Disability Studies (Minor)

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Program Description

The Disability Studies minor is an interdisciplinary program intended to educate students about the historical, social, and legal circumstances that shape the experience of disability. This undergraduate minor features an interdisciplinary curriculum that incorporates courses across NYU in the humanities, social sciences, communication, education, engineering, medical ethics, and the arts. Students will learn the tenets and history of the disability rights movement, foundational concepts in the field of Disability Studies, comparative global perspectives on disability, and the skills to build leadership in creating a more just and inclusive society.

Disability Studies understands disability in relation to other aspects of the human experience, including social inequality, violence, and social movements; media representations and practices; technology and design; arts access; and psychology, stigma, and variation. The field recognizes that disability is not a matter of discrete impairments, but rather an opportunity for coalition or identification. The field emphasizes the social shaping of disability through injustice and discrimination, biomedical and cultural norms, and legal or architectural barriers that prevent access to education, housing, employment, and transportation. The minor will educate students about the under-recognized history of eugenic prejudice as well as the work of activists to change laws and social worlds.

Minor Declaration

To request declaration of a minor, Steinhardt students should discuss requirements with the minor department’s advising team and complete the Minor Application in Albert. To request declaration of a cross-school minor, Steinhardt students should complete the online Minor Application available in their Albert Student Center. Students may also use the Minor Application in Albert to request cancellation of a Steinhardt or cross-school minor. For questions related to the declaration or cancellation of a minor, students can contact the Steinhardt Advisement and Registration Team at steinhardt.advisement.registration@nyu.edu.