I found this study to be particularly interesting and indeed encouraging given the growth in disability studies across the English-speaking world. In terms of structure the review is well organized with good links between different sections and subsections, useful tables, diagrams and figures. The paper is generally well written in a clear and accessible style. However, I do find the use of footnotes unecessary and problematic. I realize that footnotes and endnotes are an acceptable convention within the academy, but referring to footnotes is both disruptive for the reader and poses additional problems for those of us with visual impairments. In my view, if something is relevant to the argument it should be included in the main body of the dialogue.

With regard to content, the discussion is both logical and informative, particularly with reference to the background to disability studies and the data collection strategies. As I'm unfamiliar with developments in the US and Canada, my main concern revolves around UK data and Leeds in particular. It's notable that whilst requests for information were posted at the 2008 SDS and CSDS conferences, I don't recall seeing anything at the UK's Disability Studies conference at Lancaster (September 2008) about this initiative which attracted over 250 participants from all over the UK, the US, Canada and elsewhere.

Regarding developments at Leeds, the review locates courses in the School of Sociology and Social Policy, yet the School also hosts an Interdisciplinary Centre for Disability Studies (CDS), the first in the UK, which manages and promotes these courses. The CDS isn't mentioned. The Department of Politics and International Studies also hosts an MA in International Development and Disability which also isn't listed (see http://www.polis.leeds.ac.uk/prospective-students/taught-postgraduates/ma-development-studies-disability/).

The identification and location of stand-alone courses was also rather confusing. For example, on Table 1 the University of Glasgow is credited with two schemes. As far as I know these are modules on other undergraduate courses. There is also no discipline with the title "Equality and Human Rights" at Glasgow. This is the title of their MSC programme which includes a Disability Studies element and is taught in the Department of Sociology, Anthropology and Applied Social Science. By way of contrast, we at Leeds offer 2 undergraduate Disability Studies courses as part of our Sociology and Social policy degree programme (see http://www.leeds.ac.uk/disability-studies/teaching.htm.) Additionally, whilst we do not offer specific PhD programmes in Disability Studies we have had over the past 15 years a thriving pool of PG research students focusing exclusively on Disability Studies issues - see for example http://www.leeds.ac.uk/disability-studies/people.htm). This is also the case for several universities across the UK. Notable examples include the universities of Lancaster, Manchester Metropolitan, Northumbria and the University of London's Institute of Education.

On a more general level, I am a little concerned about the assertion that many Disability Studies courses in the UK, and probably elsewhere, are located on Departments of Education as many have course titles that begin with the phrase "special education needs." In my experience this concept is almost always linked in one way or another, unless specified otherwise, with a deficit model of disability. Many of these courses are founded on this approach and do not sit comfortably with a Disability Studies perspective. A notable exception and omission from the from the UK list of courses is the MSC In Special Education (Inclusion and Disability Studies) at the Institute of Higher Education (University of London (http://www.ioe.ac.uk/study/masters/PMM9_SPEDIM.html) - the home of Professors Len Barton and Roger Slee, both of whom are internationally recognized as advocates of inclusive education and disability rights. Finally, University College Dublin is in Dublin, Ireland, which I'm sure many of my Irish friends, and SDS readers will be quick to point out that Ireland is not a part of the United Kingdom, but an independent state.