Disability Studies & Community Inclusion
Graduate Certificate
Our graduate certificate in disability studies
Disability is the largest minority group anyone can join at any time, either temporarily or permanently (Shapiro, 1994). This means disability should be an important issue for us all.
Learn what it means to engage meaningfully and authentically with the disability community and promote inclusion through the graduate certificate in disability studies and community inclusion. This graduate certificate is for individuals interested in challenging the traditional ways disability is constructed in society.
Offered fully online, it will prepare you to participate in and promote the development of environments that increase accessibility and inclusion across life experiences for children and adults with disabilities.
AT A GLANCE
Earning a certificate in disability studies
The graduate certificate in disability studies and community inclusion provides an introduction to the field of disability studies, which is an interdisciplinary area of study. It challenges traditional views of disability as an individual problem and recognizes that disability is socially constructed.
Disability studies prioritizes the voices and participation of disabled people, as we work toward an environment where the negative beliefs and attitudes toward impairment do not exist. In unique coursework, you'll examine issues of ableism and learn about various models and stereotypes that serve to perpetuate, or challenge, negative perceptions of disability.
You'll look at how disability is understood within the context of culture, society and politics, which is more productive in working toward an increasingly inclusive society. You'll apply what you have learned through a disability-focused capstone project that is meaningful and relevant to your current or future career.
Highlights of the certificate in disability studies
As a student in this certificate program, you can:
- Build on your existing knowledge: Add this certificate to an existing bachelor's degree or add a specialty area to an existing graduate degree.
- Complete professional development: With only four courses, this certificate is perfect for those seeking continuing education credits for their current job.
- Work around your schedule: The program is fully online, and asynchronous courses allow you to complete the class assignments based on your weekly availability.
- Learn from experts across the university: Interdisciplinary certificate taught by faculty from a variety of academic backgrounds including special education, disability studies and recreational therapy.
Creating an inclusive environment on campus
Through CMU's Inclusive Recreation Club, you can gain hands-on experience working with adults with disabilities. The group hosts Connections that Count events every other Monday in Finch Fieldhouse. Club members lead adapted recreation activities and interact with adult participants and their CMU student mentors.
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