Disability Studies Research Articles

Insider research in media accessibility

Reflections on insider research, user-led research, and lived experience research, as well as the question of positionality, have long been part of the scholarly conversation in various fields, such as Anthropology and Disability Studies. The present study provides a map of insider research in media accessibility through a literature review and discusses the results of 11 semi-structured interviews with insider researchers working on (media) accessibility and neighbouring fields. Their reflections on positionality in insider research, the benefits and challenges of this approach, their practices in the insider-outsider continuum, and the (in)accessible research processes which they encounter are presented. Researchers reflect on positionality in a nuanced manner, highlighting topics such as visibility and self-reflection, but also stigma and performativity. Experiential closeness to the topic being researched, heightened empathy, and legitimation of insider researchers’ and participants’ knowledge are highlighted mostly as positives elements, granted that researchers are offered psychological support. For most of the researchers, the risks (emotional impact, unclear role of the researcher, if they are well acquainted with the participants, etc.) can be tackled or resolved (through epistemological reflection, through collaboration, through psychological support, etc.) and the general argument is that the benefits of insider research outweigh the disadvantages. Through the researchers’ experience, we argue for greater agency among insiders in the research of media accessibility.

Provincializing bodyminds, decolonizing disability.

Provincializing bodyminds, decolonizing disability.

Cardiovascular Disease Incidence and Risk Factors in Older Adults With Intellectual Disabilities: Results of the Healthy Ageing and Intellectual Disabilities Study.

Previous research has shown that older adults with intellectual disabilities are at increased risk of cardiovascular diseases (CVD). However, longitudinal studies investigating the actual incidence of CVD and its associated risk factors in this population are limited. Such research is essential for optimising healthcare delivery and informing effective resource allocation. Therefore, this study aimed to examine CVD incidence in older adults with intellectual disabilities and explore its associations with participant characteristics and risk factors. A prospective longitudinal study was conducted in older adults (≥ 50 years) with intellectual disabilities as part of the Healthy Ageing and Intellectual Disabilities study. Baseline measurements were performed in 2009-2010, with follow-up assessments, including medical record reviews, in 2020-2023. Incidence rates for myocardial infarction (MI), heart failure (HF) and stroke were calculated by sex and 10-year age categories. Competing risk analysis was performed to examine the associations between CVD diagnoses during follow-up and baseline participant characteristics/CVD risk factors, accounting for mortality as a competing risk. Among 598 participants (62.0 ± 8.5 year; 49.3% female), with a mean follow-up of 8.6 years, incidence rates were 2.3 per 1000 person years for MI, 7.2 for HF, and 5.3 for stroke. Hypertension (HR 3.17; p < 0.001), Down syndrome (HR 2.66; p < 0.01) and antipsychotic use (HR 1.98; p = 0.04) were associated with an increased CVD risk during follow-up. A lower incidence of MI and similar to higher incidence of HF and stroke were found in older adults with intellectual disabilities than in the general population. Further research, including a focus on the association of CVD incidence with Down syndrome, is needed. Meanwhile, proactive assessment and management of CVD risk factors, such as hypertension and antipsychotic use, are important for improving cardiovascular health in older adults with intellectual disabilities.

Journey Towards Acceptance: Analyzing the Impact of Acquired Disability in L. Subramani's Memoir, Lights Out

Disability, across cultures, was perceived in various ways. From being considered as the punishment of Gods, undergoing involuntary euthanasia by Nazis, being denied of the basic rights and equal opportunities in all walks of life, the history of disabled people was filled with struggles and discrimination. Following the wake of the Disability Rights Movement, the twentieth century witnessed numerous protests and strikes by advocates of disability rights. This resulted in the enactment of policies that could improve the disabled people’s quality of life. Disability Studies, an academic outcome of Disability Rights Movement, pointed out the socio-political and cultural aspects of disability and integrated other fields of knowledge with disability. Impairment as a bodily condition can either be congenital or acquired in a later period of life. While the congenitally disabled experience a singular yet challenging reality, individuals who acquired disability later in their lives undergo a painful transition. The memoir taken for the study is Lights Out by L. Subramani which the author was diagnosed with a medical condition called Retinitis Pigmentosa. This disorder results in the gradual loss of his vision and leads to eventual blindness. This paper discusses the psychological impacts of acquired disability. It also employs the five stages of grief proposed by Elisabeth Kubler-Ross to effectively scrutinize the phases of Subramani in acquiring blindness.

