Intersection Of Disability Research Articles

Cripping the Creature

The article suggests that we “crip” monsters by reading their weaknesses as disabilities when measured (as all disabilities are) against a culturally constructed standard of a normate human body. As a case study, the article offers an analysis of the mental, moral, and spiritual disabilities of the vampiric body in Bram Stoker’s Dracula ; the suggestion being that the novel’s compulsion (and ultimate failure) thoroughly to “Otherize” the monster springs from anxieties about the somatic links between vampires and their human prey/progeny, which reveals the artificiality of many criteria used to evaluate humans and vampires. The claim in this reading is that the uncomfortable similarities between human and vampiric embodiment and the competition for white human women as a site of reproduction raise questions about the relative fitness of the human and vampire races for survival. Presenting disability in monstrous bodies destabilizes notions of the normate human body as the ideal form of embodiment and unsettles human notions of what constitutes fitness for survival in ways that may enable a productive discourse at the intersection of disability and monster studies, despite the troubled history of these two labels.

Leading for Equity and Inclusion at the Intersections of Disability and Race: A Call to Action Through Interdisciplinary Engagement

In this special issue, we asked contributing authors to identify complex and intersectional equity concerns in special education and to tie those concerns to leadership and to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). Our goal was to create teaching cases that could empower aspiring and current leaders with the knowledge and skills necessary to support and promote social change and justice for students with disabilities at their intersections. Each case situates the enactment of the IDEA within a local context, allowing readers to understand how the interaction between leadership, IDEA, and intersectional equity concerns relate. Throughout the special issue, we encourage readers to move beyond compliance with IDEA, to engage with intersectional and expansive equity approaches, and to address both ableism and racism.

Brazilian Women in Paralympic Sports: Uncovering Historical Milestones in the Summer Paralympic Games.

The journey of Brazilian female Paralympians transcends mere statistical increases in women's participation. Behind the modest athlete growth lies the reality of women who are doubly marginalized by the intersection of gender and disability in an arena tailored for able-bodied men. Our study aimed to catalyze critical discourses surrounding the historical trajectory of Paralympic women's sports. Through a comprehensive documentary analysis based on the Brazilian Paralympic Committee's official documents from 1976 to 2021, we sought to shed light on this complex scenario. Numerically, Brazil's representation comprised 229 women who, predominantly, had physical impairments and engaged in individual sports. In addition to a sporting legacy deeply entrenched in physical rehabilitation with limited opportunities for team-based sports, we observed negative influences stemming from ableist and sexist narratives. A thorough investigation into Paralympic milestones revealed a multitude of social barriers and highlighted the significant impact of societal changes in reshaping athletic opportunities and challenging traditional stereotypes.

Disability and infidelity with a cross-cultural couple: an emotionally focused therapy case study

ABSTRACT This clinical case study delves into the therapeutic process of a cross-cultural couple, facing the intersection of disability and infidelity concerns. This intersection illuminates the intricate dynamics that arise when couples navigate both the complexities of disability and the emotional turmoil associated with infidelity. Utilizing Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT), case intervention unfolded through three distinct stages, revealing intricate emotional dynamics, attachment styles, and communication patterns. The study explores the couples’ narrative, negative interaction cycles, and distinct emotional processing styles, considering complicating factors such as immigration challenges, cultural norms, and online infidelity. To strengthen bonds, the therapeutic approach promotes cultural sensitivity, intersectionality, and emotional connection. Despite time constraints and visa issues, the study highlights the efficacy of EFT in navigating the complexities of this cross-cultural couple. This case study contributes to the existing literature by examining the interplay of disability, infidelity, and cultural diversity within the framework of couples’ therapy.

