phd in disability law

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Area of Interest Disability Law

Harvard Law School provides students with the opportunity to learn about disability law and policy in the United States and around the world through course work, experiential learning, and the award-winning Harvard Law School Project on Disability. Issues addressed include access to education, employment, housing, and international human rights ,  and approaches to effective lawyering include counseling, legislative drafting, policy advice, and both impact and individual litigation.

From Harvard Law Today

Hls professors, william p. alford.

Jerome A. and Joan L. Cohen Professor of Law

Esme Caramello

Clinical Professor of Law

Martha A. Field

Langdell Professor of Law

Jon D. Hanson

Alan A. Stone Professor of Law

Daniel Nagin

Carmel shachar.

Assistant Clinical Professor of Law

Visiting Professors & Lecturers

Steve churchill.

Lecturer on Law

Julia Devanthery

Elizabeth gwin, julie mccormack, dana montalto, alexa rosenbloom, matthew smith, michael ashley stein.

Visiting Professor of Law

Education Law Clinic / Trauma & Learning Policy Initiative

Employment law clinic, housing law clinic, research programs and centers, charles hamilton houston institute for race and justice, petrie-flom center: health law, biotech and bioethics, harvard law school project on disability, youth advocacy & policy lab, related courses, modal gallery, gallery block modal gallery.

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Disability Law and Policy Program

The  disability law and policy program (dlpp)  houses the nation’s first joint degree program in law and disability studies, a curricular program in disability law and policy, and the disability rights clinic as well as disability-related summer and semester-long externships in new york and washington, dc. link.

Founded by  Professor Arlene Kanter and now under the leadership of Professor Katherine Macfarlane , DLPP is the most extensive disability-related law school program in the United States. Students who participate in this program often go on to jobs in the areas of disability, education, special education, children’s rights, civil rights, labor, employment, trusts and estates, and international human rights law. Graduates of DLPP now work for federal and state government agencies, private law firms, domestic and international non-governmental organizations, public interest law offices, legal services offices, school districts, policy organizations and think tanks. Other graduates have started their own law practices or pursued LL.M. or Ph.D. degrees. DLPP students also work in the College of Law’s Disability Rights Clinic, take disability-related courses, and work as interns and externs in disability-related placements in New York City, Washington, DC, and other cities in the US and throughout the world. “DLPP is the most extensive disability-related law school program in the United States, and perhaps the world,” says Professor Kanter, whose work outside of teaching included assisting the United Nations in drafting its Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD).

The DLPP is recognized internationally for its excellence, having received the Prize for Innovative Practices for our innovative disability-related academic program at the Zero Project Conference, held at the United Nations Offices in Vienna, Austria, on Feb. 20, 2020. The Zero Project is an initiative of the Essl Foundation, whose mission is to create a world without barriers, as envisioned by the United Nations CRPD.

Experts across the globe peer-reviewed more than 500 Zero Project-nominated projects, which focused on the topic of inclusive education. Of the nominees, 75 innovative practices and 11 innovative policies from 54 countries were selected. The DLPP was one of only three awarded programs in the United States and the only United States-based university program.

Disability Rights Clinic

DLPP News and Updates Link

See the latest commentary from our DLPP leadership on newsworthy topics related to disability law, along with program updates and information.

More from the DLPP

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PhD in Disability Studies

Promoting social justice, self-determination and the full participation of people with disabilities

Disability studies scholars view disability not simply as a defect inside a person, but as a complex relationship between society and people who function differently from the norm.

UIC’s PhD in disability studies program addresses disability in its full complexity, promoting an awareness of disability that supports individuals in shaping their identities and lives . We examine how support services and social and political change can reduce sources of disempowerment.

Disability studies at UIC offers a unique opportunity to study the multilayered, interactional dynamics   of disability.

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Stats and Facts

Interdisciplinary experience.

Our program is truly an interdisciplinary experience, with faculty, researchers, and students coming from backgrounds in health, education, assistive technology, social sciences and humanities. We recognize the inherent tensions that exist between therapeutic, medical and social models of disability, but acknowledge these differences as fertile ground for the development of disability studies as an integrative knowledge base.

I really benefitted from the interdisciplinary nature of the program, which gave me new ways of understanding and experiencing disability. Jenna Heffron  |  PhD ‘16

Your career

Students enroll in our program for a variety of reasons and with a variety of goals for when they graduate, including academic positions, disability policy and advocacy, and visual or performing arts.

A PhD in disability studies gives you advanced knowledge about complex social implications of disability. You’ll develop the skills to lead research, policy analysis, and program evaluation and development in ways that best address the perspectives of people with disabilities.

Ryan Parrey-Munger '13

Ryan is exploring interactions between people with and without disabilities

Joe Caldwell ’05

Joe is applying research to make a difference in people’s lives

Luca Badetti '15

Luca sees similarities among differences

Learn from the best

An internationally recognized leader, scholar and educator in disparities in social participation among people with disabilities

Lennard Davis

A leading scholar of disability, literary and cultural studies

• Meet Lennard

Fabricio Balcazar

Researching the development of effective strategies for enhancing consumer empowerment, entrepreneurship, and personal effectiveness among individuals with disabilities

• Meet Fabricio
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DHD Connections

Our program provides you with the opportunity to embrace interdisciplinary education beyond the classroom and link to the disability community.  By joining DHD you will become a part of our collaborative network of diverse faculty, staff, students, and partners including people with disabilities, family members, organizations, academic departments and universities in Illinois, nationally and internationally.  Build your experience through DHD connections:

• Engage with the community through collaboration and field experiences in the disability sector
• Participate in research or teaching through an assistantship
• Share your knowledge by training others and presenting at conferences
• Produce scholarly publications that contribute to the scientific knowledge base on disability

Some of our past students have worked in policy positions at legal and government centers in Washington, D.C., learning about policy-making processes that affect the lives of disabled citizens and their families. Others have traveled internationally to conduct research, present papers, and participate in service initiatives as they learn how the disability studies knowledge base can expand to incorporate experiences of disability in many cultures.

Drew Egli visits the Wolfensberger Archives

DHD PhD student Drew Egli was provided with the opportunity to visit the Wolfensberger Archives in Omaha as part of a collaboration with the Nebraska UCEDD (the Munroe-Meyer Institute) and the UNMC library.

