Introduction to Disability Studies, Autumn 2025, DIS ST/LSJ/CHID 230
Our First Class Meeting, Wednesday, September 24, 10:00-11:20, we will meet on Zoom: URL: https://washington.zoom.us/j/94680219442
Instructors:
- Dr. Ronnie Thibault (she/her), Instructor (Lecturer)
- Email: ronnie22@uw.edu
- Office hours: Wednesdays, 11:30 -12:30 on Zoom or by appointment on Zoom or in SAV 414
- Zoom link for Ronnie's office hours: HERE
- Ari Forsyth (they/them), Teaching Assistant for Sections AA and AB
- Malcom King, Teaching Assistant for Sections AC and AD
- Email: mking6@uw.edu
- Office hours: Tuesday Section Times on Zoom
- Zoom link for office hours: HERE
Course Syllabus .pdf and .docx:
Classroom and Remote Zoom Locations & Schedule:
Monday/Wednesday Lectures:
Monday In-Person Lectures: 10:00 to 11:20 a.m., Mary Gates Hall, Room 241. Held synchronously on Zoom and recorded for asynchronous access.
Wednesday lectures on Zoom from 10:00 - 11:20 am. Held synchronously and recorded for asynchronous access.
Join URL for Monday/Wednesday Lectures: URL: https://washington.zoom.us/j/94680219442
Tuesday/Thursday Quiz Sections:
Quiz Sections will start on Thursday, September 25
Quiz sections are held on THURSDAY.
You will NOT meet in person for the Tuesday Quiz sections.* Instead, your assigned TA will hold office hours on Zoom during your Tuesday quiz sections.
NOTE ONE EXCEPTION: *Tuesday sections WILL meet in person on Tuesday, December 2nd. This is to hold individual presentations during the last week of class.
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- Ari Forsyth (they/them), Teaching Assistant for Sections AA and AB
- Malcom King, Teaching Assistant for Sections AC and AD
- Email: mking6@uw.edu
- Office hours: Tuesday Section Times on Zoom
- Zoom link for office hours: HERE
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Thursday quiz sections take place in person and will follow the schedule below:
SECTION AA: 9:30 - 10:20 MGH Room 284
SECTION AB: 10:30 - 11:20 MGH Room 284
SECTION AC: 11:30 - 12:20 MGH Room 074
SECTION AD: 12:30 - 1:20 MGH Room 074
Course Weekly Content Modules HERE
Discussion Board for General Course Questions, Ideas, Communications, and Concerns. HERE
NOTE-TAKER SIGN-UP LIST HERE
Welcome to the course!
Welcome to Introduction to Disability Studies! We are excited that you have joined the course and want to acknowledge that we are entering our classrooms during an uncertain and particularly fraught national and global political moment. We recognize that you have all been through a tremendous amount of uncertainty over these past few years, and it is our goal to create a classroom space where you feel safe to express your views, ideas, and concerns. We look forward to teaching and learning with you this quarter and want to stress that we encourage student input and strive to make course adjustments based on your feedback as the quarter unfolds. As your course instructor, I will make every attempt to respond to emails in a timely manner (usually within a few hours).
Course Description:
This class explores the field of disability studies, a multi-disciplinary field that investigates, critiques, and enhances our social, cultural, global, and political understandings of disability. By centering on the perspectives and histories of disabled scholars, activists, individuals, and their allies, this course introduces critical frameworks for recognizing how people with disabilities have experienced and at times successfully pushed against institutionalized ableism, dangerous and oppressive policies, and the pervasive cultural stigmas and stereotypes that continue to misrepresent disability. As the quarter unfolds, we will move back and forth between learning about and analyzing the oppressive histories and contemporary practices that impact people with disabilities while we also emphasize the powerful disability movements, scholars, individuals, activists, and allies that describe and represent a more realistic and optimistic view of disability. We acknowledge that these are complex topics to navigate, and it is our goal as your course instructors to maintain classroom spaces that are safe for engaging in topics that address ableist and racist practices while we collectively reflect on our potential individual complicity in the historical, social, economic, and political exclusion of people with disabilities.
