Disability and human rights in American Studies

Elective Course

In this course, we consider the intersections between disability studies and human rights discourse and its applications to a transnational American Studies. After establishing a brief overview of the field of Disability Studies, we examine the history of disability rights in the US. We consider notions of the normative body, a brief history of eugenics, and the development a critical discourse that cuts across medical, social, and legal constructions of disability. We then consider recent patterns in disability culture and activism, especially in relation to the passing of Americans with Disabilities Act in 1990 and the subsequent implications of this act. As we engage in the close study of disability culture, activism, and the law, we uncover how each one provides the means for envisioning more inclusive communities. In addition to focusing on disability rights in the United States, we also apply this study to a unit on the global discourse on disability and human rights.