ager pérez casanovas
PhD. Disability Justice, Pragmatism and access in the arts
Care is an action, not a feeling
(she/her/they/them)
Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility in the Arts Advocate
PHD cum laude Citizenship and Human Rights UB.
BA Philosophy at UAB. MA Philosophy at UCL.
Woman in Pragmatism
“Let woman's claim be as broad in the concrete as the abstract. We take our stand on the solidarity of humanity, the oneness of life, and the unnaturalness and injustice of all special favoritism, whether of sex, race, country, or condition. If one link of the chain is broken, the chain is broken...
We want an entrance not through a gateway for ourselves, our race, our sex, or our sect, but a grand highway for humanity.”
― Anna Julia Cooper, A Voice from the South
current research projects.
Pain Pals
Pain Pals Character Creator,” will develop a video game character creator where those with pain conditions can identify themselves and their experiences in a non-medicalizing setting
Role: Research Assistant. TEAM: Carmen Papalia (Principal Investigator), Arianna Schmulbach (Project Manager), Oliver Puffer (software developer) and Raven John (character design and concept art)
currently funded by Creative BC
in collaboration with RadMad Disability Lab of UC Berkeley
Beyond the Visual
Beyond the visual aims to investigate how the shift in aesthetic engagement afforded by hybrid forms of contemporary art (such as installation art) potentially opens up new multi-sensory possibilities for engaging a blind and partially sighted audience, while enhancing the experience of a sighted audience.
Role: Researcher and invited speaker. TEAM INCLUDES: Ken Wilder (Principal Investigator, University of the Arts London), Aaron McPeake (Co-Investigator, UAL), Jo Bannon, Jos Boys, Amanda Cachia, Fiona Candlin, Polly Dalton, Fayen d’Evie, Simon Hayhoe, Rachel Hutchinson, David Johnson, Maria Kapsali, Georgina Kleege, Carmen Papalia, Hannah Thompson, Simon Ungar, Collin van Uchelen, among others.
Workshops
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Tate Modern, 15-16 February 2022
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Henry Moore Institute, 18 May 2022
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Symposium at the Wellcome Collection, 21-22 October 2022. FREE ADMISSION BOOKING
UAL research project funded by AHRC (UKRI)
Disability Justice
My recent research explores the intersection of Disability Justice and pragmatism, focusing on how democratic participation, social conflict, and collective access shape justice for disabled communities. I draw from John Dewey’s pragmatism and Disability Justice frameworks to rethink what inclusion and accessibility mean beyond legal or institutional measures.
One of my key arguments is that justice for disabled people requires active participation in shaping society—not just as recipients of rights but as co-creators of the spaces, norms, and relationships that define justice. This involves rethinking accessibility as an ongoing, collective process rather than a static set of accommodations. My work engages with contemporary Disability Justice activism and critical disability scholarship to emphasize interdependence and mutual care as central to democracy.
Upcoming Discussions
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TACT Seminar, La Sorbonne (Paris, March 2025)
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Society for the Advancement of American Philosophy meeting (Washington, March 2025)
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European Pragmatist Conference & Women in Pragmatism workshop (St. Gallen, Switzerland, August 2025)
curatorship
brand partnerships.
Exbecaria Fundació
La Caixa
proyectos de educación
reviews.
8 Best New Pragmatism Books To Read In 2023: The volume edited by Núria Sara Miras and Michela Bella listed as number 5! As featured on CNN, Forbes and Inc – BookAuthority identifies and rates the best books in the world, based on recommendations by thought leaders and experts.
—8 Best New Pragmatism Books To Read In 2023,
PER Book Authority
El Museu Tàrrega Urgell va acollir dissabte la jornada Viure la Mort en el marc del nou programa Museu i Cura, que neix d’una preocupació per la cura i les relacions entre les persones. Segons Àger Pérez Casanovas, qui va impulsar l’acte, "la interdependència ens inclou a tots i totes. Avui més que mai, és nostra també la responsabilitat de decidir qui compta i qui no, quines morts es vetllen, quines persones reben refugi i quines són implícititament condemnades a la mort.” La jornada estava organitzada en col·laboració amb el Servei de Suport al Dol de Ponent i Associació Alzheimer Tàrrega.
"Àger Pérez Casanovas y Meritxell Caralt, en los 10 primeros minutos de su presentación, han creado uno de los momentos más fascinantes (en mi opinión y en la de otras personas) de todo el congreso, y lo han hecho SIN imágenes, poniendo una base musical en directo a un posicionamiento filosófico que, presentado de esa manera, se convertía en algo totalmente diferente de lo que habría sido si sólo hubiéramos escuchado una voz."
— Congreso “Indisciplines” 2019: unas reflexiones en caliente PER LUCA CHIANTORE
"Que dire, enfin, de mes trois plus proches collaboratrices, Elsa Rigaux, Anne Gagnant de Wech et Àger Pérez Casanovas ? Ager a apporté sa formation philosophique hispano-britannique et son étonnante maturité de jeune chercheuse à une oeuvre qu'elle connaissait déja fort bien par ailleurs, pour faire des propositions toujours judicieuses, pointues et fécondes, comme sur la fonction de la sculpture L'Homme au mouton dans l'oeuvre de Picasso"
— Un étranger nommé Picasso, ANNIE COHEN-SOLAL, ed. Fayard. Prix Femina Essai 2021