An essay in this week's Chronicle by Leonard Cassuto notes that the growing scholarly interest in disability studies has been accompanied by an interest in knowing whether scholars doing the work are themselves disabled. Mr. Cassuto, an associate professor of English at Fordham University, argues that such "proprietary models" are dangerous to the field, which he says "belongs to all of us." Is Mr. Cassuto correct that scholars in disability studies should not be asked whether they have disabilities? Or is it appropriate for people who have disabilities to take the lead role in the study of a group to which they belong? Should the validity of research in disability studies depend on the "disability status" of the scholar? Do those questions differ from such debates as whether men can contribute to women's studies or white people to black studies? For further information, see this article:
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