Q: How do I find out more information about the UW Disability Studies Program?
Follow the link for information on the courses and the requirements for the DS minor and the Individualized Studies DS major.
Q: How many credits do I have to take for a UW DS minor?
The Disability Studies Minor requires a minimum of 30 credits
Q: What are the requirements for the Individualized Studies Major in Disability Studies?
To obtain an Individualized Studies Major in Disability Studies, you must complete 55 credits, of which 35 must be upper division, and complete the General Education requirements for the College of Arts and Sciences.
Q: Are there Disability Studies graduate degrees?
At UW, the Disability Studies Program currently does not award any graduate degrees, however, we now offer a graduate certificate. More information can be found here.
Q: What educational opportunities are available to graduate students?
The Disability Studies 400 level courses may be taken for graduate credit depending on your graduate program's policies. All DS courses may be taken as independent study for graduate credit. This option must be arranged with the course instructor and approved by your graduate program's advisor and the disability studies adviser.
Q: Does Disability Studies offer any funding to students?
Opportunity for funding support is provided by the UW Disability Studies Program through the Dennis Lang Student Award in Disability Studies and the Harlan Hahn Endowment Fund Grants for Disability Studies. The call for proposals for Harlan Hahn Endowment Fund Grants is generally open during Spring quarter, and eligible applicants must be currently enrolled undergraduate or graduate students, or currently employed faculty or staff. Contact Us for further information.
Q: How do I request disability accommodations?
Please contact Disability Resources for Students (DRS) at University of Washington Seattle. For non-matriculated students attending classes on the Seattle campus, faculty and teaching assistants, and visitors to UW, contact the Disability Services Office (DSO) to request services.
Q: Are there student organizations on campus that focus on disability and d/Deaf concerns?
Yes! There is the D Center (the d/Disability and d/Deaf Cultural Center) at UW Seattle, located in 024 Mary Gates Hall. Find information about D Center hours, programming, and resources on the Facebook page and the website. Also check out the resources and events sponsored by the ASUW Student Disability Commission (SDC): Facebook and website.
Q: Why Disability Studies?
Like other oppressed groups throughout history, disabled people have been marginalized; this has led to minimal attention to the historical, cultural, and political/legal dimensions of disability. Through neglect, ignorance, prejudice, and false assumptions, as well as through exclusion, distinction, or separation, society prevents persons with disabilities from exercising their economic, social, or cultural rights on an equal basis with persons without disabilities. The effects of disability-based discrimination have been particularly severe in the fields of education, employment, housing, transport, cultural life, and access to public places and services.
The development of Disability Studies represents a much-needed pro-active educational approach to address this pervasive discrimination towards disabled people in our society. Establishing a Disability Studies Program acknowledges the University's commitment to this field of study and the concomitant research, teaching and service.
Since disability is a fact of the human experience, not the exception, Disability Studies includes the study of the experiences of disabled people. The University of Washington is at the forefront of the development of Disability Studies as an academic discipline through the individual research and teaching of growing numbers of faculty across campuses and disciplines, increasing student interest in the subject area, and an expansion of traditional diversity efforts to include disability. The Disability Studies Program provides additional opportunities for both students and faculty to explore the field.
Note: Both "disabled person" and "person with a disability" (PWD) are used by various members of the disability community.