Association of University Centers on Disabilities Trainee Network

When you become a part of the Department of Disability and Human Development, you join AUCD—a national organization that supports and promotes a network of university-based interdisciplinary programs

DHD Research Centers, Clinical and Community Programs

We are committed to integrating research and academics with community engagement

DHD Community Partners

DHD's work is informed and facilitated by a collaborative network

We're here for you

Still wondering what a PhD in disability studies can do for you? Reach out to DHD’s Office of Student Affairs and get your questions answered.

DHD’s Office of Student Affairs:

[email protected]

312-996-1508

1640 West Roosevelt Road 207 DHSP (MC 626) Chicago, IL 60608-6904

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Graduate certificate in disability studies.

Disability Studies is an emergent scholarly program that is directly engaged in expanding societal understandings of diversity. Disability Studies scholars view disability as a social construct. In doing so, Disability Studies scholars often challenge the traditional medical view of disability as an individual deficit by uncovering the ways through which society creates social, legal, and political barriers that prevent persons with disabilities from participating in society on an equal basis with others. This critical approach to disability has been instrumental in understanding inequality in society and identifying remedies, including civil rights legislation and human rights instruments that address the barriers that people with disabilities face around the world.

The Disability Studies Program sees its role as providing a community for scholars from across campus at the UW to come together to engage in interdisciplinary inquiry about disability as diversity and to support one another’s research and teaching in disability as a social construction. As the next generation of Disability Studies scholars, graduate students are critical to the Disability Studies Program’s mission of building a scholarly community for Disability Studies at the UW.

The link to the application form for the DIS ST Certificate Program is at the bottom of this page.

To earn a certificate, students must complete a minimum of 15 hours of course credit and a culminating experience (i.e. capstone). The course sequence will include a “foundations” course, a DSP approved elective course, and two quarters of the Disability Studies Writing Seminar. The capstone will be the development of a substantive writing project (i.e. draft journal article, conference paper, major research proposal, etc.) and its presentation for critique. Specifically, students must complete:

• Foundations of Disability Studies (DIS ST 501), a course that addresses disability history in the U.S. (disability rights movement, disability justice movement & activism), Disability Studies theory, conceptual models & frameworks, and Disability Studies research methodologies & ethics.
• Disability in Cross-Cultural Perspectives (DIS ST 535/ JSIS 578), a course that critically examines the underlying assumptions of disability studies theory through an intersectional lens that incorporates disability studies work from Asia, South America, Africa, Eastern Europe, the Middle East, and indigenous communities to challenge notions of independence, rights, and political consciousness common in Western disability studies literature.
• A list of DIS ST Program-approved courses taught each year will be posted. If a course is not on the approved list, but a student believes it has significant Disability Studies content, the student may petition for approval. The following courses have been taken by graduate students currently working with DSP and they have indicated that the course has significant Disability Studies content:
• LAW H 530 Disability Law & Policy (3-4 credits)
• SOC W 576 Contexts of Disability & Anti-Ableist Practice (3 credits)
• EDSPE 501 Foundations in Special Education (3 credits)
• EDSPE 520 Seminar in Applied Special Education, when offered as the topic "Intersectional Injustice" (3 credits)
• EDCI: 507 Methods for Teaching Culturally & Linguistically Diverse Exceptional Learners (3 credits)
• DIS ST 535 Graduate Seminar in Disability Studies (1-5 credits)
• DIS ST 502  / HSTCMP 502 Topics in Disability History (5 credits)
• PHIL 409 Philosophy of Disability (open to graduate students) (5 credits)
• DIS ST / BH 421 History of Eugenics (open to graduate students) (5 credits)

Special topics courses may be approved on a case-by-case basis. Generally, independent study courses cannot be substituted for this requirement. On rare occasions, and when a formal course is not available in the student’s area of interest, students may petition to have an independent study course count for this requirement.

• The practicum will be taught as a writing workshop, which will meet once per month throughout the academic year and include both graduate students and Disability Studies faculty. Students will receive one credit hour per quarter. The two quarters do not need to be consecutive, but can be completed over multiple years.
• Develop a substantive written work (paper, article draft, conference paper, research proposals or other approved project under the supervision of a Disability Studies Core or Affiliated faculty member).
• Present the substantive written work during the Disability Studies Writing Practicum (DIS ST 503), a Disability Studies brown bag session, or another public UW venue open to attendance by members of the Disability Studies Program.
• To register for DIS ST 600 Independent Study, please fill out this intake form .

Grading, Assessment and Minimum Standards

The Foundations in Disability Studies and the approved elective course in Disability Studies must be graded courses. The instructor of record will grade the courses according to criteria laid out in the syllabus. The student must achieve a 2.7 grade in each of the two courses taken for the certificate and maintain a 3.0 GPA in their graduate studies. The Disability Studies Graduate Writing Seminar will be a credit/no credit course. The culminating experience will be an analytic paper presented in the Disability Studies Writing Practicum (DIS ST 503), a Disability Studies brown bag session, or another public UW venue open to attendance by members of the Disability Studies Program.. The revised analytic paper will then be provided to and be reviewed by the Curriculum Committee and the Graduate Program Coordinator. To fulfill the requirement, the paper must be assessed as being aligned with the learning outcomes for the Graduate Certificate in Disability Studies program and demonstrate original and substantive research.

Student Learning Outcomes

The learning goals of the Graduate Certificate in Disability Studies include:

• Understanding the major frameworks (models) for analyzing disability.
• Understanding the history of disabled people and society's perceptions of disability in local, national, and global contexts.
• Identifying how society's concept of normalcy shapes representations and perceptions of disability.
• Acquiring analytic tools for evaluating representations of people with disabilities in literature, art, film, and other cultural texts.
• Applying social science approaches to understanding processes of disability marginalization and empowerment.
• Engaging in critical inquiry into how disability intersects with other social movements and markers of diversity such as gender, race, age, class, and nationality.
• Developing familiarity with personal narratives and cultural contributions of disabled people.
• Understanding how to apply Disability Studies topics and concepts to coursework across disciplines.
•  Identifying and describing the major US and international disability civil rights laws and human rights instruments.
• Understanding the processes of policy development and policy analysis from a disability perspective.
• Becoming adept at comparative approaches to law and culture.
• Developing informed positions on rights and policy issues and how these impact disabled people.
•  Identifying social and physical barriers for people with disabilities.
• Developing awareness of grassroots and civil society disability organizations locally or through study abroad.
• Gaining exposure to areas of practice and study where applied knowledge about disability and ableism is needed. 
• Gaining an understanding of how historical ways of representing and treating disabled people have impacted current policies and practices.

