Disability Studies Program
Three people smile from a table covered with conference badges and informational sheets. Beside them is a large blue poster reading “ColLABoratory: Medicine + Narrative + Disability + Rhetoric.”
Dr. Jina Kim and Dr. Sami Schalk pose smiling in front of a large backdrop that reads “DISCO Ball” in glitter letters, decorated with flags in trans and genderqueer pride colors.
The Ohio State University Disability Studies Program, established in 1997, emphasizes interdisciplinary and intersectional work in disability studies. We treat disability as a political, cultural and social process, placing as much importance on structures, relations and representations as on individual bodies. We value collaborative research and learning, and each year, we are visited by distinguished scholars and activists. Recent visitors sponsored by the Disability Studies Program include Liat Ben-Moshe, Diana Louis, Jay Dolmage, Aimi Hamraie, Mimi Khúc, Ann Fox, Sami Schalk, Jina Kim and Michael Montoya.
Our program features an engaged group of faculty, caring advisors, and passionate students. We regularly collaborate with student groups including the Disability Studies Graduate Student Association, Graduate Association for Mental Health Action and Advocacy and Buckeyes for Accessibility.
To learn more about our faculty and their areas of research, visit our Faculty Expertise page.
Undergraduate Opportunities
- ENGL 2277: Introduction to Disability Studies (3)
- SPHHRNG 4510 Disability Studies in Context (3)
Graduate Opportunities
The Graduate Interdisciplinary Specialization (GIS) allows graduate students to supplement their major course of study with courses such as Introduction to Graduate Study in Disability Studies; Inclusive Education Research; Disability and Visual Culture; Critical Trauma Studies; and more.
The GIS requires 14 to 16 credit hours of course work, with a minimum of three different courses. Graduate students who wish to complete the GIS should consult with the Director of Disability Studies, Dr. Margaret Price (.1225), to determine a course of study.
For a full list of course offerings, along with guidelines and other information about the GIS, see the GIS description and course requirements (below).
To see a list of affiliated faculty, visit the Faculty Expertise in Disability Studies page.
For a full list of graduate course offerings, take a look at our Graduate Interdisciplinary Specialization sheet below.
Key Graduate Courses:
- Disability Studies 6700: Introduction to Graduate Studies in Disability Studies
- English 7891.01: Seminar in Disability Studies Theory
Internships and Independent Studies
Students enrolled in the Disability Studies Graduate Interdisciplinary Specialization or the undergraduate minor program may wish to consider the Disability Studies Internship (DSABLST 5191) and/or Independent Study (DSABLST 5193). In order to register for one of these courses, please complete these steps prior to the beginning of the internship or independent study:
- Identify your semester-long project, discussing parameters with the director of Disability Studies (Dr. Margaret Price [.1225]) or the Disability Studies minor advisor (Rachael Speck [.61]) as needed.
- Arrange a faculty supervisor for your project.
- Fill out the Internship and Individual Studies Research/Request Form [pdf].
- Set up a meeting with Dr. Margaret Price (.1225), the director of Disability Studies, to ensure the form is completed correctly, including number of credits. The number of credits is adjustable, depending upon the number of hours per week your project will require.
- Obtain all necessary signatures.
Other Information
The Disability Studies Program works with a number of organizations within and outside the university. Check out their websites below:
Society for Disability Studies: The Society for Disability Studies holds its annual conference at Ohio State, in collaboration with the Disability Studies Program and the Office of the ADA Coordinator. Join us each April at SDS@OSU!
Disability Studies Graduate Student Association
Graduate Association of Mental Health Action and Advocacy
Nisonger Center for Developmental Disabilities
Community Partner: M+A Architects
Please consider helping to support our robust programming and pedagogical work with a donation. Contributing through the Ohio State GiveTo website will allow you to make a one-time or recurring contribution through a secure, online connection. If you wish to donate by check or would like to discuss setting up other development, scholarship or programmatic opportunities for the Disability Studies Program, please contact our Senior Director of Development, Liz Burns by phone (614-292-2197) or email (burns.217@osu.edu).
To receive ongoing updates and event information from the Disability Studies Program, join our listserv (dsosu@lists.osu.edu). For questions requiring an individual response, please email disabilitystudies@osu.edu.
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