PRESENTERS: Charles Pazdernik and Karen Gipson (Faculty) and Jill Wolfe (Staff)

As discussed by Peggy McIntosh in her Invisible Knapsack work, privilege is an unearned asset, comparable to an invisible and weightless knapsack full of all sorts of helpful tools for navigating the environment. These tools include things such as a compass and maps, food and provisions, credit cards and blank checks. Anyone without such tools can see the advantages that such an invisible knapsack of privilege offers, but the owner of the knapsack is unaware of carrying it. This session will discuss both obvious and subtle privileges of physical ability status at GVSU. Personal experiences from community members with a variety of physical impairments (mobility, visual, auditory) will be shared. Q & A for the panelists will combine with interactive discussion of the privilege of physical ability both on and off campus, using lists modeled after the Invisible Knapsack work. Panel Discussion with Q & A