Theory Meets Practice in an Introduction to Disability Studies Course

Abstract

These comments from two of our students in “Introduction to Disability Studies” are typical of responses to the undergraduate disability studies curriculum at the University of Washington (UW). Since 2003, the Disability Studies Program has offered courses that explore disability as an issue of social justice and human diversity. The students come from disciplines in the humanities, social sciences, and sciences. The largest numbers are interested in disability studies as preparation for their careers in applied fields such as law, psychology, education, social work, and public health. For some the courses fulfill a major requirement, while others take disability studies in pursuit of the Human Rights or Diversity minors. Most students come into the introductory survey class with little prior knowledge of the history of the disability rights movement or the perspective that disability is a category of oppression, since disability and the voices of disabled people are rarely included in the rest of the university curriculum. The mission of our interdisciplinary program is to problematize society’s predominant understandings of disability, and to examine the social, cultural, political, economic, and historical factors that define and frame disability as a marker of difference. Four undergraduate courses are core requirements for the minor and major degrees in Disability Studies at UW. Typically five to ten students complete the minor each year, while a total of nineteen have graduated with the major. Our curriculum increases the depth and breadth of critical thinking around disability issues within the university as well as the community at large, enhancing the connections between relevant scholarship and informed social action. In this article we analyze and share insights from some of our collective experiences teaching an introductory survey course in disability studies. “Introduction to Disability Studies” provides a foundational understanding of the field and its relationship to the ongoing struggle for dis-