Intersections: History of Disability

Catalog description

This course explores evolving understandings of disability since the mid-19th century, including what constitutes disability, and how society should respond. Disability has long been conceptualized within two broad frameworks: medical models and social models. Medical models present disability as an abnormal and undesirable condition, often associated with specific disease categories. Social models understand disability as resulting from various choices and assumptions that have been made in building the physical environment and social world. This course examines the history of disability by engaging with these models, and considering the strengths and weakness of each in making sense of disability, its causes, and the responsibility of society to respond and provide support. P: Critical Issues in Human Inquiry course, Oral Communication course, Contemporary Composition course; CR: Sr. stdg.