Disability Rights: Law and History
Dates and Classroom
Please consult the course catalogue for information regarding dates and classroom allocation as this course will not take place on a weekly basis.
Schedule: Wednesdays, 2:00 p.m.–6:00 p.m.
Course Format
The course will be held in person, with the possibility of attending online. The Zoom link will be available on Olat.
Office Hours
Thursdays, 2:00 p.m.–4:00 p.m. (online or in person).
Students are encouraged to schedule an appointment by emailing: elisabetta.fiocchi@ius.uzh.ch
Learning Objectives and Course Content (3 ECTS)
This course explores how societies have understood disability across different historical periods and examines the development of modern disability rights frameworks at both national and international levels.
Students will analyze the transition from medical and welfare-based approaches to contemporary human rights–based understandings of disability. Particular attention will be devoted to the role of social movements, legal reforms, and international human rights instruments, especially the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD).
Through historical and legal analysis, case studies, and class discussions, students will critically examine how legal systems have shaped the lived experiences of persons with disabilities and how struggles for recognition and inclusion continue to influence contemporary debates on equality, accessibility, participation, and social justice.
By the end of the course, students will be able to:
- understand the historical evolution of disability and its legal regulation;
- distinguish between the principal theoretical models of disability;
- analyze key developments in disability rights at national and international levels;
- critically assess the principles, provisions, and implementation of the CRPD;
- evaluate contemporary challenges relating to equality, accessibility, non-discrimination, and inclusion;
- apply historical and legal perspectives to current debates on disability rights.
Indicative Course Outline
- Historical Perspectives on Disability
- Medical, Social, and Human Rights Models of Disability
- Disability, Citizenship, and Equality
- Disability Rights Movements and Activism
- International Human Rights Law and Disability
- The United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD)
- Accessibility, Inclusion, and Participation
- Contemporary Challenges and Case Studies
Course Materials
Legal sources, reading materials, and lecture slides will be made available on Olat.
Further Information
For further information and course updates, students should regularly consult Olat.