Interested in disability studies? Some introductory recommendations
I’ve been teaching disability studies for just about 5 years now, mostly to undergraduate students, after completing the advanced certificate in disability studies program at the CUNY School of Professional Studies. This field has shaped a lot of my thought and work, in particular my teaching, instructional design, and faculty development work. I’ve long felt that college faculty as a general group could significantly benefit from engaging with disability studies, and it is my secret dream to teach a disability studies course specifically for college faculty. Since that is not (currently) on the calendar, I wanted to create this post with some of my recommendations for readings that I would suggest for instructors who are interested in learning more about disability studies.
I’ll add to this list as I think of new entries, and re-share when there are significant updates. This list is not meant to be comprehensive, and I am starting small since I hope to make this seem approachable rather than like a comps reading list for a PhD program. Each of the texts here certainly presents a particular perspective that could be argued with, but one has to start somewhere. Please enjoy and feel free to let me know your thoughts if you decide to engage with any of these texts.
Most links are to WorldCat where available, and if you are having trouble getting access to any of these, I’m happy to help if I can.
From “The disability studies reader”
Note: The Disability Studies Reader edited by Lennard Davis is a compendium of “classic” as well as more recent articles and excerpts in disability studies. I have highlighted several entries here that are my favorites and the ones that have sparked deep conversation with my students. The reader is currently in its sixth edition, and the chapters within are often available as stand-alone pieces. Many institutional libraries hold at least an electronic copy of this book.
“The social model of disability” by Tom Shakespeare: An introductory reading on the meanings and histories of the “medical” and “social” models of disability.
“Disability, normality, and power” by Lennard Davis: Read this chapter for a thought provoking discussion of the concept of normality, and its relationship to disability.
“Disabled upon arrival: The rhetorical construction of race and disability at Ellis Island” by Jay Dolmage: I’d give a summary, but the subtitle already does. This is an excerpt from a full book on this topic.
“A Mad Fight: Psychiatry and disability activism” by Bradley Lewis: Learn about the relationship of the psychiatric patient/survivor movement to disability movements in general.
(From the 4th edition) “Deaf studies in the 21st century: ‘Deaf-gain’ and the future of human diversity” by H-Dirksen Bauman and Joseph Murray: A foundational reading on “Deaf” as an identity and culture rather than only disability.
Some approachable books
No Pity: People with disabilities forging a new civil rights movement by Joe Shapiro: This book was published in 1993 but I think it remains an accessible introduction to disability history in the US. Note that there are some terms and language uses that are somewhat outdated in this book.
Introducing Disability Studies by Ronald J. Berger and Loren E. Wilbers: I just finished using this text for a graduate level introduction to disability studies course, and was impressed the the breadth of the content.
Claiming Disability: Knowledge and Identity by Simi Linton: I was assigned this book in one of my first disability studies courses and it really helped me understand the emergence of disability studies as a field of study. I especially recommend the chapter “Disability Studies/not Disability Studies” to understand what gaps disability studies hopes to fill in the academy.
More to come, and feel free to let me know what you think of these recommendations.
News
In the next month I’m excited to be be working with Suffolk University in Boston, Yorkville University in Canada, and continuing work with Joliet Junior College in the Chicago area as part of my neurodiversity consulting.
I’ll also be attending the POD meeting in San Diego at the end of November, where I’d love to say “hi” in person if any readers are attending.
I joined “The grading podcast” in an episode that was just released with Emily Pitts-Donahoe. We talked with the hosts about our collaborative project on neurodivergence and alternative grading - feel free to check out the episode for a casual summary and discussion of our work.
Thank you for reading, and always feel free to comment or contact me with feedback.
Thank you! Can you do two more, one on critical disability studies, and another on disability justice? I would love to hear your suggestions for these, too!