Admission Standards

Students must:

• Be registered in a UW graduate degree program.
• Demonstrate an interest in Disability Studies as expressed through their personal statement.
• Have a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher in a UW graduate program.
• Have a faculty reference that can speak to their interest in Disability Studies.

Admission Process

Students should complete the admissions application below. The application requires the following:

• Personal information (name, email, student ID, degree program, and current GPA)
• Personal statement regarding the student’s interest in Disability Studies. This statement will include a description of a) how the program courses will complement and supplement course work in the home unit and b) how the applicant’s research and professional interests/agenda relates to and intersects with the Disability Studies field. This statement should be limited to 1 page.
• Upload the student’s unofficial transcript in PDF format, which should indicate that the applicants’ cumulative UW GPA is 3.0 or higher.
• Faculty reference information (name and contact) of a DSP core or affiliate faculty member who can serve as a reference to assess the applicant’s performance in a program course and/or the extent to which the student’s interests are compatible with the research emphases and vision of the Disability Studies Program.

Applications will be processed on an ongoing basis, which will allow students to enter the certificate program at any time.

SUBMIT APPLICATION  (link)

Completion Process

Once you have completed all of the requirements for the Graduate Certificate, please submit the form below. 

SUBMIT Graduate Certificate Completion Checklist  (link)

The Disability Studies Graduate Certificate Email: [email protected]  

MA/PhD Certificate

The program in disability studies offers an ma/phd certificate.

Flexible, interdisciplinary, and student-centered, the Certificate in Disability Studies offers graduate students throughout the University the opportunity to deepen their scholarship and join a vibrant learning community. Home of The Journal of Philosophy of Disability and the Kennedy Institute of Ethics Journal , Georgetown is a leader in Disability Studies scholarship; the Certificate offers graduate students the opportunity to participate in this dynamic, innovative community.

This certificate is available to all matriculated Georgetown MA or PhD graduate students, with the approval of their home department and the DS director. It will be awarded on the completion of 12 credit-hours of Disability Studies course work. 

To complete the Certificate, students may take any graduate-level courses from the list below, and may also take individual tutorials on disability-related subjects, or advanced undergraduate courses. The list below is not meant to be exhaustive. If students identify other courses that provide significant opportunities to engage with disability in theory or practice, they should present them to the Director for approval. There are no required courses. Course descriptions can be found on the Office of the Registrar’s registration site .

DBST 424 Disability Studies Seminar ENGL 443 Gender and Care in Modern US Poetry ENGL 720 Introduction to Disability Studies ENGL 724 Queer Memoir: Theory and Practice INAF 694 Refugee/Humanitarian Crises INAF 698 Intro to Humanitarian Crises LAWJ 754 Epidemiology PHIL 441 Bioethics and the ‘Abnormal’ Body PHIL 442 The Ethics and Politics of Weight and Eating PHIL 446 Ethics of Embodiment PHIL 759 Political Philosophy of the Body PHIL/DBST 439 Topics in Philosophy of Disability PHIL 690 Phenomenology of Embodiment PHIL 695 The Gene: Genomics, Disability, and Society STIA 459 People, Plagues, Technology THEO 351 Disability and the Jewish Bible THEO 510 Religion and Gender

Application

If you are interested in the DS Certificate, please first talk to your graduate advisor to coordinate how this fits in with your graduate program. Then, please fill out this form , obtain your advisor’s signature, and map a path of 12 credits.

Students must declare and obtain approval for the DS Certificate by April 1 of their graduation semester, but preferably by early in the second year of their graduate studies.

For more information about the DS Certificate, please contact Quill Kukla , Director, The Program in Disability Studies.

Doctoral Portfolio in Disability Studies

Steve hicks school of social work, texas center for disability studies, school of nursing, college of education, college of fine arts, and college of liberal arts.

The Doctoral level portfolio program in Disability Studies (DS) is designed to broaden a student’s conception of disability with a focus on the social context and cultural representations of disability. Disability Studies is an interdisciplinary approach that adds breadth to the traditional, primarily medical, view of disability. Disability Studies reframes the study of disability with a social/cultural/political paradigm, using a minority group model to critically examine existing beliefs, images, ideologies, policies, and stereotypes about disability. The  Doctoral  level portfolio program is designed to support future researchers in Disability Studies as well as develop leaders in this emerging field.

Admission Requirements

Admission to the DS Doctoral Portfolio  program will be selective and the DS Steering Committee reserves the right to admit or reject applicants.

Successful applicants to the  DS Doctoral Portfolio  will have met the admission standards required by the Graduate School and by their primary Doctoral degree program. Students may enter the DS portfolio program at any point in their graduate work, but it is recommended that they do so as soon as they decide to pursue the portfolio. The application should include:

• A statement of purpose, including previous experience related to individuals with disabilities, relationship of DS to the student’s program of studies, and relationship of DS to future career goals.
• Proof of enrollment and good academic standing in an approved graduate degree program.
• Consent from the student’s Graduate Advisor or Dissertation Supervisor for participation in the DS portfolio area.

Course Requirements

Coursework for the DS Doctoral Portfolio will consist of four (4) thematically related courses, or twelve (12) semester hours. At least two courses will be from the DS core courses offered through the Steve Hicks School of Social Work, and at least two of the courses will be outside the student’s academic department. Click here to view core courses.

Research Experience Requirements

In addition to the successful completion of the course sequence, students will participate in a research-based experience. This research may be part of a student’s dissertation; however, it should have one or more of the following:

• Involve the conceptualization and production of a research proposal involving individuals with disabilities and/or family members.
• Involve actual data collection or data analysis on a project involving individuals with disabilities.
• Create a written product, i.e., a literature review, a research grant proposal, or an article for publication.

