Disability Studies

This folder contains information for Disability Studies classes taught at UC Berkeley.

Introduction to Disability Studies

This course explores personal and societal conceptualizations of disability and chronic illness, emphasizing U.S. culture. We will investigate various contrasting perspectives and policies regarding disability, including bioethics, the "medical model", the rehabilitation perspective, the "disability paradigm" or civil rights perspective, and personal narratives of people with disabilities. Through readings, lectures, videos, guest presentations, assignments and group discussions, students will learn about Disability Studies in the context of timely issues such as the medical and insurance systems, employment, personal assistance services, genetic screening, gender, race, AIDS and HIV, and civil rights statutes. Students will gain familiarity with disability organizations, services and policies, and analyze cultural attitudes and practices regarding disabled people.

Intersections of Race, Ethnicity and Disability American Cultures

This course explores the intersections of race, ethnicity and disability. The goal is to enable students to view these concepts within the context of American cultures and literatures past and present. The course begins with an exploration of disability, a category often omitted from discussions on race and ethnicity. We will examine concepts of disability stereotyping and marginalization, and explore the history of the U.S. Disability Rights movement, with respect to its early origins in Berkeley and the University of California.