Beyond Good Intentions in Special Education Policy: Engaging With Critical Disability Intersectional Research

Abstract

This article describes critical disability intersectional qualitative approaches aimed to not just analyze but also contribute and transform special education policy research. We specifically examine the shortfalls of education policies that construct race and disability as essentially separate and distinct characteristics, failing to consider students’ intersectional identities. By utilizing findings from a case study of a suburban school district that struggled with multiple forms of racial disparities in special education, we demonstrate how a critical disability intersectional qualitative approach can generate new understandings of policy processes by shedding important light on the dual nature of disability.