Discover an online Disability Studies, Rights and Inclusion programme at Leeds

Have you always wanted to make a difference in the field of disability rights and social justice? Do you want to champion the lives of disabled people and empower their allies? Then this award-winning online course is for you. 

This Masters programme will enable you to explore important topics such as global perspectives on disability issues, the social creation of disability, social models of disability as well as how and why disabled people experience inequalities. 

You’ll learn in an online environment supported by field-leading tutors and academics from our School of Sociology and Social Policy, ranked in the global top 100 for Sociology (QS World University Rankings by Subject 2024).

Three diverse cohorts since 2023

The Disability Studies Masters welcomed its first-ever cohort in 2023 and has gone from strength to strength, with three diverse cohorts of learners. 

This programme helps students to meet the challenges facing disabled people around the world. In an online setting, students will connect with an international classroom of peers, and together they will learn how to influence disability policy and services in a range of sectors which impact disabled people from an array of backgrounds. 

Past cohorts have been made up of disabled people, their allies and professionals working in public service intuitions, which helps to form a diverse group of learners connected by the online delivery mode of the course.

“This distinctive online course opens the doors for people from a range of diverse backgrounds to contribute to this important area of social justice and disability activism.” Hannah Morgan, programme lead in the School of Sociology and Social Policy.

Why study Disability Studies, Rights and Inclusion?

Transcript for the video titled Studying MSc Disability Studies, Rights and Inclusion with the University of Leeds.

An award-winning programme

The Disability Studies, Rights and Inclusion Masters recently won the Association for Learning Technology (ALT) Award for Case Studies of Ethical EdTech. 

The awarding body recognised the collaborative work undertaken to design a fully inclusive programme that goes beyond current standards to understand the human experience through the eyes of disabled users. 

This unique approach has ensured the programme models exceptional educational practice to successfully support students with a variety of learning intentions and contexts. The course design champions accessibility at its heart, making it suitable for disabled and non-disabled people alike.

Programme lead, Hannah Morgan said, “It’s wonderful to receive this acknowledgement from the Association for Learning Technology. Accessibility and inclusion are the defining principles of the programme, in the curriculum and our approach to academic practice.” 

A learner-centred design approach

Dean of Online and Digital Education at Leeds Margaret Korosec outlined the importance of the award: “This was a fantastic recognition of the efforts put in by the whole team in taking a learner-centred, accessible design approach and ensuring this programme meets the needs of learners. It has also had a positive impact on how we design all our online programmes, fundamentally shifting our focus towards ensuring greater accessibility throughout our degrees and short courses.” 

Changing perspectives on disability 

Gillian Brown, a recent Leeds online graduate of the Disability Studies, Rights and Inclusion MSc, who graduated in 2024 called for more ‘allyship’ for disabled people. 

Gillian, who is looking to put her learning from the programme into professional practice in her role as a TV Development Executive, highlighted the need for greater awareness of current barriers: “Those with a disability shouldn’t have the sole responsibility for educating everyone on behalf of all disabled people. The more non-disabled people who know the challenges, the barriers and how this can be overcome, and how to advocate that, the better. It’s allyship, really.”

Read Gill’s full article on understanding disability worldwide and changing perspectives.

Transcript for the video titled How I balanced full-time work and a postgraduate certificate in disability studies | Gillian's story.