1 year ago
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Dr. Sami Schalk is a national treasure you might not have heard of if you’re not in certain academic circles. But no worries, because Schalk is an expert at making complex high-level theory feel accessible and engaging.
Schalk, who was generous to sit down with Daily Kos for a phone interview to discuss their research on Black disability politics, is currently an associate professor of gender and women’s studies at the University of Wisconsin Madison and author of BodyMinds Reimagined (2018). Schalk is also the author of Black Disability Politics, which was published in October 2022. Thanks to Schalk, this incredible book is open access.
“I'm a disability scholar,” Schalk noted on the phone. “I believe that access is a whole bunch of different things.”
And in this case, making academic research more readily available is part of that pursuit. As Schalk explained to Daily Kos, the public university she works at uses the “Wisconsin Idea,” which is basically the framework that the work of the university system should benefit people in the state (and beyond). Schalk says she was able to use research funds to pay her book’s press so they can make the book open access—indefinitely.
What does this mean in practice? While you can (and should, if you’re able) support the book by buying it, you can also read it online and download free PDFs of each chapter. Again: For free!
“I interviewed activists for this book,” Schalk added. “I didn't want to publish something that the people in the book could not have access to.”
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