This course places a strong emphasis on disability and intersectionality by shifting back and forth between Critical Disability Studies scholarship and contemporary examples that demonstrate how we can begin questioning the cultural logics that shape our individual views about disability identity and experience. In our class lectures and collaborative workshops, we will explore films, podcasts, scholarship, news stories, artwork, pop culture, social media, and disability narratives that exemplify the powerful shifts in social understandings about disability that have emerged through hard-fought social justice battles led by disability activists and the disability rights movement. In these collaborative workshops, we will practice applying disability studies theories and research methods to real-world circumstances and throughout the quarter you will deepen your disability studies research and critical writing skills as you construct a persuasive argument in support of the United States' ratification of the UN Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities (CRPD).
Learning objectives:
- Understand the disability studies frameworks and articulate the concept of disability as a social, political, economic, and cultural construction.
- Identify the major political, social, cultural, economic, and scientific ideas, practices, and legacies that shape the meanings of disability.
- Demonstrate knowledge of the origins and impacts of disability oppression and the disability rights movement.
- Apply disability studies concepts, theories, and methods to real-world contexts.
- Develop skills in critical thinking about diversity and how disability intersects with other categories such as race, gender, sex, and class.
- Engage in critical inquiry around developing concepts and controversies in disability studies and the disability rights and disability justice communities.
Course Communication:
It is my goal that each student in this class gain as much out of the course materials and experience as possible. I encourage you to visit me during office hours to ask questions, have a discussion, brainstorm about your projects, or make suggestions about the course. If my office hours conflict with your schedule we can arrange a different meeting time. I am very responsive to e-mails and encourage you to feel comfortable asking me questions if you find yourself struggling with materials or assignments. There is also an open discussion forum in the Canvas discussion posts section if you would like to pose a question to the class or the teaching team: Course Q&A
Remember, if you feel you are struggling with a concept or assignment there is a good chance some of your classmates are having a similar experience. Asking questions in class or through the general discussion page is a fantastic way to collectively work through issues. Please take advantage of my office hours if you have questions, would like to discuss course material, or find you need help locating the University of Washington academic, accessibility, or counseling services.
Class Meetings:
This is a hybrid course.
- Class meets in person on Mondays in Mary Gates Hall Room 241.
- Class meets virtually on Wednesdays in our Zoom classroom.
- Class sections meet in person on Thursdays in the classrooms listed at the top of your syllabus.
I will record each of the Monday/Wednesday lecture sessions and post the recordings in Canvas within 24 hours of our meeting. All course materials are available on the course canvas site, I have organized the course into weekly modules that take you step-by-step through the content for that week. These modules include all recorded lectures, weekly in-class activities, group workshops, class media content, assignment instructions, course readings, exercises, and discussion posts. You are responsible for reading through all of the course content and for paying close attention to course announcements and weekly module updates.
Access, disability, and religious accommodations, and resources:
The instructors are trying to create an inclusive learning environment. Your experiences in the class are important to all of us. If you anticipate or encounter barriers to participating or demonstrating your learning because of any aspect of how the course is taught, we encourage you to contact us as soon as possible so that we can discuss options.
We can work in conjunction with Disability Resources for Students: Disability Resources for Students (UW Seattle) Email: uwdrs@uw.edu Phone: 206-543-8924. If you have already established accommodations with DRS, please communicate your approved accommodations to us at your earliest convenience so we can discuss your needs in this course. DRS offers resources and coordinates reasonable accommodations for students with disabilities and/or temporary health conditions. Reasonable accommodations are established through an interactive process between you, your instructor(s) and DRS. It is the policy and practice of the University of Washington to create inclusive and accessible learning environments consistent with federal and state law.
Note that while this is directly applicable to students who are registered with DRS, you do not need to disclose a disability or provide an accommodations letter to discuss accessibility. Please feel free to talk with us about any aspect of accommodations or accessibility.
Religious Accommodations Policy
Washington state law requires that UW develop a policy for accommodation of student absences or significant hardship due to reasons of faith or conscience, or for organized religious activities. The UW’s policy, including more information about how to request an accommodation, is available at Religious Accommodations Policy. Accommodations must be requested within the first two weeks of this course using the Religious Accommodations Request. If you are unable to fill out the request but will need an accommodation, please speak with me as stated above.
Disability Studies Program Statement on Continuing COVID Precautions
"Masks are very highly recommended for all students, faculty, staff, and other members of the Disability Studies community who attend in-person class meetings, office hours, and in-person events and activities. Continuing the use of masks will help to make our learning spaces and workplaces as accessible as possible and to protect everyone, especially at this time when there are fewer COVID safety precautions on and off campus."