DS Doctoral Portfolio Plan

Once a student is accepted into the DS Doctoral Portfolio program, the student will meet with a designated faculty DS Steering Committee member to develop an individualized course plan. The DS Doctoral Portfolio Program Plan includes course selections and a research experience description. Students will be responsible for verifying the course plan with their Graduate Advisor or Faculty Advisor, and updating and maintaining the plan in concert with the designated DS Steering Committee member.

Students must keep the steering committee representative updated each semester on their progress. In addition, when nearing graduation, students must obtain approval from the DS Portfolio committee for their completed portfolio.

Upon Completion

Students satisfactorily completing the requirements of the DS Doctoral Portfolio and their primary Doctoral degree program will be awarded a Portfolio Certificate and notation on their official university transcript.

Getting Started

To begin your application, e-mail us with your interests and intentions. Upon approval submit a brief letter of intent and purpose, proof of active full-time enrollment at The University of Texas at Austin, and approval from your academic advisor.  Additionally, complete as much as you can of the  Disability Studies Doctoral Portfolio Program Plan  (download the document from "additional resources" section on this webpage) and submit all materials either in person (by appointment) or U.S. Mail; because the application includes confidential student information, it is preferred that you not e-mail your application.  After your application is reviewed, you will be contacted for any further information and discussions and, if accepted, you will be welcomed into the program and assigned to an advisor.

For more information contact:

• Nick Winges-Yanez
• [email protected]
• 512-232-0744

Additional Resources

• Doctoral Portfolio Program Plan

The program structure and environment encourage advanced research, new scholarship and other opportunities to contribute to the field, enabling a multi-disciplinary group of students to explore disability from a critical perspective in relation to social policy, social justice, human rights issues, and social movements in Canada and internationally.

In particular, the program provides graduates with the ability to:

• critically understand existing policies and practices relating to disability, as well as Canadian and international laws and instruments governing human rights and protections for people with disabilities;
• situate key debates in disability studies in both historical and contemporary contexts, including understanding how issues relating to disability are interpreted and advanced in both an academic setting and in public and private policy and programming;
• recognize the importance of race, poverty, gender, sexuality and class issues as they intersect with disability;
• influence public policy at federal, provincial and local levels and contribute to movements for social justice and human rights;
• contribute to an evidence-based body of knowledge on people with disabilities at the international, national and local levels in the health, education, social policy and legal sectors;
• apply qualitative and quantitative research skills to policy research and longitudinal studies.

This field discusses the key philosophical, historical and legal concepts surrounding the development and implementation of ideas and policies pertaining to human rights and social justice.

This includes international and national human rights standards as well as cross-cultural interpretations of what is meant by social justice and legal rights obligations. The broadest understanding of what is meant by human rights and social justice is considered within the context of their applicability to people with disabilities.

This field also examines diversity pertaining to cross-cultural, class, gender, sexual orientation, race, ethnicity, age and poverty issues as they relate to disability. In particular, there is a focus on how wider diversity issues in society reflect the experiences of people with disabilities and how equity struggles within a diverse society interconnect with one another.

Diversity is therefore considered in the context of broad socio-economic factors as well as how diversity is expressed and experienced within the disability community itself.

This field discusses key critical concepts and texts both within disability studies as well as articulated by post-modernism, Marxism, Critical Race Theory, queer theory, and feminist theories, among others, which have significantly influenced disability studies.

This field examines social policies affecting disability and equity issues within a Canadian context, while also considering international developments in regard to their impact on national, regional and local policies affecting people with disabilities.

The impact of grassroots organizing and activism is also included as an important area of study, in regard to how disability advocacy has influenced the development of social policies at different times and places both historically and in contemporary society.

The Graduate Program in Critical Disability Studies at York is an exciting environment to pursue innovative, socially engaging, career-ready education. Contact our Graduate Program Assistant to learn more.

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Disability, Identity, and the Law: A Phenomenological Study of Living with Acquired, Invisible Impairment

This study examines the social construction of disability, identity management, and everyday understandings of the law among individuals who have acquired non-apparent impairments, sometimes referred to as “invisible disabilities.” Given the fluctuating and unseen nature of many impairments acquired through accident, injury, or illness, these individuals may or may not view themselves as disabled. Using phenomenological and frame analysis, I address four primary research questions: 1) What are the shared experiences among people living with acquired, non-apparent impairment?  2) How do adults who have acquired non-apparent impairment conceptualize “disability”?  3) Why and how does a person choose to share that s/he has a non-apparent impairment to supervisors or colleagues?  4) Do people with non-apparent impairment invoke the law/ use rights claiming to obtain accommodations in work environments? My research demonstrates how different forms of disclosure are used to internalize or resist stigma and that key pathways to developing and deepening disability identity include practicing un/covering. This research also illuminates status hierarchies – not only between disabled and non-disabled, but also within disability communities – shedding light on the experiential and social effects of liminality, the tactics people use to manage liminal identities, and the power dynamics that underpin those negotiations.

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The Oxford University Disability Law and Policy Project

One in five people in the UK has a disability. Yet this important demographic is often underrepresented in our academic, legal, and political institutions. The Oxford University Disability Law and Policy Project aims to develop exciting initiatives which will bring new perspectives to academic analyses of law and policy, and to generate policy-relevant research which better engages with the demands of our diverse population.

The project also intends that in addition to specific academic aims, these objectives for expanding the substantive discussion of disability in the University’s teaching and research will also have a filter-down effect: improving the accessibility of facilities for students and academics with disabilities, enabling disabled researchers to better contribute to the University's academic life. 

