The Disabled Staff and Faculty Coalition* is an affinity group that creates community for all disabled staff and faculty at the University of Arizona by holding events, meetups, and social activities on campus throughout the year. We provide a unified voice for disabled faculty and staff in order to:
Create opportunities for disabled faculty and staff to gather with peers, have a place where disability is not the “other”, and create a community of connection and belonging
- Promote an environment of access, inclusion, and equity for all disabled populations of faculty, staff, and visitors
- Provide models of access, advocacy, and inclusion for disabled students
- Increasing understanding of disability culture and communities and their significance
*Our coalition is a space for all disabled staff and faculty, this includes D/deaf, neurodivergent, chronically ill individuals; those with sensory, psychiatric, cognitive, intellectual, developmental, and physical disabilities; and those seeking mental health care and support. You do not need to be registered with DRC or have medical documentation to join.
For more information or to join our Listserv, please contact sschlauderaff@arizona.edu
Spring Disability Studies Courses
University of Arizona undergraduate students interested in taking Disability Studies courses for the Spring 2024 semester - please check out the following course offerings. The Disability Studies Initiative at the University of Arizona is working to compile and highlight Disability Studies courses on campus, and to develop ways for students to further explore and engage with Disability Studies, Critical Disability Studies, Deaf Studies, Mad Studies, Crip Theory, and Disability Justice.
HNRS 195H-010: Where Do I Fit In? Disabled Bodies, Narratives and Depictions.
Taught by Dani Lucchese, M.A.
Thursdays 1:00 PM - 1:50 PM, in-person.
"Utilizing frameworks of disability studies and disability justice, students would engage with texts, concepts and activities that challenge their perceptions around disability, access and justice."
HNRS 195J-003: Beyond a Diagnosis: Exploring Disability Identity, Culture, and Community.
Taught by Sav Schlauderaff, M.A.
Tuesdays 1:00-1:50PM, in-person.
"Drawing from the Disability Rights movement organizing slogan “Nothing About Us Without Us” - this honors seminar aims to break down the stigma around disability through engaging with materials written and created by disabled people. Moreover, this course will be taught by a disabled instructor. Students will learn more about disability identity, explore their own lived experiences through self-reflection activities, and break down concepts such as ableism, intersectionality, and accessibility."
ANTH/FCM 496E/596E: Disability & Society
Taught by Austin Duncan, Ph.D.
Tuesday & Thursday 1:00-2:30pm, in-person.
"Over 15% of the US and world populations are disabled/have disabilities. How do their bodily and mental conditions affect their health, social relations, and daily lives? What role do clinical and social treatments play in them? This course will help students develop an understanding of the meanings that disabilities and bodily impairments hold in contemporary society and how society, politics, and medicine in turn impact the lives of the disabled. It will explore core theoretical principles and debates in Disability Studies and relevant social science disciplines along with practical studies of how disability is both produced in and shaped by policies, social structures, and relations. Students will use these concepts in a capstone project that analyzes and makes recommendations to improve disability accommodations and services in the community. The knowledge they gain form this course will aid any professional or personal interactions students will have with disabled friends, colleagues, and clients in their future careers."
FCM/HPS 408/508: Disability in Public Health
Taught by Brandy James, Ph.D.
Tuesday & Thursday 3:00-4:15pm, in-person.
"This course will give an overview of the world of disability and the many factors impacting social determinants of health and quality of life outcomes. Students will gain an experiential exposure to a wide variety of disabilities spanning from early childhood to aging including those developed at birth and acquired at other times in one's life. Discussion will focus on changing perceptions of disability throughout society and across different cultures emphasizing influences that change how treatment and attitudes towards disability have changed in some societies and not others. Key transitions through the life course across multiple domains such as health, education, independent living, and employment will be highlighted. Current health issues and disparities such as with COVID-19 will be presented. Students will engage in group discussions and practical assignments related to readings and topical events that often will include people with disabilities. The course will highlight a strengths-based perspective within the context of disability and public health."
SERP 414: Introduction to Disability Studies.
Taught by Sue Kroeger, Ph.D. Online.
"Overview of disability studies; privilege and oppression; disability models & concepts; historical and current perspectives; the lived experience; service delivery practices."
SERP 416: Disability Perspectives & Narratives.
Taught by Sue Kroeger, Ph.D. Online.
"Exploration of the disability lived experience and societal perspectives and their impact; key concepts include ableism, normalcy, language, identity, intrinsic/extrinsic barriers, access, inclusion."