ABSTRACT
Even though the work in disability studies is personal (many disability studies scholars are considered disabled or have loved ones considered disabled), disability studies is not about studying people who are disabled. Rather, it is a framework for considering the social, cultural, political, and historical conditions that are disabling in our society. Th erefore, this chapter is really not aimed at people who would become special education teachers (although disability studies scholars hope that special educators are part of our audiences, special education teachers may be frustrated by the seeming dearth of specifi c techniques for teaching or researching students in special education programs). Disability studies is a broad framework that is arguably useful for all social science researchers and education practitioners. In this chapter, I hope to convince the reader that the fi eld of disability studies matters even for people who believe they have able-bodied interests.