Our initiatives to increase the inclusion of disability in research and teaching on disability law and policy include:

Firstly, building on the success of the Let's Get Disability on the List! campaign, we are working with faculties and departments to incorporate a disability perspective into academic outputs. This process includes mapping and connecting important disability related research already being done at Oxford, providing methodological training and support in how to conduct research with or as a disabled person, and helping departments to develop courses and reading lists which adequately address disability.  Secondly, through our Knowledge Exchange Forum we aim to enable University researchers to learn from the experiences and perspectives of local Disabled Persons' Organisations (DPO's) to help academics better frame and focus their research objectives in a way that is sensitive to and relevant for our diverse population.  Thirdly, we aim to enable academics and students to build the most innovative and effective international academic approaches into their research. Our conference in Hillary Term 2018 will bring together leading academics from  Oxford, from the UK, and from around the world to exchange research and to build partnerships. This will help drive an inclusive research direction at Oxford. The Oxford University Disability Law and Policy Project combines these initiatives with the aim to develop an academic environment more responsive and more relevant to the legal and political demands of our society. 

About the Project Founders 

Dr Marie Tidball is a founding director and coordinator of the Oxford University Disability Law and Policy Project. She is a Research Associate at the Centre for Criminology and a Knowledge Exchange fellow at The Oxford Research Centre in the Humanities Centre (TORCH). Her academic interests concern the intersection between disability and society with a specific focus on the criminal justice system. In addition to her academic pursuits Marie has extensive experience of project managing award-wining campaigns aimed at driving disability inclusion within academia, civil society, and government. Prior to her academic career Marie worked as a broadcast journalist for Channel 4 News.  

Alex Donnelly is a founding director of the Oxford University Disability Law and Policy Project. He is a Mellon-Sawyer fellow at the Centre for the Resolution of Intractable Conflict (CRIC) and a Research Associate at the Changing Character of War Programme (CCW). His research focuses on the anthropology of conflict, and on veterans' welfare issues. Alex has previously held appointments at Harvard's Kennedy School of Government and at Harvard Law School's Project on Disability (HPOD), and has worked for the UK government and military.  

Disability at the Intersections: 42 Bedford Row Disability Law Essay Prize 2018

Getting disability right: conference spotlights disability in legal scholarship, past events, herbert smith freehills disability mooting championship 2023, the inaugural oxford disability law and policy conference 2018, related content, related websites.

Disability Law & Policy

National University of Ireland

www.nuigalway.ie

Photos of university / #nuigalway

The Centre for Disability Law & Policy specialises in international & comparative disability law and public policy.  It has a particular interest in the activities of the United Nations & disability, the European Union & disability, the Council of Europe & disability.  It also has a special interest in certain themes including development aid & disability, eAccessibility, independent living & de-instutionalisation, non-discrimination law & disability, Irish disability law reform.

Areas of interest

• UN disability law
• EU anti-discrimination law
• Council of Europe disability law & policy
• US disability law
• United Nations Convention on the right of Persons with disabilities (ratification, monitoring, implementation)
• Legal capacity law reform

Requirements

• To be eligible to enrol for the PhD, a candidate must have obtained a high honours standard at primary degree level, normally Second Class Honours, Grade 1 or equivalent international qualification
• PhD applicants who hold a Masters Degree must have obtained a high honours standard at Masters Level (H2.1 [or equivalent international qualification]) in order to enrol for the PhD
• You'll need to submit a research proposal along with your application.  This application will take two steps:
• A potential supervisor must review and approve
• Submit your applicaton through the online PAC system.
• All applicants, whose first language is not English, must present one of the following qualifications in the English language. IELTS 6.5. TOEFL 92. 
• A personal statement
• Transcripts

Film Studies

Commerce and Business

Civil engineering, international conflict resolution and reconstruction.

Dublin City University

The Times Higher Education World University Rankings is the only global university performance table to judge research-intensive universities across all of their core missions: teaching, research, knowledge transfer and international outlook.

Politics and International Relations

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Melbourne Disability Institute

Phd: disability, technology and society, a new scholarship is being offered to investigate issues of disability, technology and society.

This scholarship is provided by the Melbourne Disability Institute (MDI) and will be primarily located within the Melbourne Law School under the primary supervision of Prof Jeannie Patterson , co-director of the Centre for AI and Digital Ethics (CAIDE). The PhD research will be co-supervised by Dr. Piers Gooding from the Melbourne Law School and Dr. Jennifer Davidson , lecturer in social work, from the faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences.

Applications provisionally close April 2 nd 2021.

The MDI and CAIDE partnership invite proposals from applicants interested in undertaking research into the role of new and emerging technologies in the lives of people with disabilities, and particularly people with intellectual and cognitive disabilities. People with cognitive disabilities may include older people with age-related impairments and disabilities, such as dementia.

About the opportunity Digital technologies have potential for overcoming social, economic and geographic barriers and improving outcomes in health, access to justice and economic inclusion. However, they also risk increased discrimination, differentiation and exclusion. Importantly, issues of digital equity are not just about access to technology, but also about language, content, comprehension and safety. Very little research has been undertaken into the impact of the digital revolution or the rise of the information age on the lives of persons with intellectual and cognitive disabilities.

This PhD scholarship is aimed at supporting the successful candidate to help address this research gap. The successful candidate would propose a thesis topic, which is broadly concerned with the promise and peril of digital technologies in the lives of persons with cognitive and intellectual disabilities. This could include a range of technologies variously described as AI, machine learning, and other technologies of automation, as well as general information and communication technologies available through smartphones and tablets that may assist people to connect to others, whether for recreation, employment, the receipt of services, to develop and maintain relationships, to monitor and audit services, and so on.

This research program would evaluate the presumptions about knowledge, language, accessibility and consent that inform the design and implementation of new technologies of particular relevance to persons with intellectual and cognitive disabilities. The aim would be to promote ways to make a technologically-integrated society fairer and more equal.

Examples of research topics include, but are certainly not limited to:

• legal and political issues concerning digital platforms for purchasing disability services, e.g. support staff;
• algorithmic and data harms against persons with disabilities, particularly for people with intellectual and cognitive disabilities;
• the implications of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in the digital era, particularly for people with intellectual and cognitive disabilities;
• the social, economic, political and legal dimensions of digital exclusion/inclusion, including its impact on wellbeing;
• consumer protection concerns of persons with disabilities amid the proliferation of algorithmic and data-driven technologies;
• digital technologies as assistive devices and/or as therapeutic devices for persons with intellectual and cognitive disabilities, including the use of “ smart homes ” and the “Internet of Things”; and
• the rights of persons with disabilities who are users and subjects of digital technologies, and the responsibilities of those who employ such technologies.

