The communication sciences has a new minor. The disability minor was presented at Wallenberg Hall on Oct. 14 by Dr. Cathy Webb, assistant professor of communication sciences and disorders and chair of the disability studies program. The new minor focuses on understanding how people with disabilities interact with the rest of the world.

With many disabled people in the United States and across the world, disabilities must be included in discussions of diversity, equity, inclusion and justice. Non-disabled and disabled people alike need to understand the history and lived experiences of disabled people. 

“Disability is prevalent in and around the world, and we don’t have a lot of people who understand what disability is or how it impacts people’s lives,” Dr. Webb said. “The idea with the minor is to help people understand the perspective of people with disabilities and to get a better idea of how we might have everyday interactions with disabled people and might be able to make the world more equitable.”

Disability studies is part of the broader mission of building more inclusive societies. As Augustana works toward being a more inclusive campus, new programs like this offer students a chance to become more aware of a rarely-taught subject.

“There’s always room for improvement, especially as our knowledge about disabilities is always changing,” senior CSD major Maggie Shaughnessy said. “I think it’s a good thing for a program, and a lot of people should look for it.” 

According to the CDC, in 2020, about 26% of the people in the United States had a documented disability of some kind. This statistic doesn’t include COVID-19’s impact over the last two years or the lesser-known numbers of children and incarcerated individuals with disabilities. 

Not all disabilities are visible, and disabilities are more prevalent than many people think. Disability has a fluid membership, meaning people can become disabled at different points in their lives. This minor will be useful for people of all different backgrounds as we can learn how disability affects lives. 

“I want to work in a school in the future,” Shaughnessy said. “This minor would help me prepare for both grad school and life after.” 

This minor is applicable to fields outside of education as well. First-year Kailynn Catalani said studying disabilities through this minor would benefit medical professionals. 

“The disability studies seem interesting to me,” Catalani said. “Since I’m a pre-med, going into medical school and being a doctor, I would be working with disabled people. It would help me a lot to understand them better.” 

The disability minor will launch at Augustana in the spring of 2023. The two required courses are DISA 200: Disability and Society and capstone course DISA 400, with 14-16 credits of electives.