Embracing complexity: Applying intersectional, post-oppositional approaches to examinations of students with disabilities in educational psychology research

This article responds to calls for transdisciplinary collaboration between educational psychology, special education, and Disability Studies in Education (DSE) to better include and support students with disabilities in research and practice. Drawing from embodied experiences and an intersectionality-informed perspective, the author critiques traditional frameworks that perpetuate ableism and reductive understandings of disability. By examining tensions between special education and DSE, the article emphasizes the potential for transformative, post-oppositional collaborations that transcend adversarial discourse. It advocates for systemic understandings of training pathways, professional structures, and theoretical approaches to foster equity and inclusivity. The author explores historical inequities, underscores the value of centering marginalized voices, and calls for thoughtful partnerships to dismantle silos and advance holistic educational practices. This work contributes to expanding the discourse on equity in educational psychology, proposing intersectionality and collaborative methodologies as essential tools for creating inclusive and equitable systems that serve all learners.

Autonomía, dependencia e inmovilidad: la capacidad de movilidad de las personas ciegas en León, Guanajuato

Objective: To study the mobility capacity of blind or visually impaired people in León, Guanajuato. Methodology: The analysis is based on ethnographic fieldwork involving participant observation and semi-structured interviews with four people living with some type of visual impairment in the city. Results: León is a disabling city not only because of its road infrastructure, but also because its civic culture is oriented toward inhibiting the mobility of blind or visually impaired people. Value: By introducing the concept of motility, the article seeks to contribute with information to expand the spectrum of studies on disability and mobility. Limitations: This is an exploratory study that prioritizes rapport and the collective construction of knowledge over representativeness. Conclusions: Social class, public insecurity, and street harassment should be incorporated into disability and mobility studies.

Double Knowing: The Value of Bridging Dual Research Paradigms for Social Change.

Methodological choices carry political consequences and real-world effects in research that seeks to advance justice. The epistemic and ontological grounding of a study shapes what researchers can know, and what they can change. Scholars who produce research with an aim to improve the world for disabled people and other equity-denied groups have debated the utility of certain paradigms and approaches, often arguing that one is superior to another in order to realize these aims. In this research methods paper, the authors set out to offer another view. They discuss their recent approach to analyzing a single dataset of survey responses from a national sample of medical students with disabilities, using two different orientations to reflexive thematic analysis: critical realist/contextualist and relativist/constructionist. They illustrate how each orientation, operating from a different paradigmatic position, generates distinct interpretations and implications. Engaging with debates from disability studies, feminist research, and health professions education, the authors argue that our field of disability inclusion in health professions education research and social justice research more broadly needs pragmatic solutions and exploration of underpinning discourses to achieve a grand project of social change-only possible through the exercise of multiple paradigmatic positions.

Embodying Unemployment: Ableism, Fitness, and Unemployed Men’s Bodies in 1930s Britain

Abstract In their 2007 essay “‘The Body’ as a Useful Category for Working-Class History,” feminist scholars Ava Baron and Eileen Boris urged labor historians to consider “Why and in what ways … bodies matter for studies of work and the working class.” While scholars have written histories attentive to cultural assumptions about bodies at work, the impact of employment on the human body, and people’s experiences of their working bodies, little consideration has been given to the ways bodies matter for unemployed workers. This article uses Baron and Boris’s invitation to labor historians as a point of departure, but asks, in what ways do bodies matter for studies of people without work? Specifically, in what ways did bodies matter for unemployed working-class men in 1930s Britain? Using parliamentary papers and debates, published first-person narratives, and government documents, I demonstrate that prolonged unemployment was a bodily crisis for working-class men, who expected—and were expected—to direct their bodies and minds to productive labor. Critical Disability Studies scholars’ have emphasized the need to interrogate ableist norms that produce a “corporeal standard,” which for working-class men meant bodies and minds able to perform productive work. Ableist structures, policies, and practices, intersecting in the 1930s British case predominantly with gender and class identities and norms, challenged unemployed men, who experienced unemployment in ways that situated them outside the working-class masculine corporeal standard. To explore these issues, I focus on two closely linked concepts: fitness and employability. During the 1930s, British politicians, bureaucrats, and unemployed men assumed that men who had been without work for prolonged periods of time would not have the physical and mental fitness to be re-employed. I introduce the concept “embodying unemployment” to capture the relationships among discourses, bodily and emotional processes, and material conditions that shaped policy decisions, unemployed men’s experiences, and practices to enhance fitness and employability, highlighting the various perceptions of what caused unemployed men’s bodies and minds to deteriorate from the ableist norm and what strategies might slow or arrest the feared changes.