Applicants interested in pursing specific issues within these broad areas are encouraged to apply.

We are seeking PhD proposals that meet the following criteria:

• Builds evidence to help people with disability, their family, informal supporters and carers to lead engaged, self-directed and fulfilling lives on an equal basis with others;
• Aims to influence policy, law and/or practice impacting on people with disability;
• Demonstrates active involvement of people with disability throughout the project.

The partnership will maintain a strong interest in the equality outcomes of the PhD, and the successful candidate will have the opportunity to work with MDI and CAIDE to develop materials relevant to law, policy and practice. Community-engaged and participatory research approaches are particularly welcome, and the successful candidate will be supported with access to local networks, data and industry expertise.

The scholarship benefits include:

• Fee offset (full fee-exemption)
• Stipend of $31,200 per annum (2020 pro-rata rate, tax free) for three years
• Allowances as per the Graduate Research Scholarship Terms & Conditions
• Eligibility to participate in the CAIDE early career research academy in Nov/Dec 2021

The Melbourne Disability Institute provides an additional $2,000 per annum (a maximum of $7,000 during candidature) in research support funds. The successful candidate will also receive automatic entry into the Institute’s PhD Program in MDI or CAIDE.

Further, as the student will be based in law they will additionally have access to the standard law PhD entitlements including up to $7,000 in research support funds over the course of their candidature, and a host of other MLS initiatives.

Eligibility

The scholarship is conditional upon acceptance into a PhD program at the University of Melbourne. Applicants must be eligible for acceptance by the University of Melbourne into a PhD program. The applicant will need to meet the entry requirements of the host faculty, which is the Melbourne Law School. By the commencement of the program applicants must have completed an accredited fourth year program at Honours 1 or Honours 1 equivalence level, or at an Honours 2 level with an outstanding record of professional or research achievements since graduation. (See MLS eligibility requirements for more information).

Applicants must be available to commence in 2021.

Applications

Applicants must be eligible for entry into the Melbourne Law School PhD program. In the first instance, applicants should contact the proposed supervisors ( [email protected] , [email protected] & [email protected] ) with the following information:

• Name and contact information
• Relevant academic qualifications and experience (up to one paragraph)
• Some brief ideas for a PhD thesis (up to one paragraph).

After this step, the applicant will be asked to confirm eligibility for the PhD program, before providing relevant information and a small research proposal. Key Dates  Please address the answers to the above points and submit to [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] by April 2 nd 2021.

Applications will be reviewed from 5-19 th April 2021 and the outcome will be announced shortly afterward.  Students must be enrolled by end of September 2021 and commence their PhD before end of December 2021.

For more information, please follow these hyperlinks:

• Centre for AI and Digital Ethics
• Melbourne Law School

If you have any questions about the PhD opportunity or the application process please contact Dr Piers Gooding [email protected] or Dr Jennifer Davidson [email protected] .

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Partnership to Advance Equitable Care for Those with Disabilities

May 16, 2024    |   By Emily Bleiweis

Data shows just how necessary it is to ensure students who are working toward degrees in health and human services fields are educated to care for populations with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) — who often face barriers when it comes to receiving treatment.

A recent study from 2021 found only 40.7 percent of physicians were very confident about their ability to provide the same quality of care to patients with disabilities as they do to patients without. And just 56.5 percent strongly agreed that they welcomed patients with disabilities into their practices.

The University of Maryland Schools of Medicine and Nursing Standardized Patient Program — housed in the University of Maryland School of Nursing (UMSON) — in partnership with Special Olympics Maryland (SOM) and Special Olympics International (SOI) is working to ensure the next generation of health care professionals is well prepared to work with and treat individuals with IDD.

The University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB) is one of five universities in the country across four states to recently partner with the Special Olympics.

The Standardized Patient Program allows students to refine their clinical and communication skills with professional standardized participants (SPs). SPs are trained to portray a real patient in clinical instruction and assessment with students.

“Not only is this initiative expanding UMB’s inclusive and interprofessional curriculum, but it’s also breaking down barriers, biases, stigmas, and misconceptions, all while encouraging a shared commitment to inclusive health care,” said Rebecca Weston, EdD, MSN, RN, CNE, assistant professor at UMSON and principal investigator on the grant that funded the collaboration. “This partnership has enabled us to envision a future where people with intellectual disabilities consistently receive equitable and accessible health care.”

A Chance to Have a Voice

For the first time this spring, students across multiple disciplines at UMB participated in simulations with Health Messenger athletes who were hired to serve as SPs. Special Olympics Health Messengers are athletes specifically trained to talk about Special Olympics health programming and the impact Special Olympics has made in their lives.

This partnership increases the representation of populations with IDD in the SP Program and offers the opportunity for students to practice with the actual representative population, as opposed to someone simulating a population, said Nancy Budd Culpepper, MBA, director of the SP Program.

“I think in this situation in particular, it's not something you would be able to simulate authentically,” Culpepper said. “We have wonderful folks that work for us [as SPs] with acting backgrounds that can take on a good bit, but I think when you’re working with special populations, it’s tough to give an authentic response,” she said, adding that it’s especially important for individuals who actually have a disability to be the one providing feedback to students after a simulation training.

Prior to the simulation, students heard from Anne D. Williams, DNP '12, MS '86, BSN '82, RN, CPHQ, FAAN, vice president of health service and education for SOI, who helped lay the groundwork for what challenges those with IDD face, especially when it comes to receiving health care.

Populations with IDD die 16 to 20 years prematurely because of undiagnosed and untreated conditions, said Williams, an alumna of UMSON. Due to the stigma that remains around those with disabilities, their quality of and access to care can be compromised.

The simulation students participated in during a recent training exercise involved interacting with both an existing SP, in the role of a friend or family member of the patient, and a Special Olympics Health Messenger, who portrayed the patient.

This dynamic is one that’s familiar for those who have IDD. Jimmy Tadlock, a Special Olympics Maryland Health Messenger, said his mom attends his doctor’s appointments with him so he and the doctor are communicating effectively.

