Accommodations in Academia. A Conversation with Lived Experience Expert Dr. Imke Heuer
Friday, October 2, 2026 5:30 pm – 7:00 pm CET/GMT+1Lecture Hall
The conversation will be dedicated to the experiences and the needs of neurodivergent students and students on the autism spectrum. Lauren Gaillard and Dr. des. Vita Zelenska will facilitate a discussion with Dr. Imke Heuer, a cultural and mental health researcher active in autistic self-advocacy. Dr. Imke Heuer will address a wide range of educational challenges from the first person perspective of a researcher and educator diagnosed with autism. She will speak about gendered perceptions of autism, assignment accommodations, masking and best practices of support.
Dr. Imke Heuer studied Literature, History and Cultural Studies in Germany, Italy and the UK, and holds a PhD in English and Related Literature. She is a research associate at the University Hospital Eppendorf/ Hamburg (UKE)/ University of Hamburg/ Germany in the field of mental health and participatory research. Her main research interests are in peer support, autism, neurodiversity and the intersections of diagnosis and diagnosis and identity. She is also active in autistic self advocacy, both in Germany and on the European level, and is a board member of the European Council of Autistic People (EUCAP).
Part of the autumn Disability Justice program from the Equal Opportunity, Participation and Nondiscrimination Office, dedicated to the disability justice movement in the US, neurodivergent classrooms, and disability intimacy. All three parts of the program will discuss how disability justice and intimacy concern all of us; how disability justice is inseparable from justice in relation to race, gender and class; how disability intimacy helps us understand the meaning of justice.
Email: [email protected]