DISABILITY STUDIES EDUCATIONAL OBJECTIVES:

The Educational Objectives of the Disability Studies Program are:

Students will:

• develop positive attitudes toward and comfort in interacting with individuals with all types of abilities and methods of communication,
• develop an awareness of the social construction of disability, the history of disability, and demographics,
  
• understand current best practice across disciplines related to people with disabilities, including language, policy, and practice,
  
• be prepared to serve children and adults from diverse cultures and with diverse abilities,
  
• learn effective ways to advocate for needed changes in attitudes, policy, and practice,
  
• have the opportunity to learn from and with students and other individuals with disabilities, as peers, teachers, and mentors,
  
• apply knowledge through opportunities for service learning,
  
• broaden their professional opportunities to include disability related fields,
  
• take the knowledge and skills gained into broader, non-disability related fields, such as law, journalism, business, and environmental design, and
  
• use the knowledge and skills to affect social change at the local, state, and national levels.

Similar to African-American Studies and Women’s Studies, the Disability Studies Program is grounded in the civil rights movement. It is based on the idea that, as members of the largest minority group in the US, and one which has historically been marginalized and oppressed, people with disabilities share a history, a culture, and desire for social, political, and economic self determination (Bryen, 1996).
The content of Disability Studies includes history, literature, political science, sociology, law, and economics. Potential students include those from the traditional professions (e.g. special education, rehabilitation, and social work), but also includes students from virtually every discipline.

Disability Studies conceptualizes the construct of disability as an interaction between an individual and the environment rather than simply a defect in the individual (Hahn, 1985). It presents disability as a natural part of human existence. Disability Studies reframes disability through the use of a minority group model to define it as a social construct rather than an individual characteristic. It maintains that it is our social attitudes and public policy that are in need of “fixing” and our students are the future leaders who can best bring about such change. People with disabilities themselves are seen the experts and teachers who direct this education.