Writer | Educator | Theater Director
About me ~
Professor Emerita of English and Disability Studies, University of Oregon, USA
I’m a silly, sparkly, weird, curious, playful, queer, warm-hearted writer, workshop leader, researcher, and theater nerd. I go by Betsy, and I love making art with other disabled and neurodivergent people. The stories we co-create form the basis of my comics for kids and musicals for everyone.
Community-building sits at the heart of my work. I’ve written two Choice-Award-winning books about diversity in public culture. I’m co-writing a graphic novel for kids, by kids, about the youth anxiety epidemic. I’m the co-artistic director of Perfect Circle Theater: Disability and Neurodiversity Arts in Eugene, Oregon. I lead workshops for teens, children, and adults on comics-making, storytelling, theater, and universal design for inclusion. I aim to create spaces that welcome people before they get there while making changes in the face of new needs.Â
I’m a retired professor of English and the creator and founding director of Disability Studies at the University of Oregon. Awards include the 2023 UO Faculty Excellence in Universal Design Award and the 2018 LILAC Award from the Lane Independent Living Alliance for my disability advocacy.