European Social Science History Conference – New network on Disability History

We (Paul van Trigt & Nathanje Dijkstra) are delighted to announce that last year we established a new network on Disability History within the European Social Science History Conference. We aim to bring together scholars who view disability history not only as the history of disabled people, but also use disability as an analytical lens that opens new perspectives on more mainstream topics such as citizenship, migration, the life course, labour, gender, (inter)nationalism, science and technology.

We warmly invite anyone interested in participating and connecting with other scholars working on disability to submit a session proposal or a paper for the upcoming edition of the ESSHC, to be held from 21–24 April 2027 in Lyon, France.

This is an open call, but we particularly encourage papers and panels that address relatively understudied geographies and periods, transnational exchange, and the intersections between disability and other social categories. Moreover, we welcome contributions that engage with theoretical and methodological challenges, the role of experts by experience and the (in)accessibility of historical institutions and sources.

The deadline for the required pre-registration and for submitting a session proposal or individual paper is 15 April 2026. Registration can be completed via the ESSHC website. For more information on the specific guidelines, see this page. Or contact the network chairs Paul van Trigt –  (P.W.Van.Trigt@Leidenuniv.nl) and Nathanje Dijkstra (N.D.Dijkstra@uu.nl).