Disability studies examines disability as a social, cultural, and political phenomenon rather than solely as a medical issue. It emerged in the late 20th century influenced by the social model that views disability as imposed by societal barriers rather than individual medical conditions. The document discusses the content and approaches of disability studies programs internationally, noting they are interdisciplinary and cover topics like disability rights movements, cultural representations, and policies regarding education, employment and independent living. Nordic disability studies is characterized by its focus on citizenship, equality and critiques of institutions from the disability rights perspective.

1. Disability Studies Today
Antti Teittinen, docent
Research Manager
Finnish Association on Intellectual and
Developmental Disabilities

2. Why Disability Studies
 Medical vs social: Until 1980s policy, provision and
discourse dominated by aetiological approach.
 Work of Union of the Physically Impaired Against
Segregation (UPIAS 1976) highly influential. Applied
concept of interpretation to disability studies.
 Oliver (1990, 1996) most associated with establishing
social model in the public domain.
 Social model acknowledges role of society in imposing
limitations on individual.
 In both cases, disability generally conceptualised as
unchanging.

3. Definitions of Disability Studies
• “Disability Studies refers generally to the examination
of disability as a social, cultural, and political
phenomenon. In contrast to clinical, medical, or
therapeutic perspectives on disability, Disability Studies
focuses on how disability is defined and represented in
society. It rejects the perception of disability as a
functional impairment that limits a person’s activities.
From this perspective, disability is not a characteristic
that exists in the person or a problem of the person
that must be “fixed” or “cured.” Instead, disability is a
construct that finds its meaning within a social and
cultural context.” (Syracuse University, USA)

4. Disability Studies is a multidisciplinary
academic study
• “Disability Studies is a vibrant area of study,
developed over the past 40 years by
academics. It is both interdisciplinary and
multi-disciplinary, informed by scholarship
from history, sociology, literature, political
science, law, policy studies, economics,
cultural studies, anthropology, geography,
philosophy, theology, gender studies, media
studies and the arts.” (University College Cork,
Ireland)

5. Syllabus of Disability Studies
• Content (Syracuse University, USA)
– Demonstrate an understanding of the social, cultural, and
political situation of people with disabilities
– Describe foundational social, cultural, historical, and
philosophical perspectives in the study of disability in
society
– Develop interdisciplinary analysis and critique of cultural
representations and stereotypes of people with disabilities
– Develop skills in disability research, policy, and advocacy
– Explain the development of disability rights movements

6. Continues…
• Content (Universität zu Köln)
– Sociology of Disability and Rehabilitation
– Disability and Society
– Disability as a “Social Problem”: History, Discourses,
Policies
– Re-Thinking Disability: Introduction to Disability Studies
– Norms, Normality, Normalisation: Sociological Perspectives
– Disability Policies in International Comparison
– Political Participation and Social Movements of Persons
with Disabilities
– Research Colloquium on Disability Studies

7. Continues…
• Content (University of Leeds)
– an advanced understanding of Disability Studies, its connections to disability activism, range of
theoretical perspectives and field-specific methodologies;
– an advanced understanding of how Disability Studies perspectives are re-orientating 'knowledge' in
fields as diverse as medicine and healthcare, gender studies, education, law, architecture and design,
transport studies, media studies and geography;
– a critical understanding and working knowledge of a range of methodological perspectives and
research methods within social sciences;
– the ability both to design and conduct their own research and to evaluate the research they
encounter during the course of the programme and beyond;
– the ability to analyse and investigate social and cultural phenomena from a Disability Studies
perspective in a way that appreciates that are a range of disciplinary and intersectional perspectives
within this field;
– an understanding of the ways in which key issues within Disability Studies manifest across different
global contexts;
– the ability to work proactively and self-reflectively, and to develop professional relationships with
others;
– an understanding of Disability Studies' key challenges, issues and questions in ways that resist the
separation of the theoretical from the applied or the dominance of the theoretical over the applied;
– the ability to conduct a piece of individual research using appropriate conceptual frameworks and
methods, on an aspect of Disability Studies.

