Promoting the full participation, self-determination and equal citizenship of people with disabilities
Disability studies scholars view disability not simply as a defect inside a person, but as a complex relationship between society and people who function differently from the norm.
UIC’s PhD in disability studies program addresses disability in its full complexity, promoting an awareness of disability that supports individuals in shaping their identities and lives. We examine how support services and social and political change can reduce sources of disempowerment.
Disability studies at UIC offers a unique opportunity to study the multilayered, interactional dynamics of disability.
Our program is truly an interdisciplinary experience, with faculty, researchers, and students coming from backgrounds in health, education, assistive technology, social sciences and humanities. We recognize the inherent tensions that exist between therapeutic, medical and social models of disability, but acknowledge these differences as fertile ground for the development of disability studies as an integrative knowledge base.
I really benefitted from the interdisciplinary nature of the program, which gave me new ways of understanding and experiencing disability.| PhD ‘16
Students enroll in our program for a variety of reasons and with a variety of goals for when they graduate, including academic positions, disability policy and advocacy, and visual or performing arts.
A PhD in disability studies gives you advanced knowledge about complex social implications of disability. You’ll develop the skills to lead research, policy analysis, and program evaluation and development in ways that best address the perspectives of people with disabilities.
Ryan is exploring interactions between people with and without disabilities
Joe is applying research to make a difference in people’s lives
Luca sees similarities among differences
Investigates the ways in which ableism and saneism are exercised in relation to racism, sexism, and other forms of social injustice through research, education, and activism
Focusing on comparative and national disability policy and legislation, employment, entrepreneurship and social entrepreneurship
Augmentative communication specialist and international speaker with 25 years experience delivering community-based services
Our program provides you with the opportunity to embrace interdisciplinary education beyond the classroom and link to the disability community. By joining DHD you will become a part of our collaborative network of diverse faculty, staff, students, and partners including people with disabilities, family members, organizations, academic departments and universities in Illinois, nationally and internationally. Build your experience through DHD connections:
Some of our past students have worked in policy positions at legal and government centers in Washington, D.C., learning about policy-making processes that affect the lives of disabled citizens and their families. Others have traveled internationally to conduct research, present papers, and participate in service initiatives as they learn how the disability studies knowledge base can expand to incorporate experiences of disability in many cultures.
When you become a part of the Department of Disability and Human Development, you join AUCD—a national organization that supports and promotes a network of university-based interdisciplinary programs
We are committed to integrating research and academics with community engagement
DHD's work is informed and facilitated by a collaborative network
Still wondering what a PhD in disability studies can do for you? Reach out to DHD’s Office of Student Affairs and get your questions answered.