Disability Studies Minor

Disability Studies (DS) is an interdisciplinary field that studies the political, social, and cultural aspects of disability.

 MSU Denver has many well-established programs that treat disability from an interventionist perspective, such as Social Work, Human Services, and Nursing. In contrast to fields that focus on treating disability, DS focuses disability as an identity. It treats disability history and culture as rich and often different from the history and culture of non-disabled people.  

A DS approach differs from an interventionist approach in several key ways. While an interventionist approach typically understands disability as a problem that impacts primarily the disabled person and relies on the expertise of non-disabled people to diagnose and treat disability, a DS approach sees disability as a social issue that affects everyone and understands disabled people themselves as authorities. Interventionist approaches aim to eliminate disability and accommodate it on a case-by-case basis while DS approaches see disability as a form of difference that is normal, and therefore the aim is to build a more accessible world.  

Because of this difference in approach, DS can complement and enhance interventionist programs without duplicating or competing with them.

The minor we propose requires students to take 18 credits of courses, including one required course and five electives. The courses are from ENG, GWS, HIS, JMP,  MDL, MUS, SED, SLHS, and SWK.

Minor Learning Objectives (to be included in the minor, a course needs to engage with 3+)

1. Students will explore disability identity, culture, and pride, including physical, intellectual, and emotional disabilities, and understand that disability is not a monolithic identity but a broad spectrum of identities.  
2. Students will explore how various approaches/models of disability and ableism shape how disability is defined and experienced.  
3. Students will explore disability and accessibility as critical components of diversity, equity, and inclusion frameworks.   
4. Students will analyze and critique existing inclusive pedagogical practices and apply them to students with disabilities. 
5. Students will describe intersections of disability with other forms of oppression, including racism, sexism, heterosexism, and classism. 
6. Students will evaluate how historical and current policies, values, and biases have contributed to current issues for individuals with disabilities, including the ways in which disability has been stigmatized, segregated, and pathologized. 
7. Discuss the ongoing challenges and opportunities in the struggle for Disability Justice, and imagine a vision for a more inclusive, equitable, and just world for disabled people. 
8. Students will differentiate models of disability, including medical, social, and cultural, and provide examples of cultural institutions that further each.  
9. Students will connect Disability Studies with Critical Study and Theory to discuss institutional power, individual positionality.