Social Economic Barriers to Information Communication Technology (ICT) Access for Persons with Disabilities in Africa: Literature Review

The 2006 United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, (PWDs) enacted in May 2008, has been instrumental in championing the rights of people with disabilities. A significant aspect of the Convention is information communication technology (ICT) accessibility. Article 9 specifically calls for signatories to “promote access for persons with disabilities to new ICTs and systems, including the Internet” and to “promote the design, development, production, and supply of available ICTs and systems at a premature stage, so that these technologies and systems become accessible at an affordable price. ICT access is important for social economic incorporation of (PWDs) in Africa, with computer technology and the Internet significantly enhancing their independence. A report from the High-Level Meeting on Disability and Development at the United Nations in September 2013 underscores the importance of ICTs for the inclusion of PWDs. While inaccessible ICT designs can create barriers, innovative technologies offer unprecedented support: text-to-speech technology enables millions to access digital versions of otherwise inaccessible print documents, and new tools like GPS, image recognition, near-field communications, and Internet connectivity provide solutions for independent living. However, several socioeconomic barriers impede access to these technologies, exacerbating existing inequalities and limiting participation in the digital age. This article explores the multifaceted challenges PWDs face in accessing ICT in Africa, emphasizing the intersections of disability with poverty, education, infrastructure, and policy. It investigates the financial constraints that make assistive technologies and Internet services unaffordable, the educational barriers affecting digital literacy among PWDs, and infrastructural challenges such as inadequate ICT facilities and the lack of accessibility features in existing technologies. The article also addresses policy and regulatory gaps that fail to prioritize the needs of PWDs in national ICT strategies. By identifying these barriers, the article advocates for inclusive policies and targeted interventions to enhance ICT accessibility for PWDs in Africa. The discussion is informed by a review of relevant literature and data from various African countries. Ultimately, the article highlights the necessity of implementing policies related to ICT access and a collaborative approach involving governments, the private sector, civil society, and international organizations to bridge the digital divide and promote the social and economic empowerment of PWDs

Disrupting Durabilities of Colonial Logics in the Field of Special Education: Toward Abolitionist Futures

Background: The field of special education (SPED) has struggled with persistent equity problems in providing meaningful learning opportunities for students of color. These inequities are experienced by students navigating the intersection of race and disability, marginalizing and harming them. Critical scholars urge SPED to carefully consider its epistemic investments when attempting to address these injustices. Purpose: This essay demonstrates the connections between persistent equity issues in SPED and the colonial logics of placement and sorting. By drawing parallels between the epistemes that organize SPED and colonial logics, this essay argues that addressing equity issues in SPED must seriously consider its entanglements with colonial durabilities. Recommendations: This essay urges SPED to consider abolitionist praxis as a way of disrupting the persistent inequities faced by multiply marginalized students of color. Abolitionist praxis provides the necessary tools for dismantling the durability of colonial logics.

'The Lost Peace': Evidencing the Syndemic Relationship between Neglected Tropical Diseases and Mental Distress in Liberia.

Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) are a group of chronic infectious diseases of poverty affecting over one billion people globally. Intersections of NTDs, disability, and mental ill-health are increasingly evidenced but are rarely studied from a mixed-methods perspective. Here, we advance syndemic understandings by further assessing and contextualising the syndemic relationship between NTDs (particularly their associated disability) and mental distress in Liberia. Participatory qualitative methods, including body mapping (56 participants), social mapping (28 participants), and in-depth interviews (12) provided space for persons affected by NTDs to narrate their experiences. Simultaneously, 201 surveys explored experiences of common mental health conditions among persons affected by skin NTDs. An intersectionality approach was applied within the analysis for both qualitative and quantitative methods informed by Meyer's minority stress model, adapted for NTDs. Qualitative data was analysed thematically and gender-disaggregated, univariable and multivariable analyses were applied to survey data for the outcome measures depression (PHQ-9) and anxiety (GAD-7). Disability was associated with higher levels of depression and anxiety (p < 0.001). An interaction between disability and being a women increased incidence risk ratio of depression (p < 0.001). In alignment with qualitative findings, persons affected experienced additional generalised (financial concerns), external (experience of stigma) and internal (experience of pain and physical symptoms) minority stressors, to varying degrees, which contributed towards their mental distress, and mental health conditions. These findings were used to co-develop a syndemic-informed person-centred health system response to address the suffering associated with NTDs and mental distress, including a focus on strengthening relationships between formal and informal community health actors and the broader health system.