“Do not get me wrong, they are good doctors and dentists, but they talk doctor speak that I do not fully understand,” Tadlock said. “They do not know I am missing things because I am quiet. This is my chance to help new doctors understand when their doctor speak is not understood.”

Alexea Wentz, another Health Messenger, loved getting the chance to help prepare future doctors, nurses, and social workers.

“I think it's very awesome that we are able to help educate, and you know, share our experiences,” Wentz said. This type of training will help future health care and social services professionals understand how they can help individuals with disabilities in settings like doctor’s offices and emergency rooms, she added. “I really enjoyed [this event]. Speaking is one of my favorite things, and I like sharing my story and inspiring others.”

A Lesson in Collaboration

This more realistic version of an educational simulation particularly resonated with students.

School of Medicine student Juan Dalo said while he’s participated in SP simulations in the past, this experience was unique because of the element of dealing not just with a patient, but also their family member.

“One thing to keep in mind [was] making sure to look into the eyes of the patient and talk to them, rather than looking at the family members,” Dalo said, adding that it can be a challenge not to defer to the family member in the room. “I just tried to put myself in their shoes. If I were them, I would want to feel included in my own health care."

Haley Perlstein, a UMSON student, went into the simulation trying to focus on creating an environment where both the patient and the patient’s family felt they were part of the conversation.

Making sure that everyone in the room feels like they can share thoughts and ask questions allows for a more inclusive space, she said.

And what makes this simulation an especially formative educational experience is the ability to work among multiple disciplines within UMB.

“Bouncing ideas off of each other just creates a more holistic approach for the patient,” Perlstein said. “I think that just improves the quality of care that we can give the patient.”

Interprofessional education is an important, expanding aspect of the SP Program. Bringing together students from the different schools to work in a team model is “vital,” Culpepper said.

“There’s so much to juggle in the health care system,” she said, adding that it can be hard for a patient to try to figure it all out. “When you bring them together in a comprehensive way — what an ideal situation.”

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International and Comparative Disability Law and Policy

Course overview, course outline, why choose this course, course fees.

• Find Out More

Join our online LLM International and Comparative Disability Law and Policy Information Session on Wednesday 22nd May at 12pm (Irish Time). Register Now

The LLM in International and Comparative Disability Law and Policy is unique in the world as an innovative and internationally focused LLM dealing with the process of law reform in the field of disability. The programme delivers a solid grounding for future practitioners, policymakers and academics in the field of disability reform.

The introduction of the United Nations (UN) Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities has resulted in significant changes in the area of disability law and policy. Our graduates will be among the first to be skilled in this growing area of law and policy.

This programme will be of interest to students who have completed a primary law degree, legal practitioners, public servants, disability and human rights advocates and people working in disability services.

Course highlights:

• Prestigious internships based in Geneva with the UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities are exclusively offered to two of our students. Interns will complete research to support the UN Committee’s work and will have the chance to participate and observe Committee sessions.
• Unique qualification achieved as no other university offers a similar programme. This LLM is innovative, pioneering and provides specialist education for our students. 
• Expert Lecturers with national, European and international teaching and research profiles deliver the programme.
• The Centre for Disability Law and Policy (CDLP) is the only research centre of its kind in Ireland dedicated to producing research that informs the debate on national and international disability law reform and policy.
• Skills development is a key focus of this programme.  Modules develop expertise and an ability to critically appraise issues faced by law and policy-makers in this rapidly changing environment.
• Guest lectures from practitioners and international experts on current challenges around disability policy and reform .  Students are also encouraged to attend the conferences, seminars and events run by the CDLP.
• A Minor Thesis is completed by students on a topic of their choice under close supervision by leading national and international experts.
• Career Support is provided through professional workshops concentrating on students CV and interview skills.  Careers in Law Week also provides an opportunity to meet partners from leading law firms.
• Assessment is primarily through research papers, presentations and minor thesis rather than exams.‌

Applications and Selections

Applications are made online via the University of Galway  Postgraduate Applications System . 

Who Teaches this Course

In addition to academic staff from University of Galway, we host international guest speakers such as Ms Catalina Devandas Aguilar, Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities, and Professor Theresia Degener.

Requirements and Assessment

A range of assessment methods are utilised including essays, projects, reports, presentations and case studies. A dissertation must also be submitted in July.

Entry Requirements

Applicants must hold a Second Class Honours, Grade 1, degree (2.1) in law, or an interdisciplinary degree in which law was a major component. In exceptional circumstances, applicants holding a degree in another discipline or a degree of less than a 2.1 standard may be considered where they have relevant professional experience in law or disability rights. International students should refer to the country-specific information section of the International Office website .

Additional Requirements

Recognition of prior learning (rpl).

1 year, full-time; 2 years, part-time

Next start date

September 2024

A Level Grades ()

Average intake, qqi/fet fetac entry routes, closing date.

Please view the  offer rounds website.

Mode of study

Ects weighting, course code.

The mandatory module addresses two issues, firstly, to provide students with an in-depth understanding of the core foundational themes in disability law and policy, secondly, to provide students with the necessary research skills to complete their programme of study. The optional modules address law and policy at international and regional level as well as some very topical subjects such as Legal Capacity, Independent Living, and Inclusive Education.

Students are required to take one mandatory subject. Thereafter students may choose five optional modules from the below list. Finally, over the summer months, students will complete a Dissertation (Minor Thesis) on a subject of their choosing.

Course and module offerings and details may be subject to change. 

• Foundational Theoretical Framework for Disability Law (Mandatory)  
• Regional Disability Law and Policy
• Law and Policy on Independent Living
• Legal Capacity Law and Policy
• Mental Health Law and Policy
• Inclusive Education Law and Policy
• Advocacy and Access to Justice
• Contemporary Challenges in Disability Law and Policy
• International Human Rights Disability Clinic

This course-load will be spread over two years for those opting for the part-time mode. The benefit of studying this Masters lies in its uniqueness. Students will benefit from unprecedented access to international experts who participate in the programme throughout the year. The programme is affiliated with the  Centre for Disability Law and Policy (CDLP) , which is recognised worldwide as a research centre of excellence at the School of Law, University of Galway. The CDLP is dedicated to producing research that informs the debate on national and international disability law reform and policy. The formation of the centre coincided with one of the most intensive periods of disability law reform in Ireland as well as internationally. For more information visit www.universityofgalway.ie/cdlp/

Module Details for the Full-Time Course

Module details for the part-time course, curriculum information, glossary of terms, year 1 (90 credits), career opportunities.

