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About the Scholarship
The Institute for Critical Disability Studies General Scholarships support WWU students who are engaging in advocacy, activism, and scholarly or creative work centered around critical disability studies and disability identity and justice.
This award was established by the ICDS Co-Directors and has been made possible by the generous donations of our Give Day donors who contributed to the ICDS General Scholarship Fund in 2023. This year, we are excited to be able to offer new $500 scholarships to current declared minors in Critical Disability Studies, and we hope to increase the number and amount of scholarships we offer in the future.
Contact icds@wwu.edu with questions, or if you are interested in helping to directly support Critical Disability Studies students though scholarships through a donation, whether large or small!
Award distribution: Academic Year, beginning Fall
Award amount: variable. $500 for AY 2025-26
Number of awards: variable. For AY 2025-26: 1 or 2 total for students minoring in Critical Disability Studies at Western:
- Up to one Scholarship in Disability Justice & Activism
- Up to one Scholarship in Academic Critical Disability Studies
Applicant eligibility: To be considered, you must be a current WWU student planning to enroll at least half time next Fall and must have declared the Minor in Critical Disability Studies before the end of Winter Quarter 2025. Students may only apply to one of the two Minor in CDS scholarships per year.
Applications open: April 2025
Application deadline: 11:59 pm, Thursday, May 04, 2025
Letter of recommendation deadline: 11:59 pm, Thursday, May 04, 2025.
Contact: icds@wwu.edu
Evaluation Criteria:
Applicants are judged on these main criteria:
- Is the applicant a current declared Minor conducting coursework in Critical Disability Studies at Western?
- Has the applicant demonstrated engagement with one of the following aspects of disability studies and action (discussed in their personal statement):
- Candidates for the Disability Justice & Activism Scholarship for Minors engage in curricular or extracurricular work in disability justice, disability identity, advocacy, and/or activism and respond to the prompt: How have you contributed to the rights, resources, and concerns of disability communities?
- Candidates for the Academic Critical Disability Studies Scholarship for Minors conduct research, internships, independent studies, and other academic or creative work in areas related to CDS and respond to the prompt: Why is Critical Disability Studies interesting and important to you academically?
- Letter of Recommendation from a mentor or faculty member
- Preference is given for students who have demonstrated financial need, but it is not required to be chosen for the Award.
Scholarships at Western are being moved to a centralized application process! Visit wwu.scholarships.ngwebsolutions.com/
CDS Scholarship Awardees
2025-26 Awardees
This year we are grateful to be able to award two CDS Scholarships thanks to generous GiveDay donations to ICDS from the community! Thank you for supporting our Critical Disability Studies students!
Zoe Roberson
she/her
Zoe Roberson is a Speech-Language Pathology student at Western Washington University with minors in psychology, linguistics, and critical disability studies. Growing up in Anacortes, she found her voice through advocacy. She seeks to raise awareness, build community, and challenge stigma around communication disorders. Zoe loves Bellingham for its culture of diversity and acceptance, which reflects her own mission to create more inclusive spaces. Outside of academics, she enjoys making linocut prints, caring for plants, and running a small art market business with her best friend. Her future goals include working with people who stutter and individuals on the autism spectrum.
Tyler N. Thompson
he/him
Tyler is an undergraduate majoring in Psychology and minoring in Critical Disability Studies. Originally from California, he moved to Washington several years ago where he finished high school and transfered to WWU from Everett Community College. Tyler has several non-apparent disabilities, of which have provided a number of hurdles in his journey—but also a strong sense of justice that motivates his aspirations. His career goal is to become a clinical or counseling psychologist, specializing in providing care for disabled people utilizing a social/cultural model that recognizes a person’s intersectionality. Additionally, Tyler wants to play a role in the future destigmatization of disability within the field of Psychology. Outside of academics, he spends most of his time following social justice issues, the video game and content creation industry, playing games, and being bossed around by his ESA, Malin.
2024-25 Awardees
These are new scholarships supported by your generous Give Day donations! We are pleased to announce our first awardee for the CDS Scholarship!
Remi Rogoff
he/him
I am an out of state student from Northern California majoring in Urban Planning and Sustainable Development with minors in Critical Disability Studies and Honors Interdisciplinary Studies. I love cuddling my dog when I’m visiting home, playing wheelchair basketball with the Adaptive Sports Club, and cooking. I look forward to pursuing my education in urban planning and disability studies in order to work towards a more equitable and accessible world.
These scholarships are entirely built on small donations to the ICDS General Scholarship fund!
Please contact ICDS icds@wwu.edu to learn about how you can contribute to the fund so that we can continue to offer them next year. Donations to the Scholarship Fund can be made at any time of the year!