Meritocracy and material consequences at the intersection of race, class, and disability for pre-service PE teachers

Disproportionate rates of poverty among Black and Latine populations in the United States exemplify material consequences and ideological meritocracies of systemic racism. While education is often touted as a way to escape poverty, legacies of racism, classism, and ableism embedded within higher education and physical education teacher education (PETE) confront Black and Latine undergraduates directly, forcing them to navigate additional emotional and social barriers. We examined how Black and Latine pre-service physical education (PE) teachers enrolled in predominantly white institutions faced specific hurdles and/or barriers to teacher licensure along with material consequences of classism and ableism. We used qualitative visual inquiry, including narrative-based, semi-structured, and conversational interviews, and photo elicitation. We analyzed data deductively using intersectional Critical Race Theory. The first theme highlights a collective narrative of socioeconomic status’ bounding role in participants’ PETE stories, evidencing potential disruptions to successful teacher licensure. We then shift focus to share the stories of four Black and Latine pre-service PE teachers with learning disabilities. Participants highlighted a discourse of meritocracy, where academic accommodations were perceived as “advantages,” overlapping with institutional neoliberalism that ignores systemic oppression for poor and working-class pre-service PE teachers with and without learning disabilities. Participants’ narratives highlight systematic patterns of marginalization related directly to socioeconomic status and learning ability that PETE faculty and administrators are responsible for addressing.

Analyzing the Intersection of Disability and Entrepreneurship: A Study on the Social Capital of EWD

Analyzing the Intersection of Disability and Entrepreneurship: A Study on the Social Capital of EWD

The Lost Cherokee

Abstract When Gwendolyn moves across the country, they also relocate their mother—diagnosed with dementia and requiring residential care—closer to them. With their mother's cognitive decline comes the revelation that she has forgotten the family is Cherokee, a discovery that encourages Gwendolyn to examine how they process and understand their own identities. Using the ethnographic research of James Mooney as a touchstone for explorations, Gwendolyn searches for meaning and understanding in intersections of culture, storytelling, family, language, and disability. Through braided fragments of meditation, introspection, and memory, Gwendolyn excavates and reconciles the forms of loss that dominate their thinking.

Migration meets disability. Approaches to intersectionality in the context of a disability rights organization

Despite the proliferation of intersectionality in academic research and political activism, the intersection of disability and migration remains neglected in academic research. With this paper, we contribute to exploring this interlinkage. Drawing on research in a disability rights organization, this paper explores different positions concerning the intersection of disability and migration. Proposing a typology of three different modes, we shed light on individual approaches towards this intersection and thereby explain the reluctance to change of an organization in correspondence with a slowly-moving field. Placing this analysis in a broader context, we contribute to an understanding of the construction of the category of disability and its intersections with other categories, in this case migration within the organizational context of a disability rights organization. We show varying perceptions of this intersection within one organization and highlight their underlying organizational and personal logics. By doing so, we identify forces of organizational inertia and resistance to diversity-related change. Finally, this paper encourages discussions on the incorporation of migrants in the field of disability more widely.

Engaging With Sexuality of People With Disability-Organisational Efforts/Endeavours

As people with disability participate in the abled world, they are at a clear disadvantage as there is an apparent gap in resources. This is evident at the intersection of disability and sexuality. They are viewed as asexual beings and denied basic rights when dependent on society and care-givers. We aim to study the available resources and ways of making it stakeholder friendly. We aim to provide a framework for creation of resources through qualitative data analysis. The purpose is to investigate ground reality and develop understanding and strengthen policy making, infrastructure and working on social conditioning in the Indian context. Analysis of the depiction of disability, sexuality and inclusivity in select films to view issues of representation is done. In-depth interviews with experts have provided insights about the complexity of the subject. In conclusion, as this subject remains in the shadows, active ground work is required on all fronts.

