Disability Studies
Department website: http://disabilitystudies.uta.edu
Minor in Disability Studies
The interdisciplinary field of disability studies explores the experiences of people with disabilities—one of the largest minorities in the United States and worldwide—as well as the ways in which conceptions and representations of disability and “the normal” have shaped human experiences more generally. Treating disability as a crucial element of human diversity, the Minor in Disability Studies approaches disability as a social, cultural, and political construct rather than just a medical condition (as it is commonly viewed). Taught by faculty from the Colleges of Liberal Arts, Nursing and Health Innovation, Business, and Education as well as the School of Social Work, this flexible and multidisciplinary minor prepares students for a variety of graduate programs and for careers in law, education, public health, engineering, nursing, architecture, medicine, social work, communication, public history and museums, and sports management and coaching, among other fields.
Students seeking to minor in Disability Studies should first consult with advisors in their major departments or programs for approval, then meet with the director and advisor of the Minor in Disability Studies. A minor in Disability Studies consists of 18 hours, including two required courses: U.S. Disability History (DS 3307/HIST 3307) and Disability Studies Internship (DS 4395). Students also take two to four core disability studies courses and can take up to two approved electives. No more than four courses may be completed in a single discipline.
The Disability Studies Internship (DS 4395) is a supervised internship/capstone course through which students apply the academic skills they have acquired in Disability Studies courses. Interns work at an approved business, academic, or non-profit site that focuses on adapted sports, disability history, assistive technology, disability rights and policy, or universal design and accessibility; they also complete a capstone essay. Students should complete DS 4395 as one of their final courses for the minor and must have already taken or be taking DS 3307/HIST 3307.
Some of the electives change focus from term to term and may therefore not be relevant to the minor during a particular semester. Credit will only be given when the topic of the course (or a substantial portion) focuses on issues related to disability. Other relevant courses not listed below may also be used to fulfill the minor, with approval from the director of the Minor in Disability Studies. For that reason and for the purposes of planning the internship, it is important that students consult with the advisor for the minor before registering each semester.
| Required courses (two courses) | ||
| DS/HIST 3307 | U.S. DISABILITY HISTORY | 3 |
| DS 4395 | DISABILITY STUDIES INTERNSHIP | 3 |
| Core Disability Studies courses (at least two courses) | ||
| DS 2301 | TOPICS IN DISABILITY STUDIES | 3 |
| DS 3308 | HISTORY OF MADNESS | 3 |
| or HIST 3308 | HISTORY OF MADNESS | |
| DS 3312 | DISABILITY & SOCIAL WORK | 3 |
| or SOCW 3312 | DISABILITY & SOCIAL WORK | |
| DS 3321 | TOPICS IN DISABILITY STUDIES | 3 |
| DS/PHIL 3322 | DISABILITY ETHICS | 3 |
| DS 3327 | CYBORGS AND PROSTHETICS | 3 |
| or HIST 4327 | CYBORGS AND PROSTHETICS | |
| DS 3331 | RESEARCH IN DISABILITY STUDIES | 3 |
| DS 3346 | DISABILITY IN MASS MEDIA | 3 |
| or COMM 3346 | DISABILITY IN MASS MEDIA | |
| DS 3355 | UNIVERSAL DESIGN & ACCESSIBILITY IN THE PERFORMING ARTS | 3 |
| or THEA 3355 | UNIVERSAL DESIGN & ACCESSIBILITY IN THE PERFORMING ARTS | |
| DS 3399 | DISABILITY AND ART | 3 |
| or ART 3399 | DISABILITY AND ART | |
| DS 4100 | WHEELCHAIR BASKETBALL | 1 |
| DS 4191 | CONFERENCE COURSE | 1 |
| DS 4291 | CONFERENCE COURSE | 2 |
| DS/HIST 4326 | TOPICS IN DISABILITY HISTORY | 3 |
| DS 4329 | DISABILITY & WORK | 3 |
| or MANA 4329 | DISABILITY & WORK | |
| DS 4391 | CONFERENCE COURSE | 3 |
| DS 4491 | CONFERENCE COURSE | 4 |
| KINE 3304 | ADAPTED PHYSICAL EDUCATION & SPORT | 3 |
| Core courses requiring prior approval from director | ||
| HIST 4395 | HISTORY SEMINAR | 3 |
| Electives (up to two courses) | ||