Liberating Voices in Social Work: The Relevance of Ableism and the Affirmative Model for Capturing Disabled Children’s Voices and Views

ABSTRACT Hearing the voices and experiences of disabled children in social work is an ethical imperative, and at times, even legally compelled. Yet, this is problematic for some disabled children when compared with their majority population peers. The intention is to illustrate the potential of two approaches from disability studies referred to as anti-ableism and the affirmative non-tragedy model of disability, towards extending debates on capturing the voice of disabled children in social work. It is against this backdrop that the paper firstly explores potential attitudinal and knowledge constraints impacting on efforts to capture the voices of disabled children in social work practice. Secondly, this prompts the question of how more thoughtful, deliberate and participatory practice can be achieved in social work, towards hearing the voices and views of disabled children. Responses are theoreticlly informed and stimulate conversation and debate rather than claiming to accomplish exhaustive or conclusive answers. To provide a foundation for the discussion, a composite theoretical frame is presented. To do this, anti-ableism as an approach is first introduced and explained. This is then informed and extended by a second theory-based innovation from disability studies known as the affirmative non-tragedy model. The overall proposition is, that theoretical approaches from disability studies may aid social workers to better address subtle, embedded forms of disability disadvantage, towards better capturing the voices and experiences of disabled children.

Disabled Young People as Researchers, Designers and Makers: Aligning Makerspaces, Co-production and Critical Disability Studies

Abstract This paper considers the research possibilities afforded by disabled young people as researchers, designers and makers. We centre an interdisciplinary research project that sought to bring together critical disability studies, co-production and makerspace methods when exploring disabled young people’s aspirations in developing new automated technologies. This emerges from makerspace workshops in collaboration with 9 student co-researchers at a send school in the UK. From these workshops, we learnt lessons about the possibilities of starting from assumptions of capacity with disabled young people, promoting the affirmative qualities of making, and the role of interdependencies when researching and making together. Our workshop encounters demonstrate examples of the significant theoretical and methodological possibilities that emerge when bringing together making as a collaborative research practice within critical disability studies. Our workshop examples illuminate the entanglement between makerspace methods, co-production and critical disability studies. These alignments of affirmative methods and theory make for not only an affirmative process of capacity, diversity and difference but a celebration of it. As such, this paper offers a novel contribution in centralising makerspaces within critical disability studies, and the value of disability as the driving force of inquiry within collaborative, creative and maker methods.

Introduction to “Laboring from ex‐centric Sites: Disability, Chronicity, and Work”

ABSTRACTThe transition to industrial regimes has produced new categories of people deemed “unfit” for labor. Even if these boundaries are more porous nowadays, contributions to this Special Issue reveal continuities in how people struggle for a place in domains of work that are ill‐shaped to accommodate their diverse bodyminds. Drawing on disability/chronicity cases from India, Germany, Mexico, Turkey, Brazil/Portugal, the United Kingdom, and the United States, authors in this issue study how people navigate and reshape the boundaries between labor, care, and recognition. Based on these insights, this introduction calls for scholarly engagement with visions of work as they emerge from what Faye Harrison calls ex‐centric sites, i.e., viewing the margins of normative labor regimes as analytical loci for knowledge creation. We consider work not only in the context of how capitalist and biomedical systems produce debilitation and moral distinction but also as a transformative sphere, irreducible to predominant categories of employment and productivity. Bridging between medical/disability anthropology, critical disability studies, and the anthropology of work, we call for an expansive understanding of work and theory‐building from neglected positionings within labor economies.

