PhD in Disability Studies
Promoting social justice, self-determination and the full participation 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.
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Excellence Our award winning faculty, staff and students are being recognized for their achievements and excellence in the field
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1st interdisciplinary disability studies PhD program in the country
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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.
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I really benefitted from the interdisciplinary nature of the program, which gave me new ways of understanding and experiencing disability.
| PhD ‘16
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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.
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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:
- Engage with the community through collaboration and field experiences in the disability sector
- Participate in research or teaching through an assistantship
- Share your knowledge by training others and presenting at conferences
- Produce scholarly publications that contribute to the scientific knowledge base on disability
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.
Drew Egli visits the Wolfensberger Archives Heading link
DHD PhD student Drew Egli was provided with the opportunity to visit the Wolfensberger Archives in Omaha as part of a collaboration with the Nebraska UCEDD (the Munroe-Meyer Institute) and the UNMC library.
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We’re here for you
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.
DHD’s Office of Student Affairs:
Email dhdosa@uic.edu
Phone 312.996.1508
Address 1640 W. Roosevelt Rd.
207 DHSP, MC 626
Chicago, IL 60608-6904