“Disability is a political issue, not a personal one,” writes disability activist Sunaura Taylor. That is, the problem of how to secure accommodations for disabled people in an abled world cannot be solved at the level of the individual; it must be addressed collectively. This course offers an introduction to the topic of disability justice and the question of what it looks like for a society to center, rather than marginalize, the forms of care required for people with disabilities to participate, survive, and flourish. We’ll start by thinking about definitions of ‘disability’ and frameworks for articulating principles of disability justice, including the need for an intersectional approach. Next we’ll analyze how capitalism tends to thwart the project of disability justice – how its emphasis on productive labor can reinforce ableist frameworks, devalue non-productive lives and forms of dependency, and create precarity for those unable to become self-sufficient through waged work. Last, we’ll look at how disabled people and allies have built up networks of care to meet their needs in the face of systemic neglect. We’ll also ask what it means to build communities that move away from the ideals of self-sufficiency toward those of mutual aid, care, and interdependence – ideals, as Taylor puts it, that are “worthy of the impaired and able-bodied alike.”

Units: 1

Max Enrollment: 16

Prerequisites: None. Open to First-Years only.

Degree Requirements: WFY - First Year Writing

Typical Periods Offered: Spring

Semesters Offered this Academic Year: Spring

Notes: Mandatory Credit/Non Credit.