home to the outdoors. They also work with those who can mentor others and demonstrate positive outcomes. 

Waisman Center

The Waisman Center helps the advancement of knowledge about human development, developmental disabilities, and neurodegenerative diseases.  In addition to research, it provides many services to people with developmental disabilities, early educational and outreach services to young children and families, along with training for scientists and clinicians.  

Wisconsin Council for the Blind

Wisconsin Council for the Blind is a private not-for-profit community-based organization that promotes the dignity and independence of people who are blind and visually impaired by providing services, advocating polices, and public education.

National Resources

National services may also be needed by some individuals for more information about a particular issue that may not be extensively available on campus or in the Madison community.  Many of these resources are national organizations with connections all over the country and some cases globally. 

Educational

ADA Foundations

ADA Foundations is a comprehensive online course designed to increase your knowledge and understanding of the core concepts about the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) and the ADA Amendments Act of 2008 (ADAAA). 

Blind LGBT Pride International

Blind LGBT Pride International is a special interest affiliate of the American Council of the Blind (ACB).  Blind Pride aims to provide publications that are produced in accessible format and by encouraging the production of such material in accessible format, and by providing education on accessibility awareness.

Deaf Queer Resource Center

Deaf Queer Resource Center (DQRC) is a national nonprofit resource for, by, and about the deaf queer community.  DQRC provides comprehensive and accurate information about the deaf queer community.  It is completely run by volunteers.  

Disability Services

Formerly Disability.gov, USAGov Disability Services provides information for people with disabilities and their families. This includes what disability benefits are available while working, and how to get paid as a caregiver and find jobs.

National Center for College Students with Disabilities

The NCCSD is the only federally-funded national center in the U.S. that was established to provide technical assistance to students with any type of disability of any age in any type of program. We do research and provide information and resources to anyone in the U.S. who has a question about disability and higher education or attending postsecondary education, which includes Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs. We also work with families, K-12 educators, state transition coordinators, Vocational Rehabilitation counselors, and staff and faculty in higher education. Policymakers are also welcome to contact us.

In Their Shoes

In Their Shoes is an interactive experience to help educate and raise awareness of the impact of physical, auditory, and visual impairments on accessing digital content. 

Sins Invalid

Sins Invalid celebrates artists with disabilities, centralizing artists of color and queer and gender-variant artists as communities who have been historically marginalized. Their performance work explores the themes of sexuality, embodiment, and the disabled body. 

Recreational

BENT: A Journal of CripGay Voices

BENT: A Journal of CripGay Voices is a webzine for the lives and voices of gay men with disabilities with archives from 1999 to 2007.  BENT provides many different topic issues and also links for further information.   

Service

Great Lakes ADA Center

Great Lakes ADA Center provides information, materials, technical assistance and training on the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA).  The Accessible Technology Initiative encourages incorporation of accessible information technology in K-12 and post-secondary school settings. 

Social

Association of Higher Education and Disability

Association of Higher Education and Disability (AHEAD) is a professional membership organization for people involved in the development of policy regarding people with disabilities in all areas of higher education. 

Disability Pride Parade

Chicago’s Disability Pride Parade is the longest-running of its kind in the nation. The parade was created in 2004 by volunteers from the disability community for the community as a statement of self-acceptance, dignity and pride. Since its inception, the parade has been a completely volunteer-led endeavor, demonstrating the passion and commitment of its organizers.  

Feminists with Disabilities (FWD) for a way forward

Feminists with Disabilities (FWD) for a way forward (FWD/Forward) is a group blog written by people with disabilities, some of whom are feminists and some of whom work in solidarity with feminists. It is a place to discuss disability issues from an intersectional approach and people do not need to identify as feminist to be welcome at FWD. 

National Alliance on Mental Illness

National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) is dedicated to building better lives for people affected by mental illness. NAMI advocates for access to services, treatment, and research. NAMI is committed to raise awareness and build a community for hope for all of those in need.

Passing Twice: An Informal Network of Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender Persons Who Stutter & Their Friends

Passing Twice is an informal network of LGBTQ stutterers and their allies. Passing Twice was founded at the National Stuttering Association (NSA) and meets every year at the NSA convention.  Passing Twice also holds workshops at other stuttering conferences around the world.


Keywords:
campus, madison, university, mental health, pride, disability, mentoring, lgbtq+, adaptive, 
Doc ID:
161809
Owned by:
GSCC Team in Gender and Sexuality Campus Center
Created:
2026-06-08
Updated:
2026-06-17
Sites:
Gender and Sexuality Campus Center