By Serin Sarsour
Brooklyn College is making history by offering a course that examines critical disability theory for the first time ever this spring. “AMST. 3710 – Disability in America” allows students to zero in on the multitude of ways that ideas about ability and disability are being reflected and shaped by American culture.
“I think it’s really important that we start to really understand how to use language that’s appropriate around people with disabilities, how to make sure that we all understand our own disability identity as we age, and how to kind of break down the stigmas around disability,” said Music Professor Jensen-Moulton, who pushed to make the American Studies course come to life.
Topics that will be covered in this course include the history of disability in the social, political, and environmental fabric of American society; discussing constructed boundaries, stereotypes, and representations of disability; and disability in arts and performance.
Professor Jensen-Moulton was ecstatic when she finally received the green light to administer the course, which she worked closely with Professor Anna Gotlib from the Philosophy Department to write. Disabilities were once viewed as something to be ashamed and embarrassed about, Jensen-Moulton explained, with many former laws enacted to place people with disabilities into institutions and private homes to hide them from the public eye. The CUNY Graduate Center alumna is extremely passionate about disability rights and society’s representation of people with disabilities, hoping that this course will help flip the script of stereotypical disability narratives. “Disability isn’t necessarily something to look at and say, ‘Oh, we have to fix that.’ Disability identity is an identity like anything else,” she said.
“When people with disabilities are asked to disclose certain information about themselves, they must decide at that moment whether or not they are comfortable sharing their disabilities and trauma with that person, which is a big deal,” said Professor Jensen-Moulton.
Professor Jensen-Moulton recognizes the various disabilities students may have and the accessibility issues that may come with those disabilities, so she chose to administer the course online. “Disability has a lot of different connotations,” said Professor Jensen-Moulton. “It could mean a cognitive disability, it could mean something in terms of neurodiversity, or it could mean a physical disability that could imply a mobility disability, which may make it difficult for students to get from one class to another on time.”
The course is an elective class and satisfies a requirement for BC’s American Studies minor, and one requirement for two majors: Music, and American Music and Culture.
“I think eventually what we’d like to do is develop a Disability Studies minor since it’s not a field that’s very available to students at the undergrad level,” Jensen-Moulton said.