Center for Disability Studies
American institute studying disability in society
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Center for Disability Studies (CDS) at New York University (NYU) is a United States-based institute that promotes disability scholarship, artistic works, and activism.
| Founded | 2017 |
|---|---|
| Founders | Mara Mills[1] Faye Ginsburg |
| Type | 501(c)(3) Nonprofit organization |
| Location |
|
| Website | disabilitystudies |
History
The Center for Disability Studies was founded in 2017 by Mara Mills and Faye Ginsburg.
Shortly after its founding, the center hosted Disability/Arts/NYC (DANT), an advocacy organization that contributed to the 2017 CreateNYC cultural plan for New York City.[2]
Research and Publications
The center sponsors research on the cultural, historical, legal, and ethical contexts of disability through grant-funded and collaborative projects.[3] Research partnerships run by the center include a collaboration between AI Now and CDS on the 2019 report, Disability, Bias, and AI.[4]
With Film Quarterly, CDS published a special issue and series of events on disability film and media in 2022–2023.[5] Further publications facilitated by the center include How to be Disabled in a Pandemic, an edited volume documenting the experiences of disabled New Yorkers during the COVID-19 pandemic, selected by Ms. Magazine as one of the “Most Anticipated Books of 2025”, and Crip Authorship: Disability as Method, a book that presented the multidisciplinary methods advanced by disability studies, arts, and activism.[6][7] Crip Authorship was selected as a 2024 CHOICE Outstanding Academic Title.[8]
Community Initiatives
The Center for Disability Studies runs a series of artist talks and events.[9][10] It has also partnered with a number of arts organizations including The Whitney Museum of American Art,[11] Electronic Arts Intermix,[12] The Guggenheim Museum,[13] the Leslie-Lohman Museum of Art,[14] EFA Project Space,[15] and the New York ReelAbilities Film Festival to support disability-justice informed events and digital accessibility projects.[16]
In addition, the center helped pilot the Cooke School and Institute SKILLS Transition Program through a community collaboration.[17]
On the NYU campus, CDS coordinates an undergraduate Disability Studies Minor and co-sponsored a Disability Student Union and a Provostial Working Group addressing disability, infrastructure, and access.[18][19]