Students protest proposed cuts to Disability Studies program at U of T

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When Anthony Foster was in high school, the severely learning disabled student was prevented from running for student council because of his poor grades. The message was loud and clear: His voice as a disabled individual wasn’t valid; it didn’t count. But for the last three years, he’s learned from Disability Studies professor Rod Michalko that his voice and experiences do count; they are valid.

“And I come here this year and find out that University of Toronto is telling me and others like me that they’re not,” he said. “That not only are they not valid but they’re not even worth a single phone call to inform us that the program will be extended for another year.”

Standing in front of a crowd of supporters at Wednesday’s protest in front of the Sidney Smith building, Foster recognized that his voice is still valid, still relevant, vowing that he and others will not give up the Disability Studies program at U of T without a fight.

Equity Studies Student Union (ESSU) president Isabel Lay said she heard a couple of weeks ago that Rod Michalko’s contract would not be renewed, ending the Disability Studies program at the University of Toronto.

“So when the students heard this they got really, really pissed off,” said Lay. “It was like the administration was saying to us ‘Your bodies aren’t wanted here and your field of study isn’t wanted here either and you are not worth it.’”

Over the last few years, she added, an academic and social movement of students, teachers and friends has emerged, recognizing the need for a permanent disability studies program at this university. More students have enrolled in disability studies courses, as interest in this field of study continued to climb.

Lay and her supporters don’t see the proposed end to Disability Studies as a deficit cutting solution. As far as they’re concerned, the money is simply being reallocated to other university programs, such as the expansion of the Rotman School of Management.

“So we’re telling U of T that we are your so called international scholars,” she said. “And we’re smarter than that. We see what you’re doing and we see that it’s not a money issue. The money is here but it’s being taken away from where it should be.”

Disability studies, said Lay, looks at disability as a socio-political phenomenon, allowing for a nurturing open space for disabled people as well as other students who recognize that it’s an important field of inquiry internationally. “If disability studies goes, this sets a precedent for all other area studies,” she said. “They want to move our bodies off this campus while privatizing this institution even more so.”

Lay doesn’t trust the university’s promise that a task force will be created to address this issue. She also doesn’t believe the unconfirmed report that Michalko’s contract will be extended.

“This has been mentioned to one student and no one else,” said Lay. “None of the people who work in disability studies, none of the disability studies scholars or anyone fighting for this movement have been told anything of the sort.”

So Lay and her colleagues are demanding permanent disability studies positions and an increase in course offerings commensurate with student interest.

Lay said, “It’s time for them to take responsibility as administrators, as people who represent the students, and respond to the needs and the wants of their students.”

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