This course is designed as an introduction to the emerging, multidisciplinary field of disability studies. Historically, the concept of disability has been interpreted through the medical sciences as an individual-based sickness, pathology, or problem. More recently, however, the growing field of disability studies has challenged that perspective. This course will introduce students to various frameworks that have shaped an understanding of disability (from medical & charity models to a civil rights based approach), and promote the understanding of disability as a cultural construction. It will examine the disability rights movement and contemporary "disability culture" within the broader context of a multicultural United States (e.g., on par with race, class, and gender), as well as from an international, cross-cultural perspective. Lastly, students will examine how these different notions are linked to specific social welfare and educational policies related to the delivery of services and supports for people with disabilities. Satisfies Social Science Perspectives GenEd requirement; satisfies SEEDS Political and Civic Life student learning outcome in alignment with Social justice and Equity value.