Read our full message here
Assignments & Coursework
The Use of AI:
In the context of this course, the use of AI writing tools like ChatGPT is considered plagiarism and will result in a final null score on any assignment generated through the use of AI. ChatGPT and AI writing tools have proper and beneficial applications but any use of these platforms is strictly prohibited in this class. ChatGPT is not flawless, particularly in the context of critical disability studies, and AI tools often include the precise harmful ableist language, terms, and tone that we critique in this class. Furthermore, I am explicitly interested in your understanding of the course materials, and the prompts are specifically designed to engage your critical thinking and reflection about the concepts that we study. Having said this, I do NOT use AI detection tools or plagiarism detection software to check assignments as these tools are also proven to be both inequitable and deeply flawed.
Weekly Readings Discussion and Response Posts: (40%)
All readings are available online through the course Canvas readings page HERE and in the weekly pages posted under each module. You can locate the reading discussion and response assignment for the week in the weekly pages posted in the modules. These discussion and response posts will happen on Canvas and will require two parts:
Reading Discussion Post due Thursdays at 11:59 pm. (20 points).
Response Post due Sundays at 11:59 pm. (20 points)
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- Your Reading Discussion Post must be at least 200 words. Your instructor will provide a set of prompts each week that you can use as a guide for the discussion portion of the assignment.
- Your Reading Discussion Response to a fellow student must be at least 200 words and include your engagement with at least one of the weekly readings. assignment. (20 points).
Persuasive Argument Project: 200 points (40%)
We will guide you through each part of the Persuasive Argument Project in lecture and section meetings, and you will have time in sections to work on your projects and ask questions. Each part helps you prepare for the final paper due.
Part 1 (20 points): Due Sunday, November 2. "Select Your CRPD Article" (you will learn about the CRPD, and we will work on this assignment in your sections!)
Part 2 (60 points) due Sunday, November 23, "Research Your Article and Prepare Your Argument."
Part 3: (100 points) due Tuesday, December 11, "U.S Ratification of the CRPD Final Persuasive Paper"
Part 4: (20 points) In-Class Presentations/CRPD Persuasive Argument due the week of December 1
Course Participation, Collaborative Learning, & Engagement:(20%)
See collaborative learning and participation guidelines HERE
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- Lecture Discussion & General Participation: 5%
- Section Workshops & Group Collaboration: 15%
Assessment:
Late work policy:
IT IS ESSENTIAL THAT YOU SUBMIT ALL OF YOUR ASSIGNMENTS IN A TIMELY FASHION!!
I understand the stresses that are intrinsic to academia and that life can, and often does, throw challenges and curveballs at us. I will be as accommodating as possible if you are experiencing difficulties completing your work, but you must stay in communication with me or your TA. There is a 24-hour grace period past the due date for all assignments and if you find you need additional time we can work together on a plan that is manageable and does not cause you to fall further behind. I have scaffolded the assignments in a way that means each assignment or activity meaningfully leads into the next, so it is crucial that you communicate with your instructors if you need additional time to complete an assignment or activity or if you believe you are falling behind. If we have not heard from you before or shortly after the grace period and you have not submitted your work, your score will be reduced by 5% for each day it is submitted past the 24-hour grace period.
Grade Conversion Chart:
The University of Washington does not have a standardized procedure for converting percent scores to 4.0 scaled grades. For this class, grades will be maintained in percent scores until final grades are calculated and will then be converted to 4.0 scaled grades using the chart below:
Grade Conversion Word docx HERE
Grade Conversion pdf. HERE
Policies and Expectations:
Basic Expectations:
- Respect: I expect each of you to remain respectful of each other and your instructors. This class is a chance for everyone to learn and to express themselves and should remain a welcoming place to do that. We will be engaging with ideas and concepts that may be sensitive, please take extra care to think about how your message will be received and try to give each other the benefit of the doubt.
- Patience: In this course, you will be learning new ideas and concepts. Additionally, we will all be working with technologies that may be new to some of you and there may be moments when you are pushed outside your comfort zone, so please be patient, and feel free to reach out to your instructors for help if you need it.
- Keep up: It is your responsibility to complete each week’s material. If you are struggling to keep up or to meet any course deadlines, please reach out to your instructors so they can work with you to find a pace and solution that works best.
