Ruth Ann O'Brien is an American author and editor best known for her writing in the field of
disability studies. She is a professor at the
City University of New York
The City University of New York ( CUNY; , ) is the Public university, public university system of Education in New York City, New York City. It is the largest urban university system in the United States, comprising 25 campuses: eleven Upper divis ...
.
Education and career
O'Brien was born in Spokane, Washington, and grew up in California. In 1977 she become a page in the U.S. House of Representatives after being nominated by Representative
William M. Ketchum
William Matthew Ketchum (September 2, 1921 – June 24, 1978) was an American businessman and Republican Party politician who was a member of the California State Assembly from 1967 to 1973 and a member of the United States House of Representa ...
. She earned a B.A. from Claremont Men's College (now
Claremont McKenna College
Claremont McKenna College (CMC) is a Private college, private Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Claremont, California. It has a curricular emphasis on government, economics, public affairs, finance, and internat ...
) as part of the first group of women to enroll, and a Ph.D. in political science from
University of California, Los Angeles(1991). Following her Ph.D., O'Brien taught at the University of Denver before moving to the
City University of New York
The City University of New York ( CUNY; , ) is the Public university, public university system of Education in New York City, New York City. It is the largest urban university system in the United States, comprising 25 campuses: eleven Upper divis ...
in 1993. In 2003, she became the executive officer of the Ph.D./M.A. program in political science at the CUNY Graduate Center. As of 2022, O'Brien is a professor at the City University of New York.
O'Brien is known for her writings and discussions on the
Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 and the implications for the workplace. Her book ''Crippled Justice'' was the first written history of the Americans with Disabilities Act, and was reviewed by
Leonard Kriegel and others.
In ''Bodies in Revolt'' she examined disability in the workplace, and this book was reviewed in
Law & Society Review in 2008. She has also published on
Barack Obama's presidency.
Selected publications
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References
{{DEFAULTSORT:OBrien, Ruth
Living people
University of California, Los Angeles alumni
Claremont McKenna College
City University of New York faculty
Disability studies
American women writers
Year of birth missing (living people)