Unveiling underlying systemic isolation challenges for AAC users

This paper examines systemic factors contributing to social isolation for people with communication disabilities, including those who could benefit from, or already rely on, Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) to be heard and understood. Building on existing studies of social isolation that focus on individual risk factors, this paper introduces the concept of systemic isolation, a less recognized form of isolation exacerbated by institutional and societal barriers perpetuating exclusion. By integrating interdisciplinary perspectives from social sciences, public health, and disability studies, the paper critiques established AAC practices, arguing that they often fall short in addressing AAC users’ broader social and emotional needs. Specific examples illustrate how systemic barriers work to isolate AAC users - including simplified communication systems, overly restrictive privacy policies, lack of access to collective support and problem-solving, and prioritization of independence over interdependence. These practices exacerbate isolation beyond the risks posed by communication disability alone. There is a moral imperative to address these issues. This paper encourages collaboration between AAC users, researchers, and service providers to reevaluate communication support goals with a focus on preventing isolation and enhancing relational support. The hope is to foster environments that promote greater connection, well-being, and equitable participation for AAC users.

Disabling AI: power, exclusion, and disability

This paper explores how artificial intelligence (AI) technologies in education reproduce systemic inequalities by embedding ableist and normative assumptions into their design and use. Drawing on frameworks from Critical Disability Studies, disability justice, and intersectionality, we develop a theoretical approach that interrogates the sociotechnical processes through which AI marginalizes non-normative ways of learning and knowing. Instead of viewing AI harms as inevitable or merely technical, we examine how these systems are influenced by policy, ideology, and sociocultural context. We connect technosolutionist logics in education to broader narratives of artificial general intelligence, showing how both obscure the contributions of disabled people and other multiply marginalized communities. Through theoretically grounded case analyses of AI tools such as chatbots, learning analytics, robotic tutors, and intelligent tutoring systems, we highlight patterns of sociotechnical ableism, algorithmic marginalization, and limited technological agency. The paper concludes by advocating for participatory, justice-oriented approaches to AI in education that center human variation and resist the erasure of disabled experience.

Christian Empowerment and Secularity

This paper explores the challenges facing Christian churches in Germany amid increasing secularization and societal change. Key issues include the loss of institutional self-evidence, financial instability due to declining church membership, and the erosion of trust following abuse scandals. In response, the concept of empowerment is examined as a theological and pedagogical approach to fostering individual and communal agency. Drawing from interdisciplinary perspectives in community psychology, social work, disability studies and critical pedagogy, the study highlights how empowerment can create new pathways for engaging with the Christian message. Research at the CES focuses on religious communication, missional church development, and church theory in secular contexts, aiming to enhance the relevance of the Gospel through empowerment-driven approaches.