| ART 4304 | ART AND THE HUMAN CONDITION | 3 |
| ASL 1441 | BEGINNING AMERICAN SIGN LANGUAGE I | 4 |
| ASL 1442 | BEGINNING AMERICAN SIGN LANGUAGE II | 4 |
| ASL 2313 | INTERMEDIATE AMERICAN SIGN LANGUAGE I | 3 |
| ASL 2314 | INTERMEDIATE AMERICAN SIGN LANGUAGE II | 3 |
| ANTH 3369 | MEDICAL ANTHROPOLOGY | 3 |
| HEED 3330 | CONSUMER HEALTH AND PUBLIC HEALTH SYSTEMS | 3 |
| HIST 4307 | HISTORY OF MEDICINE | 3 |
| HIST 4309 | SOCIAL DARWINISM AND EUGENICS | 3 |
| HIST 4333 | COMPARATIVE CIVIL RIGHTS HISTORY | 3 |
| HUMA 3300 | MEDICAL HUMANITIES | 3 |
| HUMA 3350 | CLINICAL MEDICINE AND THE HUMAN EXPERIENCE | 3 |
| HUMA 3360 | AMERICAN HEALTHCARE THROUGH FILM | 3 |
| KINE 3307 | SPORT AND SOCIETY: ISSUES AND DEBATES | 3 |
| LING 2371 | LANGUAGE IN A MULTICULTURAL USA | 3 |
| MANA 4326 | DIVERSITY IN ORGANIZATIONS | 3 |
| MODL 4310 | GRAPHIC NOVELS AND THE MEDICAL WORLD | 3 |
| PHIL 3319 | BIOMEDICAL ETHICS | 3 |
| POLS 3309 | HEALTH POLITICS, POLICY, AND ADVOCACY | 3 |
| POLS 4340 | FEDERAL SOCIAL POLICY | 3 |
| POLS 4350 | HEALTH POLITICS AND POLICY | 3 |
| SOCI 3318 | SELF AND SOCIAL IDENTITY | 3 |
| SOCI 3342 | SOCIOLOGY OF THE HUMAN BODY | 3 |
| or KINE 3342 | SOCIOLOGY OF THE HUMAN BODY | |
| SOCI 4320 | MEDICAL SOCIOLOGY | 3 |
| THEA 3351 | ROBOTS, DIGITAL HUMANITIES, AND THEATRE | 3 |
| Electives requiring prior approval from director | ||
| ANTH 3330 | CULTURAL DIVERSITY AND IDENTITY | 3 |
| ART 4396 | SPECIAL STUDIES IN ART HISTORY | 3 |
| COMM 3350 | HEALTH COMMUNICATION | 3 |
| ECON 3301 | THE ECONOMICS OF HEALTH | 3 |
| ENGL 3347 | TOPICS IN MULTICULTURAL AMERICAN LITERATURES | 3 |
| ENGL 4345 | TOPICS IN CRITICAL THEORY | 3 |
| HIST 3330 | U.S. LEGAL AND CONSTITUTIONAL HISTORY, COLONIAL TO 1877 | 3 |
| HIST 3331 | U.S. LEGAL AND CONSTITUTIONAL HISTORY, 1877 TO PRESENT | 3 |
| HUMA 3340 | TOPICS IN HUMANITIES | 3 |
| KINE 2351 | HEALTH ISSUES IN DIVERSE & VULNERABLE POPULATIONS | 3 |
| KINE 3350 | URBANIZATION AND VULNERABLE POPULATIONS | 3 |
| PHIL 3341 | TOPICS IN BIOETHICS | 3 |
| SCIE 4304 | DIAGNOSIS OF HUMAN DISEASE | 3 |
| SOCI 3336 | SOCIAL INEQUALITY | 3 |
| SOCW 3307 | DIVERSE POPULATIONS | 3 |
| SPED 4304 | ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY | 3 |
| SPED 4307 | SPECIAL EDUCATION LEGAL AND POLICY ISSUES | 3 |
Courses
DS 2301. TOPICS IN DISABILITY STUDIES. 3 Hours.
Special topics of interest in the field of Disability Studies. May be repeated for credit when the topic changes.
DS 3307. U.S. DISABILITY HISTORY. 3 Hours.
Examines the history of ideas about disability, the historical lives of people with disabilities, and the history of disability policy. The growth of asylums, the rise of the eugenics movement, a historical look at freak shows, the impact of industrialization on experiences of disability, the evolution of special education, the role of ideas about disability in colonialism, the historical treatment of disabled veterans, and the development of the disability rights movement. Offered as HIST 3307 and DS 3307; credit will only be granted once. Prerequisite: HIST 1301 and HIST 1302.
DS 3308. HISTORY OF MADNESS. 3 Hours.
Examines insanity in its social and historical contexts through the prisms of class, race, gender, and disability from the birth of the asylum in the eighteenth century to contemporary debates about depression and psychopharmacology. Focuses on madness and psychiatry in the Global North, with comparisons to the Global South. Offered as HIST 3308 and DS 3308; credit will be granted in only one department.
DS 3312. DISABILITY & SOCIAL WORK. 3 Hours.
Examines major themes in disability and social work. Topics include basic understandings of disability, lived experiences of people with disabilities, legal and policy perspectives, working with adults and children with a variety of disabilities, history of disability policy and disability rights, disability advocacy, and resources in the community, among others. Offered as DS 3312 and SOCW 3312; credit will only be granted in one department.
DS 3321. TOPICS IN DISABILITY STUDIES. 3 Hours.
Special topics of interest in the field of disability studies. May be repeated for credit when the topic changes.
DS 3322. DISABILITY ETHICS. 3 Hours.