Graduates have found employment in a variety of areas, including work at the UN, in senior legal appointments, as lecturers, solicitors, and barristers, on the national advocacy board and human rights commissions, as government advisors and with non-governmental organisations.

Many of our graduates are leading change and law reform in disability law throughout the world. Graduates of the programme have also secured funding to pursue PhD research and are now working in universities around the world.

The majority of countries in the world are currently in the process of ratifying the new UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities creating a real demand for skilled knowledge workers to help states draft their legislation and policy in this field. This programme is aimed at those who work in governmental and non-governmental organisations as well as for those who wish to progress to doctoral research.

Graduates have been hired by such companies as the National Advocacy body, Inclusion International, and Zafod (disability public interest litigation firm in Zambia). Some have gone on to pursue further research either at CDLP or back in their home country, e.g., one graduate  embarked on the MSCA DREAM PhD programme (receiving funding for 3 years est. 36K salary per annum).

Who’s Suited to This Course

Learning outcomes, transferable skills employers value.

Upon completion of this programme you will be able to:

(1) Identify national and international law and policy relevant to disability rights;

(2) Recognise and engage with disability policy;

(3) Discuss the challenges and tensions arising from the impact of human rights law in the reform of disability law and policy;

(4) Understand the theoretical debates relating to disability law and policy;

(5) Understand disability as a human rights issue and understand how disability fits within international human rights law;

(6) Identify the core legal principles relating to disability law;

(7) Apply the principles of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and European Convention on Human Rights to current understandings and continuing validity of disability law and policy;

(8) Compare and contrast disability law and policy across several jurisdictions;

(9) Demonstrate your capacity to interpret and apply relevant law to resolve real life legal issues in the area of disability rights;

(10) Demonstrate that you can critically analyse the impact of international, regional and national norms upon the human rights of individuals with disabilities.

(11) Adopt an awareness of the ethical issues related to disability rights and the implications of legal regulation in this area.

(12) Consider personal perceptions and biases that may impact design approaches to reform.

(13) Reflect on socio-legal discourse and discuss issues of social control and stigma.

(14) Identify areas of law and policy in need of reform.

Work Placement

Two prestigious internships based in Geneva with the UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities are exclusively offered to our students. The selected students will work with Rosemary Kayess, Vice-Chair of the UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities during the Committee’s autumn sessions in Geneva. Interns will complete research to support the UN Committee’s work and will have the chance to participate and observe Committee sessions. Internships typically last 6 weeks beginning in early September and interns are reimbursed for expenses incurred during the internship.

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Fees: tuition, fees: student levy, fees: non eu.

Postgraduate students in receipt of a SUSI grant—please note an F4 grant is where SUSI will pay €4,000 towards your tuition (2023/24).  You will be liable for the remainder of the total fee.  An F5 grant is where SUSI will pay tuition up to a maximum of €6,270. SUSI will not cover the student levy of €140.

Postgraduate fee breakdown = Tuition (EU or NON EU) + Student levy as outlined above.

Note to non-EU students: learn about the 24-month Stayback Visa  here . 

Find out More

Dr János Fiala-Butora T: +353 91 494 014   E:  [email protected]

Queries about this and other LLM programmes in the School of Law can also be directed to [email protected]

What Our Students Say

Guillaume Jacquinot |   Policy Co-ordinator, Inclusion Ireland

Upon graduating from the LLM in International and Comparative Disability Law and Policy in 2016, I got a traineeship at the EU Fundamental Rights Agency (FRA) where I worked on equality and disability rights. I had the opportunity to work on EU-wide scale projects promoting the rights and inclusion of people with disabilities. Then, I got my first work experience as a Policy Officer in an NGO based in Brussels called Inclusion Europe which is a European network representing people with intellectual disabilities and their families. Finally, I returned to Ireland and am now employed as a Policy Coordinator at Inclusion Ireland. My work involves project management and advocacy work to promote the rights of people with intellectual disabilities in the political and institutional sectors. I am responsible for the policy strategy at Inclusion Ireland and regularly represent the organisation during various events. The LLM provided me with an overview of the international framework relevant to the disability sector, as well as the opportunity to connect with key disability stakeholders through course events such as the International Disability Law Summer School.

Elizabeth Kamundia |   Deputy Director of Disability Rights at Human Rights Watch

The LL.M in International and Comparative Disability Law and Policy offered at University of Galway is fantastic! It has equipped me with an in-depth understanding of disability human rights, and the opportunity to study under world renowned experts in disability is one not to be passed up! The programme attracts students from all over the world, creating an exchange of perspectives and realities that is truly stimulating. It avails of numerous conferences to enrich student experience, and last but not least, the school is situated in the beautiful seaside town of Galway. I would highly recommend it!

Charlotte May-Simera |    

I think this course has provided me with the necessary tools to understand the development of disability law and policy across the globe. Not only has it provided a detailed insight and understanding of the purpose and implications of the UN CRPD, it has also addressed contemporary, practical everday life issues that effect persons with disabilities. I feel well equipped to address any disability issues, whther legislative, theoretical or practical. Embedded within the Centre of Disability Law and Policy, this course greatly benefitted from an active environment and experts that worked in the centre.

Aisling Glynn |    

This is an exceptionally interesting course. The modules are unique and the lecturers are extremely knowledgeable, enthusiastic and approachable. I particularly like the emphasis on applying law and policy into practice in order to positively impact on the lives of disabled people

Former President of Ireland, Dr Mary Robinson pictured with Elizabeth Kamundia. Elizabeth was the recipient of the Gold Medal for finishing top of the inaugural graduating class of the LLM (International and Comparative Disability Law).

2024 QS Subject Rankings: Top 150

School of Law Postgraduate Prospectus PDF (4 MB)

Postgraduate Prospectus 2024 PDF (3.3MB)

Business Postgraduate Programmes 2024 PDF (4.7 MB)

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