SOUTH AFRICAN USERS’ FUNCTION AND EXPERIENCE WITH A MAGNETORHEOLOGICAL MICROPROCESSOR KNEE: A MIXED METHODS STUDY

BACKGROUND: Microprocessor knees (MPKs) support safe and confident prosthetic walking. Their cost often prohibits prescription in low-and middle- income settings like South Africa. Funding of high-end prosthetic products in South Africa is dependent on justifications that explain why the component is prescribed, and how it can improve the user`s function. There is little local evidence to support these justifications. OBJECTIVE: To explore and describe South African users’ function and experience with the Rheo XC microprocessor knee (MPK). METHODOLOGY: An explanatory sequential mixed methods design was used. A pre-test, post-test study was followed by a descriptive qualitative study to explore and explain the observed outcomes. In the pre-test phase, baseline data were collected while participants used their regular non-microprocessor knees (e.g., mechanical or hydraulic joints). Post-test data were collected after a two-week trial with the Rheo XC knee joint. Data were collected from 16 consecutively sampled participants, using a self-developed functional level scale and the L-Test. Nine (56.3%) participants had a transfemoral amputation, six (37.5%) had a knee disarticulation and one (6.3%) had bilateral amputations (transtibial and transfemoral). Baseline and follow-up data were paired for each participant and analyzed with the Wilcoxon Signed-Rank test. The descriptive qualitative study explored six purposively sampled participants’ experiences of the trial knee through semi-structured interviews. Inductive thematic analysis was done. FINDINGS: The time to complete the L-Test decreased on average 7.5 s between baseline (35.4 s) and post-test (27.9 s) data. L-Test Wilcoxon Singed-rank findings showed a significant increase in walking speed (p &lt; 0.001). Mean functional level scores increased by an average of 12.7 points (p &lt; 0.001) with improvements observed across all activities except running, for which scores remained unchanged. Two themes emerged from the qualitative data. Theme 1: Acceptance of the MPK showed enthusiasm for the MPK. However, Theme 2: Real-world limitations of the MPK cautioned that the MPK is not suitable for everybody. CONCLUSION: This study provides context specific scientific evidence that may support funding decisions for MPKs in South Africa. However, it is not suitable for everyone, and a trial period to assess appropriateness is advised before prescription. The test period in this study was short, and further research over longer durations is recommended. Layman's Abstract Prosthetic knees with computer-controlled systems help users walk more safely and confidently; however, they are expensive and not commonly used in low- and middle-income countries such as South Africa. Medical aids and other private funders sometimes cover the cost based on justifications that explain why the prosthesis is prescribed and how it can improve the user's function. Currently prosthetists have little evidence to support these justifications. This study assesses South African users’ function and experiences with one such knee, the Rheo XC knee. Sixteen participants tried the Rheo XC knee for two weeks. Before they started the trial period, they completed questions on their function and a timed walk test while using their own non-microprocessor knees (e.g. mechanical or hydraulic joints). After the two-week trial of the Rheo XC knee, they repeated the same tests to determine if their function or walking speed improved. Nine (56.3%) participants had an above knee amputation, six (37.5%) had a through knee amputation and one (6.3%) had bilateral amputations (below and above the knee). Baseline and follow-up data were paired for each participant and analyzed with a statistical test. Interviews were conducted with six selected participants to learn about their experiences using the Rheo XC knee. Participants walked on average 7.5 s faster with the Rheo XC knee than with their usual knee. They also had higher function scores for all activities except running, which remained the same. Although participants liked the Rheo XC knee, its length and weight posed challenges for certain individuals. The findings of this study may help justify funding for the Rheo XC knee in South Africa. However, it is recommended that the Rheo XC knee be prescribed only after a trial period has been completed to ensure it is an appropriate choice for the specific user. The test period used in the study was short, and further research over longer duration is recommended. Article PDF Link: https://jps.library.utoronto.ca/index.php/cpoj/article/view/45286/33986 How To Cite: Visagie S, Theron B. South African users’ function and experience with a magnetorheological microprocessor knee: A mixed methods study. Canadian Prosthetics &amp; Orthotics Journal. 2025; Volume 8, Issue 1, No. 5. Https://doi.org/10.33137/cpoj.v8i1.45286 Corresponding Author: Surona Visagie, PhDAffiliation: University of Stellenbosch, Division of Disability and Rehabilitation Studies, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, South Africa.E-Mail: suronav@sun.ac.zaORCID ID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4575-479X

“Asking for Help was Really Helpful, but Definitely Hard to Say”: A Comparative Analysis of the Intersection of Disability and Masculinity

A small body of work has examined the intersection of masculinity and disability. Key early studies focused attention on the ways in which men with acquired physical disabilities negotiated this dilemma, and the extent to which their strategies contested or reproduced gender norms. Recent work has called for greater attention to the diversity of men’s experiences across disabilities, as well as the dynamic and shifting configurations of gender and disability. In this paper, we engage with recent disability studies scholarship to consider how gender relations and masculinity intersect with ableism as a system of oppression. We draw on qualitative arts-informed research to present a comparative analysis of three men’s embodied experiences of chronic physical illness, intellectual disability, and psychiatric disability. The analysis highlights how complex relations between disability, (re)habilitation, breadwinning and heteronormative domesticity shape the lives and identities of all three men, albeit in quite different ways. As such, the paper provides an important illustration of the varied, dynamic, and often contradictory ways in which men negotiate gendered experiences of illness and disablement.