Explores the philosophical literature pertaining to disability and disabled experiences. Topics include defining disability, healthcare allocation, de-institutionalization, assisted dying and euthanasia, and the ethics of genetic and reproductive technologies. Offered as PHIL 3322 and DS 3322; credit will only be granted once.
DS 3327. CYBORGS AND PROSTHETICS. 3 Hours.
Explores the history, theories, and evolving representations of prosthetics, bionics, cyborgism, and the post-human. Investigates the origins and development of the prosthetics industry, historical experiences of prosthetics users, and cultural depictions and debates about human-technology interactions. Offered as DS 3327 and HIST 4327 and previously as DS 3321 and HIST 4388; credit will only be granted once.
DS 3331. RESEARCH IN DISABILITY STUDIES. 3 Hours.
Introduction to the theories and methods that disability studies scholars use to conduct research and present their findings in written and oral form. Recommended: HIST 3307 or DS 3321.
DS 3346. DISABILITY IN MASS MEDIA. 3 Hours.
Explores how mass media frames disability and neurodiversity for the general public. Focuses on issues related to disability and mass media representation, including journalism, TV, film, advertising, photography, documentary, video games, and the Internet. Topics may include media models of representation, inspiration porn, disability blogs, accessible media, and disabled mimicry in TV and film, among others. Offered as DS 3346 and COMM 3346; credit will be granted in only one department.
DS 3355. UNIVERSAL DESIGN & ACCESSIBILITY IN THE PERFORMING ARTS. 3 Hours.
Explores the principles of Universal Design using the performing arts as a case study: creating environments, events, buildings, and products to accommodate the broadest spectrum of human ability, size, age, and other characteristics. Investigates how to put into practice the accessibility guidelines of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. Performing is not required. Offered as THEA 3355 and DS 3355; credit will only be granted in one department.
DS 3399. DISABILITY AND ART. 3 Hours.
Explores the many connections between disability and art, including both art created by people with disabilities and the wide variety of artistic representations about disability. Examines the purposes of art-making by people with disabilities: for therapeutic reasons, as a means of self-expression, to achieve professional goals, or as an act of activism. Investigates historical depictions of disability in art as well as art's role as a visual voice for the disability rights movement. Offered as DS 3399 and ART 3399; credit will only be granted once. Prerequisite: Any two of the three courses ART 1309, ART 1310, and ART 1317; or permission from the instructor or Disability Studies.
DS 4100. WHEELCHAIR BASKETBALL. 1 Hour.
Only open to adapted sports student athletes. May be repeated 10 times. Prerequisite: permission from the director of the Minor in Disability Studies.
DS 4191. CONFERENCE COURSE. 1 Hour.
Directed independent study for the advanced undergraduate. A close examination of a chosen topic through research and/or reading; format designed by instructor and student. Course may be repeated for credit once with a change in faculty. Prerequisite: Prior approval of the instructor and the director of the Disabilities Studies minor.
DS 4291. CONFERENCE COURSE. 2 Hours.
Directed independent study for the advanced undergraduate. A close examination of a chosen topic through research and/or reading; format designed by instructor and student. Course may be repeated for credit once with a change in faculty. Prerequisite: Prior approval of the instructor and the director of the Disabilities Studies minor.
DS 4326. TOPICS IN DISABILITY HISTORY. 3 Hours.
Special topics of interest in disability history, such as disability history in global perspective; hard-of-hearing histories, deaf histories, and Deaf History; or disability in the global South. May be repeated for credit when the topic changes. Offered as DS 4326 and HIST 4326; credit will be granted in only one department. Prerequisite: HIST 1301, HIST 1302.
DS 4329. DISABILITY & WORK. 3 Hours.
Explores the complex relationship between disability and work within the United States from a current and historical perspective. Topics include study of the Americans with Disabilities Act; research on the diversity, population, and changes in proportions of people with disabilities; employment rates and experiences of people with disabilities; attitudes and perspectives surrounding and affecting the employment opportunities and experiences of people with disabilities; and ways to provide inclusive, non-discriminatory workplaces. Offered as MANA 4329 and DS 4329; credit will only be granted once. Prerequisite: 60 hours or MANA 4326 or Disability Studies permission.
DS 4391. CONFERENCE COURSE. 3 Hours.
Directed independent study for the advanced undergraduate. A close examination of a chosen topic through research and/or reading; format designed by instructor and student. Course may be repeated for credit once with a change in faculty. Prerequisite: permission from the director of the Minor in Disability Studies.
DS 4395. DISABILITY STUDIES INTERNSHIP. 3 Hours.
Supervised internship in which students apply the academic skills they have acquired in Disability Studies courses by working in a related non-profit or business environment. Prerequisite: HIST 3307 or 3 hours of core disability studies courses; permission of the instructor.
DS 4491. CONFERENCE COURSE. 4 Hours.
Directed independent study for the advanced undergraduate. A close examination of a chosen topic through research and/or reading; format designed by instructor and student. Course may be repeated for credit once with a change in faculty. Prerequisite: Permission from the director of the Minor in Disability Studies.