By Elle Thompson, Staff Editor
A group of Bryn Mawr students has begun petitioning for the addition of a Bi-Co Disability Studies minor and further classes on disability within the Bi-Co. In an April letter, a group including Sophie Greer (BMC ‘23), Mawrtyrs for Access, Disability Advocacy for Students at Haverford, and the Bi-Co Neurodiversity Affinity and Awareness Group wrote to administrators to demand a formalized minor. With at least 210 signatures to date according to Greer, the statement has gained significant traction within the student body.
In the original letter, the group focused on the need for more courses on disability studies. It stated that Haverford offers only two disability studies classes, and Bryn Mawr has offered none since Dr. Clare Mullaney, a visiting English professor specializing in American literature and disability Studies, left Bryn Mawr in 2020. However, a recent document created by Professor Kristin Lindgren of Haverford and Professor Donna Napoli of Haverford has listed several more. These courses cover a range of departments, including ASL courses at Swarthmore, health studies at Haverford, psychology, and education.
Interest in further courses, and an official minor, seems clear. According to the original petition, of the first 187 signatures, 98.8% of people wanted to be able to access more disability studies courses, and 85.4% wrote that they “might or would definitely” consider minoring in the field. Disability activism is nothing new within the Bi-Co: The November strikes at Bryn Mawr and Haverford each included demands regarding access. There are eleven disability groups in the Tri-Co, most student-led. Mawrtyrs for Access, one of the cosigners of the current petition, may be particularly known to students on Bryn Mawr campus for their spring 2020 zine, which brought issues around access services to wide attention.
Greer, the ringleader of the petition, described the student body of the Tri-Co as “incredibly supportive and helpful.” Students across campuses have circulated the petition on Twitter, sent the petition to faculty, and advocated for its inclusion in the Daily Digest. “I’ve been very touched by all the genuine support, and I think it speaks to how much the tri-co student body wants this program.”
Greer described a new minor as both a decision that would be beneficial to disabled students—“it would allow disabled students to see themselves represented in the curriculum in a way that other classes/programs can’t match”—and one that made logical sense: “[it] would competitively strengthen our schools’ reputations.” She also pointed out that the field “has implications for many areas of academia,” pointing out that disability affects everyone.
Greer told The Bi-College News that administrative support had been strong, as well, describing Dean Jennifer Walters of Bryn Mawr as “very supportive.” However, there is more work left to be done. “The response from the Cheeses last Sunday seems to indicate that although student support for a Disability Studies minor is significantly strong and makes a strong statement, it won’t be enough—we’ll need faculty support as well.”
The petition to sign can be accessed at bit.ly/DisabilityPetition.
Image credit: JSTOR Daily
