Disability studies try to answer such questions as, "What is disability, and who is disabled?" It looks beyond the conventional idea of disability as a measurable flaw inside people’s bodies or minds, and it examines the complex way that society classifies and interacts with people who function differently from the "norm." Students conduct research across social, cultural, clinical, ethical, and policy perspectives.

The program also examines how addressing disability in all of its dimensions can promote the full participation, self-determination, and equal citizenship of people with disabilities in society.

The interdisciplinary PhD Program in Disability Studies at UIC

• is the first PhD in the United States dedicated to the burgeoning field of disability studies and is one of only a few such programs in the world.
• has been featured in USA Today, the Chicago Tribune, the Journal of the American Medical Association, and on NBC Nightly News.
• produces disability scholars prepared to take prominent roles in advancing and integrating the scientific and cultural study of disability.
• has diverse faculty and resources in the social sciences, health fields, and humanities.
• has diverse students from all over the world with backgrounds in numerous disciplines.