Reframing Diversity in Computing on the Basis of Genders

Abstract In this paper, we revisit the issues surrounding the lack of gender diversity in computing and build a theory on the roles and effects of genders in computing. Our intention is to transform human experiences with computing technologies to more equitably reflect and represent diversity. To support gender diversity in design, we work to create an integrated trans-feminist theory. In doing so we draw from diverse fields, including English, psychology, philosophy, cultural theory, law, medicine, and feminist, queer, disability, indigenous, post-colonial, Black, and Chicana studies. We show how and why marginalized people need to develop our own languages and voices as a step in empowering our identities. We assemble quantitative data showing the paucity of people with historically marginalized genders in computer science education and in our best papers. We use the participation gap in computing, combined with the mental health impact, to argue that computing, as a field, needs to critically examine our cis/heteronormative tendencies, which perpetuate a vicious cycle of erasure, and instead frame scholarship in terms of gender identities and presentations.

Walking on eggshells: disabled people's management of emotions during everyday encounters in accessible parking spaces.

This paper explores how disabled people manage their own and other's emotions during encounters with strangers in accessible parking spaces in a UK context. Due to their mundanity, the affective impact of encounters is frequently not considered in the move towards removing barriers to public space for disabled people. Understanding the energy and emotion work that goes into managing these affects therefore offers a crucial new perspective on how we understand what "accessibility" means. Situating my analysis at the intersection between the sociology of emotions and critical disability studies, I present data from 20 disabled interview participants in England on their experiences of accessible parking encounters. This includes a discussion of the impression management and emotion work required to navigate encounters in parking spaces, and the exclusionary impact these encounters can have over time. In the findings I highlight how considering relational and psycho-emotional aspects of disablism are crucial when understanding everyday oppression and offer a way to rethink the negative emotions arising from encounters as a collective rather than an individual experience.

Fostering Leadership in Children With Disabilities: Insights From Adult Leaders With Disabilities

ABSTRACTThis study explores strategies for fostering leadership skills in children with disabilities (CWD) through insights from successful adult leaders with disabilities. Using a strengths‐based approach grounded in leadership and disability studies, we conducted in‐depth interviews with 29 adult leaders from India and the USA to investigate key influences on their leadership development. Our findings reveal that early recognition of abilities, positive reinforcement from families and teachers, and structured leadership opportunities were pivotal in nurturing leadership potential. We integrated these findings into a theoretical framework outlining essential pathways for cultivating leadership in CWD so they are better prepared to assume larger leadership roles as adults. Through this study, we wish to equip teachers and caregivers with the following: 1) Understanding how to identify and focus on strengths rather than limitations in CWD; 2) Developing strategies to foster self‐responsibility and problem‐solving abilities rather than dependency; 3) Implementing effective approaches to connect CWD with supportive networks including role models with disabilities who demonstrate successful leadership trajectories.

How ableism impacts people who need and use AAC

I was born with a neuromuscular disability. Ever since I was a child, I encountered and experienced ableism, but I did not have the word for it. It was not until I was in my twenties when I started to read disability studies and sociology that I had a better framework for understanding how the world operates. Learning about systemic ableism as a form of oppression was a turning point. I realized that not only was the physical world never built for me, but the entire sociopolitical apparatus is centered on normative bodies and behaviors that uphold white supremacy and hypercapitalism, deeming disabled people as deviant, unproductive, and less than human. In June 2022, I was hospitalized with a punctured lung, aspiration pneumonia, and malnourishment. I came home from the hospital with an irrevocably altered body, unable to eat, drink, or speak. I was left to face a new reality of being a nonspeaking person in a world that privileges speaking and hearing as primary ways of communicating. While I am still evolving and discovering new aspects of life without speech, I believe AAC users can collectively bend conventional modes of communication, practice crip time, teach speaking people to slow the fuck down, and have us centered instead of at the margins. Nonspeaking people belong in public, holding court in conversations, doing our thing, our access needs respected, and being our full selves unapologetically.