A minor in Critical Disability Studies enhances students’ educational experience at Purdue by bringing received ideas about the body and normalcy under critical scrutiny; by expanding students’ exposure to diverse groups of people; and by deepening students’ understanding of how social and political identities intersect, affecting individuals and our common life. After leaving Purdue, students with training in critical disability studies will be ready to help create workplaces and societies that welcome the great variety of human beings on this planet and make the most of their heterogeneous talents.
Many Purdue students report that they never considered disability as an aspect of diversity or identity before they took a class in critical disability studies. The Critical Disability Studies minor demonstrates to students and the larger Purdue community that disability is political, social, and cultural, and a key aspect of our multi-issue lives (with apologies to Audre Lorde, who pointed out that we do not live single-issue lives).