Canary Knowledge: Chronic Fatigue, Chemical Sensitivities and the Limits of Medicine

Written By Preeti Juturu

Oral Histories of Environmental Illness (OHEI) Symposium at UCLA

November 17, 2023 - November 18, 2023

UCLA hosted an Oral Histories of Environmental Illness (OHEI) Symposium, titled “Canary Knowledge: Chronic Fatigue, Chemical Sensitivities and the Limits of Medicine” from November 17 to November 18 (2023).

This interdisciplinary event brought together scholars, activists, artists, and community members to explore UCLA’s oral history archive on environmental toxic exposures and chronic illnesses. Discussions highlighted how oral history archives can be used for social mapping and as tools to reimagine social connections, foreground patient narratives, and advance disability justice and health equity research.

The symposium was part of a wider multi-campus research initiative on Abolition Medicine and Disability Justice: Mapping Inequity and Renewing the Social Project and featured presentations, panels, and reflections on the role of personal stories in understanding environmental illness and care.

Event Registration & Programming Overview: https://csw.ucla.edu/event/oral-histories-of-environmental-illness-ohei-symposium/

Preeti Juturu