2022 Gannon Lecture and Reception

Marilyn Martone, Ph.D., will present “From Trauma to Disability: Examining Our Cultural Values.” During the presentation, Martone will examine what it is like to have trauma end life as you know it and then be processed through a fragmented healthcare system that focuses on acute care. It will examine the rehabilitation journey and the world of disability. One cannot go on this journey without recognizing the role that our societal values play in marginalizing persons with disabilities. This journey is, at its core, a fight over who counts as a “productive” person, what values determine the allocation of resources, and how cultural attitudes toward vulnerability affect both the caregiver and those who are cared for. Two models of personhood are presented and the consequences of each are explored. How we treat the most vulnerable among us highlights who we are as a society.