- Talk to your instructors: If something is going on in your life that is affecting your work in this class, please let us know. We understand that we are all working in new ways, in new settings, and have varying degrees of support, technological infrastructure, etc. If you know in advance that you are going to be unable to complete an assignment on time, please reach out. We are happy to be flexible, but ask that you please communicate with us
Privacy/FERPA statement
This hybrid course is scheduled to meet synchronously via Zoom and in person as indicated in the course schedule and all in-person classes and Zoom meetings will be recorded for asynchronous access. The Zoom recordings will capture the presenter’s audio, video, and computer screen. Student audio and video will be recorded if they share their computer audio and video during the recorded session. The recordings will only be accessible to students enrolled in the course to review materials. These recordings will not be shared with or accessible to the public. The University and Zoom have FERPA-compliant agreements in place to protect the security and privacy of UW Zoom accounts. Students who do not wish to be recorded should:
- Change their Zoom screen name to hide any personal identifying information such as their name or UW Net ID, and
- Not share their computer audio or video during their Zoom
- If you do not wish to be recorded during our class sessions, please contact me at ronnie22@uw.edu
Respect for Diversity
In all contexts related to this course, students are expected to respect individual differences, which may include: disability, age, cultural background, ethnicity, family status, gender presentation, national origin, personality differences, race, religious and political beliefs, sex, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, and/or veteran status. When you disagree with someone in class, please speak up, but focus your comments on the larger issues, institutions, and frameworks at hand rather than that particular person.
I strive to cultivate an inclusive learning environment for all students in this class. If you are experiencing obstacles in the class or outside of your coursework, there are medical, legal, mental health, and social-support resources available to you (generally at no or low cost) as a student at the University of Washington. I encourage you to communicate with me about any barriers to your learning that might arise throughout the quarter and we will work together to resolve them.
Many of the topics covered raise sensitive questions of ethics, identity, and policy. Students in the class have a wide range of backgrounds and experiences. For some, the information and perspectives may be completely new; others may have previous knowledge of disability, oppression, history, or representation. Please keep in mind that this course is being taught from an anti-oppressive point of view, and a principal goal is to teach and apply the academic critical disability studies and cultural studies approach. Alternative assignments can be arranged individually for students who are uncomfortable speaking in class.
Academic Integrity:
Students at the University of Washington are expected to maintain a certain standard of conduct and be responsible members of the community. The Student Conduct Code defines prohibited conduct and describes how the University holds students accountable as they pursue their academic goals.
Avoiding Plagiarism:
Properly crediting and citing your sources is an important step in the writing process. If you have questions about how to properly cite resources, please contact me or make an appointment at the writing center. If I determine you appear to have intentionally copied work directly from a source without giving proper credit you will receive a null score on the assignment and any future instances will be referred to Academic Affairs.
Review the UW plagiarism policies
Review the student code of conduct guidelines
Inclement Weather:
Please check if the campus may be closed due to inclement weather. I will make a course announcement via our Canvas course site if there are weather closures specific to our meeting times.
Illness and emergencies:
If you are ill or have an emergency, please take care of yourself and your needs. Contact me as soon as possible during my office hours, through email, or via Zoom appointment and we can discuss your specific circumstances and devise an updated work plan.
Incomplete:
Incomplete will be granted, barring extraordinary circumstances. Students who face major emergencies or disruptions due to serious illness or personal trauma should consider an emergency withdrawal through Student Affairs.
According to University policy, “an incomplete is given only when the student has been in attendance and has done satisfactory work until within two weeks at the end of the quarter and has furnished proof satisfactory to the instructor that the work cannot be completed because of illness or other circumstances beyond the student’s control.” If you are not able to meet that requirement, you are advised to drop the class before it is too late.
Student Support Services:
Mental Health Services to Students - main UW website with many on-campus and off-campus resources: https://wellbeing.uw.edu/topic/mental-health/
View more Student Support Services on this Canvas page and on the University Services and Support Page Link
- Student Health and Wellness Center: http://depts.washington.edu/livewell/
- Technology help (UW Seattle): help@uw.edu 206.221.5000
- Odegaard Writing and Research Center: http://www.lib.washington.edu/ougl/writing-and-research 221.0972 206.543.5396
- LSJ Writing Center https://depts.washington.edu/pswrite/Links to an external site. (206) 616-3354
- CHID (Interdisciplinary Writing Studio) https://chid.washington.edu/writing-centerLinks to an external site.
- Office of the Ombud: https://www.washington.edu/ombud/ 206-543-6028Links to an external site.
- The Samuel Kelly Ethnic Cultural Center - email ecc@uw.edu to learn more about their efforts to create discussion spaces
- UW Counseling Center.
- Huskies Vote https://www.washington.edu/studentlife/vote/