Stephen F. Gilson

Stephen Gilson serves as Professor in the School of Social Work and Coordinator of Interdisciplinary Disability Studies at the University of Maine's Center for Community Inclusion & Disability Studies. A theorist and policy analyst, he developed Explanatory Legitimacy Theory with collaborator Elizabeth DePoy, analyzing how population group membership is politically constructed.

His research applies legitimacy frameworks to health policy analysis, particularly regarding access to illness prevention information. Current work examines disability as 'designed ill-fit' between bodies and environments, and explores how architecture and campus culture impact student diversity. Gilson also holds an appointment as Senior Research Fellow at Ono Academic College in Israel.