Hear From Our Graduates & Faculty

"The Critical Disabilities Studies Program proved to be one the most intellectually and personally satisfying experiences of my academic career. Studying in this dynamic, multidisciplinary program meant exposure to exciting scholarship and innovative policy ideas. With a dedicated and knowledgeable faculty, supportive social community, and wonderful opportunities for research and scholarship, it is difficult to walk out of the program without seeing the world in fresh light."   
Michiko Moore

"The Critical Disabilities Studies program gives an in-depth view of a mosaic of disability issues ranging from the reality of political and social injustices to economic deprivation of those with disabilities. Self-expression was an essential part of my experience in the program."    
Michelle Singh

"The Critical Disability Studies master's program has been one of the most life altering choices I have made. The colleagues, professors and course materials I have come across through this program have been nothing short of excellent. It is a dynamic combination of academics and lived experience. The scholarly pursuit of each individual candidate is driven to understand disability theory while moving towards empowerment, all within a human rights based model of education. It not only challenges the student to think outside the box but to live outside the box as well."  
Martha Gorman

“It is my belief that equity and diversity principals are not learned per se, but, through a very complex process, deeply-rooted personal prejudice is un-learned. The amazing thing about the Critical Disabilities Studies program is that it facilitates the very scary and difficult un-learning process with the assistance of a very enlightened, sensitive and accepting faculty and staff.”
Allyson Marsolais

"We live in a world where the gravity of human rights and basic human necessity are only made apparent by their violation. The Critical Disability Studies program illustrates that disability issues are human rights issues that must be accounted for on a local, national and global scale. It effectively trains a new field of human rights advocacy that is needed by persons with disabilities and it was through the introduction to disability issues, that I were able to view the forest through the trees. It was with the aid of this course and its dedicated teaching staff that my uncertainty about my disability transformed into resolve to take action."
Christopher Lytle

“The Critical Disability Studies Program encouraged me to recognize the social, political, and physical barriers that disable people. I am constantly challenged to apply what I learned in this program to my work, and I believe this is the foundation for a more just society. The support I received from my peers was instrumental in my learning; they are the finest I have ever studied with.”  
Jennifer O’Brien

"One of the most valuable aspects of the CDS programme at York University was the opportunity to hear unique narratives from my fellow students, as well as the friendships which formed. I enjoyed and cherished the perspectives that we shared. The small class size facilitated such discussion and I enjoyed my experience"   
Candace Padmore

"As a student with a disability, I have found that higher education is often not the most welcoming place. My gratitude for the CDS masters programme is profound - not only because I learned a lot about disability, but because I learned some important things about myself. Above all, I learned that with respect, support, encouragement (and hard work!) I CAN be a successful scholar, that I can pursue my ambitions for higher education and beyond."  
Scott Campbell

"How the traditional academic landscape changes when experienced from the perspective of disability! The Critical Disability Studies program will provide new depth and scope to any area(s) of study -- whether culture, economics, education, health, history, law, literature politics, psychology, social services, or sociology. I highly recommend the program."
Tracy Odell

"First class staff and first class students! A mind expanding experience worthy of anyone seeking a profession in working persons with disabilities."  
Suzanne Share

"This program, with the depth of experience in disability most candidates have, promises to make a definite impact on disability studies in Canada and beyond."  
Professor Gary Bunch

“York's Critical Disabilities Studies is a highly challenging and rigorous program that offers its diverse student group the opportunity not just to extend the boundaries of understanding, but to productively question their own preconceptions. The whole experience is an adventure in learning.”  
Professor Margrit Shildrick, University College Dublin; author of ”Ethics of the Human Body: Challenging the Conventions” & “Embodying the Monster: Encounters with the Vulnerable Self”