Examining the Impact of Coping Strategies on the Quality of Life in Children with Various Disabilities

Children with disabilities face unique challenges that affect their well-being and quality of life (QOL). This study explores the intersectionality of disability and coping strategies in Saudi Arabia, a context in which comprehensive research on this topic is scarce. Cultural barriers hinder research participation, and data on the prevalence of disabilities are limited. A cross-sectional design was used to capture the dynamic relationship between coping strategies and QOL. A stratified random sample of 369 children (aged 6-18 years) from diverse socioeconomic backgrounds was studied. QOL was measured using the short form-12 health survey to assess the physical and mental components. Coping strategies were assessed using the validated COPE inventory. A stepwise multiple regression analysis was performed to determine the association between QOL and coping strategies. The significance level was set at a P value of &lt;0.05 throughout the analysis. The findings of this study revealed that participants with auditory problem have shown better QOL as compared to children with other disabilities. Participants with visual problems reported a greater use of emotional support, information support, positive reframing, acceptance, and religious coping. Children with autism were found to use only coping strategies. Participants with intellectual disabilities used behavioral and humorous coping strategies. Participants with auditory problems believed in active coping, denial, and substance abuse. Physical functioning, physical role, bodily pain, emotional role, and physical component summary were found to be significantly and negatively correlated with coping strategies, whereas general health, vitality, social functioning, and mental health were positively and significantly related to coping strategies. Stepwise multiple regression analysis revealed that emotional support, denial, behavioral disengagement, self-blame, religion, acceptance, humor, and substance abuse were significant predictors of QOL. Overall, the findings of this study emphasize the complexity of addressing the needs of disabled children and the importance of holistic and culturally sensitive approaches in rehabilitation and support programs.

School choice strategies at the intersections of disability, race, class, and geography

While parents of students with disabilities (SWD) select schools according to various factors, schools also choose students through different sorting mechanisms. Thus, parents of SWD may need to employ different strategies to enroll their child in their preferred school. We employed an intersectional approach for studying school choice, integrating ethnographic interviews and descriptive GIS to answer the following questions: (a) What strategies do parents of SWD utilize to secure placement in the school of their choice? and (b) How is the engagement with such strategies shaped by their social and geographical locations? We found that parents engaged in five strategies: Accepting an IEP Team’s school recommendations, securing placement through a sibling, testing into selective enrollments, changing IEP provisions, and engaging in due process. Moreover, these strategies were afforded and constrained by their intersecting social positions (i.e., race, class, and disability), their geographical locations, and the developmental school stage of their child (i.e., transitioning to kindergarten or high school).

Wretched Refuse

The article moves beyond some of the more recognizable intersections of disability and camp—the flamboyant irreverence of disabled performers—to ask how a crip sensibility can modify our very definition and epistemologies of the camp aesthetic. Leveraging the definitional kinship between bodies considered disposable and objects slated for discard, a new cripistemology of the camp aesthetic redefines camp through relations of care—those practices through which we nurture that which is beyond recovery and past the point of repair. Building on but departing from important work in disability studies that emphasizes crip theatricality and camp spectacle, the article explores the different affects that circulate through the intimacies and animacies of camp objecthood.

Intersectional inequalities: How socioeconomic well-being varies at the intersection of disability, gender, race-ethnicity, and age

Building on calls to integrate disability as an axis of stratification within sociological research, particularly within intersectional analyses of inequality, this study documents the scope of socioeconomic inequities at the intersection of multiple, entwined systems of stratification. Using data from the 2008–2019 American Community Survey (n = 19,506,716), I provide evidence of inequalities in poverty and unemployment at the intersection of disability, gender, race-ethnicity, and age. Findings highlight how disabled Black and AIAN men and women across age groups experience significantly heightened socioeconomic disadvantage. Study findings provide essential context for understanding how multiple, interlocking systems of inequality work together to produce and maintain intersectional inequalities in socioeconomic well-being. By examining the scope of socioeconomic inequities at the intersection of disability, gender, race-ethnicity, and age, this study uncovers patterns of relational inequalities that can be translated into policies and structural changes to transform power relations and promote disability and economic justice.

Liberating the Colonized Body and Mind

AbstractThe interstitial space at the intersection of race and disability is primed for a decolonial analysis. By examining the colonial history of Indigenous people and Black chattel slaves in North America, this paper will show how the contemporary definitions of race and disability are inherited social constructs created for the colonizer's utility to control the bodies and minds of those occupying and working the land the colonizer seeks to control for the private accumulation of imperial wealth. I will give examples of how socio‐cultural institutions like the church have inherited the logic of colonialism, creating ideologies of domination that must be challenged by a robust decolonial theology. Racism and ableism are the direct end product of a colonial view of the world that sees land and people as exploitable and expendable. A theology of liberation must grapple with the demands of decolonization to produce a just and equitable society.

