Cal State San Bernardino is set to launch a new disability studies minor in fall 2025, making it only the third university in the California State University (CSU) system to offer the program. Students will be able to register for courses and declare the minor beginning April 28, when fall class registration opens.

With over 400,000 students, the CSU system is the largest public university system in the United States, and the addition of this minor reflects a growing movement in higher education towards learning how to center disabled voices, perspectives and experiences.

The 18-unit minor offers a diverse and interdisciplinary curriculum designed to engage students from all disciplines and abilities. Courses include philosophy of disability, history of madness, disability history, disability literature, American Sign Language, and others. By exploring disability through historical, cultural and social lenses, the minor prepares students to better serve all members of society, including the 25 percent of the U.S. population who identify as disabled, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

CSUSB joins San Francisco State University, which introduced the first CSU Disability Studies minor in 2023, and California State University, Northridge, which launched its program in 2024. The initiative at CSUSB was developed by the university’s disability studies faculty working group, which includes faculty members Jeremy Murray (history), Jessica Luck (English), Tiffany Jones (history), Jonathan Hall (science education) and Jess Block Nerren (communication and media).

Luck emphasized the significance of this milestone, stating that a disability studies minor has been a long-time goal for many faculty members across the CSU.

“To see this come to life at CSUSB is truly a testament to the disability studies working group, the support of the university, and the important contributions of scholars and activists in the disability community,” she said.

“The minor is a unique offering with empowering pedagogy and content for an underserved area like San Bernardino and the Inland Empire,” said Murray, highlighting the program’s impact. “It's a way that we can fully celebrate the identities of people as whole people, and since the minor is at the intersection of so many disciplines, it will enrich the work of the entire campus and everyone involved.”

Classes for the disability studies minor begin on Aug. 25, at the start of the 2025 fall semester. To mark the launch, CSUSB will host a public talk on Sept. 8, from 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. The talk will feature Elaine Hall, founder of The Miracle Project, a fully inclusive theater, film and expressive arts program that helps neurodivergent individuals develop communication skills through the performing arts. Hall is known for her work in inclusive performing arts, celebrating the voices, passions and stories of neurodivergent individuals with and without disabilities.

More information about the new minor is available on the CSUSB Disability Studies Minor website.