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Great Reasons for Choosing a Disability Studies Concentration for Your BS in Human Services

Increase disability awareness, improve health, and gain greater career flexibility with this concentration.

Do you have a desire to help others, especially people with intellectual, developmental, and physical disabilities? Then an online bachelor’s degree in human services with a concentration in disability studies could be an ideal fit for you.

Disability studies is a growing field, with one in four Americans having a disability that impacts major life activities.1 With a disability studies concentration, you will gain a deeper understanding of disabilities such as autism, Down syndrome, hearing and visual impairments, and cerebral palsy. You’ll also learn about positive intervention strategies, immersive learning technologies, disability law and advocacy, and how to support individuals who have a disability as well as their families.

Here are four great reasons to choose a disability studies concentration when earning your BS in Human Services online:

1. Increasing awareness. As a disability studies student, you can become an advocate for the 61 million adults in the U.S. who are living with a disability.2 The Disability Studies concentration at Walden University includes courses on motivation and emotion, proactive intervention strategies for people with disabilities, and advocacy, policy, and disability law. With this knowledge, you can help others understand what it means to be disabled and the contributions people with disabilities make to local communities.

2. Improving health. Adults living with disabilities are more likely to be obese, smoke, and have heart disease and diabetes, and at least one in three adults with disabilities ages 18 to 44 does not have a usual healthcare provider.2 By earning a BS in Human Services with a concentration in Disability Studies, you can improve the health of people living with disabilities. Graduates go on to help build inclusive health programs and promote healthy living for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities, autism, and physical disabilities.

3. Rising demand. As the population ages, the number of people living with disabilities is expected to increase.3 Improved awareness, screening, and diagnosis may also lead to more developmental disabilities being discovered in children.4 That means more jobs for people specializing in disability studies. For example, jobs for rehabilitation counselors are projected to grow by 10% between 2019 and 2029—much faster than the average for all other occupations.5 In that same time frame, jobs for social and community service managers are projected to grow by 17%.6

4. Career flexibility. Graduates earning a BS in Human Services with a Disability Studies concentration can go on to work in education and human services, specializing in service coordination, case management, behavioral support, direct service, disability advocacy, and public policy. But they can also find careers in management, engineering, rehabilitative medicine, and law. Potential job settings also vary, ranging from residential facilities to state government and international service organizations.

Choosing a Disability Studies Concentration at Walden University

Walden University offers seven concentrations for BS in Human Services students: Addictions, Child and Adolescent Development, Criminal Justice, Leadership and Administration, Psychology, Self-Designed, and Disability Studies.

Not only does the online disability studies program at Walden prepare students for a range of careers, it also academically prepares students to seek National Association of Qualified Intellectual Disability Professional (QIDP) certification.

Walden University makes it easy to get started. With our online curriculum, you have the freedom to take classes whenever—and wherever—you choose. And by earning your degree, you will develop skills that support people living with intellectual, developmental, and physical disabilities for years to come.

Walden University is an accredited institution offering a BS in Human Services online. Expand your career options and earn your degree in a convenient, flexible format that fits your busy life.

1Source: www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2018/p0816-disability.html
2Source: www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/disabilityandhealth/infographic-disability-impacts-all.html
3Source: www.census.gov/content/dam/Census/library/publications/2014/demo/p23-212.pdf
4Source: www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/developmentaldisabilities/features/increase-in-developmental-disabilities.html
5Source: www.bls.gov/ooh/community-and-social-service/rehabilitation-counselors.htm#tab-6
6Source: www.bls.gov/ooh/management/social-and-community-service-managers.htm#tab-6

Walden University is accredited by The Higher Learning Commission, www.hlcommission.org.

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