Abstract

Despite the fact that disability makes up the largest minority in the world, training in psychology in South Africa today does not give viable mention to the challenges associated to living with disability. Indeed, disability studies and psychology have had an awkward relationship for various reasons, resulting in lack of engagement with disability rights issues in the field of South African psychology. The article discusses what we see as the hiddenness of disability in and from South African psychology, despite disability’s argued centrality to South Africa’s history and present. After presenting key issues in the history of disability rights both globally and locally, the article moves to discuss the tendency of silencing disabled academics and of disability studies within psychology in the country. The stories of two disabled psychologists and academics are shared to illustrate how society is controlled along biopolitical lines, namely that of compulsory able-bodiedness, resulting in the continued silencing of disabled psychology academics; and the continued binary of ‘us vs them’, the able-bodied versus disabled, remains. Arguably, focusing on disability oppression and exclusion provides a way into understanding other forms of exclusion and oppression, including racial and gender oppression. We need to continue to integrate psychology and disability studies by celebrating disabled psychologists and encouraging psychological reflections on disabled experiences. Psychology cannot continue to allow disabled people to be silenced.

Talk to us

Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have

Schedule a call

Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.