Disability Studies
This minor includes courses on disability culture, activism, and history. It asks the following questions: what counts as “normal” and why? What are the racialized and class dimensions of “ability?” How do people with disabilities navigate a largely inaccessible world? What does disability look like on a global scale? What are the lived experiences of disability, and how are they central to American history and culture? How is disability coded by gender or sexuality? What is the value of learning about the lives and contributions of people with disabilities? How is disability related to environmental studies, bioethics, animal studies?
Degree Types: Minor
About the Program
Why should I pursue this degree?
You might like this program if…
- You are interested in the engineering or architecture of built environments, health care professions, art and performance, social history, social justice activism, the political philosophy of citizenship, contemporary literature, legal studies, community advocacy, universal design. The list is endless, since Disability Studies is a genuinely multidisciplinary field. All students are welcome.
Coursework
Opportunities to explore the following topics:
- Introduction to Disability Studies in the Humanities
- Deaf Culture
- Inclusive Leisure Services
- American Sign Language
- History of Madness, Mental Illness, and Psychiatry
Have questions about this program?
Future students, contact the Liberal Arts Recruitment Team.
Current students, contact your academic adviser.
This program is housed
in the Department of English
at Penn State University Park.