The Wall Street Journal reported today that “Disability Studies” is a hot subject on campus, with one college offering eight classes which include “disability and employment policies, disability law and even a writing seminar on ‘intersections of disability identity in the law, workplace and society.'”  Three hundred students are enrolled in these courses, and more than 1/3 have family members with a disability.

“For their final papers, students are asked to discuss topics including the impact of the aging workforce on employers, how companies can accommodate returning veterans and what challenges multinational firms might face in implementing nondiscrimination regulations across borders.”

The WSJ story noted that the associate dean called “the surge in interest [] fortuitous, as federal contractors will soon have to comply with new guidelines for hiring disabled workers.  The government has set a goal for people with disabilities to make up at least 7% of employees in every job group.”