Institute on Disability San Francisco State University

“In recent years, social paradigms of disability have identified institutionalized discrimination rather than medical pathology as the primary obstacle to the social integration of disabled persons. This new perspective has vast implications for civil-rights laws and social-welfare policies, architectural design and assistive technology, professional training and service delivery in disability-related fields, and core social values. San Francisco State University's Institute on Disability is a multidisciplinary program that draws together faculty and staff to develop disability research, teaching and community service based on this new approach. The San Francisco State University Institute for Disability Studies promotes interdisciplinary education, training, research and service in disability-related areas. The Institute develops partnerships with programs that serve the disability community on the campus, locally and statewide, nationally and internationally.”

Paul K. Longmore
Professor of History and Director,
Institute on Disability San Francisco State University