Shared Decision-Making at the Intersection of Disability, Culture, and Language Accessibility: An Educational Session for Medical Students.

People with disabilities and those with non-English language preferences have worse health outcomes than their counterparts due to barriers to communication and poor continuity of care. As members of both groups, people who are Deaf users of American Sign Language have compounded health disparities. Provider discomfort with these specific demographics is a contributing factor, often stemming from insufficient training in medical programs. To help address these health disparities, we created a session on disability, language, and communication for undergraduate medical students. This 2-hour session was developed as a part of a 2020 curriculum shift for a total of 404 second-year medical student participants. We utilized a retrospective postsession survey to analyze learning objective achievement through a comparison of medians using the Wilcoxon signed rank test (α = .05) for the first 2 years of course implementation. When assessing 158 students' self-perceived abilities to perform each of the learning objectives, students reported significantly higher confidence after the session compared to their retrospective presession confidence for all four learning objectives (ps < .001, respectively). Responses signifying learning objective achievement (scores of 4, probably yes, or 5, definitely yes), when averaged across the first 2 years of implementation, increased from 73% before the session to 98% after the session. Our evaluation suggests medical students could benefit from increased educational initiatives on disability culture and health disparities caused by barriers to communication, to strengthen cultural humility, the delivery of health care, and, ultimately, health equity.

Disabled content creators on OnlyFans: Empowerment, representation, and precarity

This paper explores the intersection of disability and digital content creation on OnlyFans, a subscription-based social media platform known for its diverse creator community. Through a content analysis of 10 news articles and 22 Reddit threads focused on disability and OnlyFans, we investigate the experiences of disabled content creators in this dynamic digital landscape. OnlyFans has emerged as a promising employment option for people with disabilities, offering financial stability, independence, and a newfound sense of career control. However, concerns persist regarding potential impacts on disability-related benefits, highlighting the need for clearer support mechanisms. Furthermore, the platform has redefined power dynamics, allowing creators to reclaim agency over their narratives, particularly during the pandemic. It has not only transformed financial prospects but also served as a tool for managing health conditions and boosting self-confidence. These findings underscore OnlyFans’ role in fostering inclusivity and financial empowerment for disabled individuals. Our analysis also unveils broader societal challenges linked to disability and sexuality, including the de-sexualization and hypersexualization of disabled individuals. This emphasizes the urgency of cultivating a more inclusive understanding of sexuality and consent. Additionally, the fetishization of disabled people, termed “devotees,” adds complexity to the conversation, underlining the importance of respecting autonomy. By shedding light on this underexplored intersection, our research seeks to contribute to a more informed discourse on disability, digital content creation, and online platforms. Ultimately, it highlights the imperative of ongoing exploration and support for disabled content creators within the evolving digital landscape.

“I’m not a saint”: divine motherhood at the intersection of single adoption and disability

ABSTRACT This article examines some of the social norms, expectations and prejudices that surround the single adoption of disabled children in the UK. Drawing on interviews with a UK-based single adoptive parent, Lynne, it undertakes an intersectional exploration of the quasi-religious ‘saintly adopter’ position that is frequently ascribed to her. This analysis is realized through a sociocultural linguistic approach (Bucholtz & Hall, 2005), which offers tools for examining how individuals position themselves in relation to local and global identities, experiences and expectations. The article shows that the apparent praise of adopters as saintly figures can have an illegitimating force, since it is rooted in presumptions around certain children being ‘helpless’, ‘damaged’, and in need of rescue by ‘perfect’ parents. The pressures surrounding this position are likely to be felt even more strongly by parents and children who are marginalized in multiple ways, such as Lynne, who is both a single and adoptive parent, and her children, who are both adopted and disabled. Together, intersecting forms of prejudice around adoption, single parenthood and disability can make it difficult for single adopters, and adopters of disabled children, to be seen as valued and legitimate parents in a wider social context.