8. Continues
• Content (Halmstad University, Sweden)
– The first theme is an introduction to the other themes. This theme
introduces the meaning of disability in a welfare context and discusses
disability in relation to identity and a first-persons perspective.
– The second theme discusses disability from a life-course perspective
and highlights the living conditions and structural conditions of
disabled people in relation to childhood, youth, adulthood, and old
age.
– The third theme focuses on disability in relation to art and culture.
Disability culture, disability art, and Crip theory are discussed, and the
social meaning of doing art is analysed in terms of identity and
empowerment.
– The fourth theme analyses the living conditions of disabled persons in
relation to a global perspective and in relation to the UN CRPD.
Highlighted areas in the fourth theme are health, education, and social
participation in different parts of the world.

9. Continues…
• Content (University of Helsinki)
– Introduction to Disability Studies: The course offers an
overview of the history of disabilities, the social position of
disabled people and disability studies as an academic field.
Disability is studied as a social, political, cultural and
economic phenomenon. After completing the course,
students will be familiar with the general history of
disability, how it is defined, and the theoretical models
explaining disabilities. Students will also be able to analyse
the differences and similarities between disabled people
and other minority groups. In addition, students will be
able to identify obstacles and difficulties in Western
societies that disabled people encounter with housing,
education, work and free-time activities.

10. Continues…
– Disability and Society in Finland: The course focuses on
services for the disabled organised by the state and
municipalities and their ability to respond to the needs of
disabled people. The practices and ideology of welfare
services form the overarching theme of the course. After
completing the course, students will be acquainted with
the housing possibilities offered to disabled people and
understand their significance with respect to personal
autonomy and participation in society. Students will also
be able to identify factors that limit disabled people such
as obstacles to participation in education or work.
Students will also understand the significance of the work
of NGOs and other civil society actors, and will be able to
compare Finnish disability policies to their Nordic and
European counterparts.

11. Continues…
– Disability in a Global Perspective: This is an
introductory course to disability in a global context.
Upon completion this course, students will be familiar
with disability in various cultures, especially in the
global South (particularly in Africa and Central Asia).
Students will also be able to identify and analyse
disability in terms of human rights with a special
reference to UN Convention on the Rights of Persons
with Disabilities. In addition, students will learn about
the development cooperation of disability
organizations and other governmental and non-
governmental organizations.

12. Continues…
• Theoretical and ethical questions of disability studies:
The course focuses on essential theoretical and
philosophical questions in disability studies. It begins
by covering the most essential approaches such as
historical materialism, post-structuralism and critical
realism, followed by contemporary debates in disability
studies and their practical implications. After
completing the course, students will be familiar with
the key theories in disability studies and their
significance in defining disability and policies on
disability. In addition, students will be able to analyse
normative, i.e. political and ethical, questions related
to disability.

13. What is Disability Studies?
– UK: Primarily political
– US: Primarily socio-cultural
– Nordic Countries: service-oriented

14. Nordic Situatedness and
Politics of Location
• How do we handle our located situatedness?
• Empirical research
– located in own country
– lessons from others
– lessons for others
• Domination of UK and USA
– important contributions
– dominating and generalized
• Non–English/ Non–UK/USA
– must decide if we locate us or generalize
– problems of language and translations

15. Disability & Disability Studies in the Nordic
Countries
• Historical and political context 1960s/70s
– Citizenship and equality – basic principles and values of the
welfare state
– The principle of normalization was formulated in the Nordic
countries
– Disabled people’s movement
– Independent living movement
– Welfare provisions and human rights should be extended to all,
including disabled people

16. Disability & Disability Studies in the Nordic
Countries?
• Historical and political context 1960s/70s
– Critique of institutions – unacceptable living conditions and
human rights violations
– Critique of medical understanding of disability
– Society and the environment should be be changed so disabled
people could participate
– ‘Environmental turn’ - The focus shifted from the individual as
the sole problem to include the social context
– Top down reforms

17. University of Helsinki research policy
conclusion
• The Faculty of Social Sciences at the University
of Helsinki has decided to maintain a
professorship in the field of disability research
at the University of Helsinki. At the same time,
since 2013, the fixed-term job is being
established.