Perspectives Of Disabled People Research Articles

Integration of a Disability Lens as Prerequisite for Inclusive Higher Education

PURPOSE. Occidental higher education often approaches disability as a disparate issue, failing to recognize that it is part of human diversity. Such an approach hinders inclusive education because it overlooks how disability is intertwined with other identities and concepts of exclusion. The overarching aim of this paper is to enhance understanding of (intersecting) disabling processes within education policy and practice and the impact thereof on students; and to raise educators’ awareness about how integration of knowledge from Disability Studies within pedagogy and their daily interaction with students, can positively influence disabled students’ wellbeing, their study opportunities and aid the overall process of inclusion. APPROACH. This paper offers a disability lens by (1) presenting a literature overview from a Disability Studies (DS) perspective about disability and exclusionary phenomena, in particular disablism and ableism; (2) substantiating how a current focus on accessibility hinders actual inclusion; (3) analysing a case-study through the presented perspective with attention to Dutch contextual factors. For the case-study, the first author and ‘Tess’ engaged in regular conversations during a year in which Tess shared her experiences as a student of higher education. In this paper, a selection of these experiences is presented from a reflexive perspective and with application of the presented frameworks. With this, the complex impact of exclusionary processes on interactions between students, educators and on the organization of university involved (social) events is illustrated. FINDINGS. The lack of nuanced, fluid and intersectional approaches to disability within mainstream education hinders the recognition of (epistemic) injustices. Exclusionary processes and practices in higher education remain unacknowledged, although they negatively impact disabled students and block their epistemic contribution. Moreover, the continued focus on accessibility hinders implementation of the international convention on the rights of persons with disabilities and deflects attention from the fact that inclusive education requires systemic change and a multi-layered approach. KEY MESSAGE. The current trajectory of disability inclusion is counterproductive without true systemic change. Integration of the presented disability lens is imperative for truly intersectional approaches to inclusion and offers educators a way to positively influence students’ wellbeing and identity development, even when policy changes are not yet achieved.     Points of interest: Knowledge and attitudes about disability in higher education systems, in policies and practice, often do not portray disability from the perspective of disabled people themselves. There is also a lack of understanding how disability is part of human diversity and is intertwined with other identity aspects. Because higher education often focusses on including disabled people in existing systems by way of individual accommodations rather than on changing the design of the system, disabled students experience various forms of exclusion, varying from opportunities to study to the way they are approached by educators, that effect their wellbeing. The usefulness of disability studies theory is illustrated by applying them to the experiences of ‘Tess’, demonstrating how her personal and professional life was influenced by them. We argue that policies need to change and that educators themselves can work on true inclusion by recognising disability as diversity and by integrating up-to-date knowledge from the perspective of disabled people themselves in their approaches.

Smartphones, Disability and the Australian Experience of the COVID-19 Pandemic for People who are Blind and with Low Vision

This paper offers insight into and analysis of the disparate and diverse experiences of Australians with disability, at the intersections of technology and geography during the COVID-19 pandemic.Drawing on interviews with the blind and low vision community we identify a significant cross-generational uptake of smartphones. Participants demonstrate a reflexive and creative use of these devices when faced with reduced accessibility, and the significance of geography – not simply the distinctions between countries, but between urban and regional residents.These interviews are contextualised within a broader discussion of how Australians with disability responded to the pandemic via analysis of blogs, articles and social media. We focus on the voices and perspectives of disabled people, and that community's emphasis on individuality and intradisability diversity.Lastly, we present an overview of the discussions being held around the role of contact tracing and apps, privacy, validity and vulnerability. This discourse is important for ensuring support for the disability community pre and post global health emergencies, but also a valuable exemplar for understanding the relationship between digital inclusion and social equality more broadly.

Jarman, M.,Monaghan, L.and Harkin, A.Q. (eds) Barriers and Belonging: Personal Narratives of Disability. Philadelphia: Temple University Press. 2017. 286pp £33 (pbk) £78 (hbk) ISBN 978‐1439913871

The collection Barriers and Belonging contains 37 short essays on intimate experiences with disabilities, written by American and Canadian students. This anthology, edited by Jarman, Monaghan, and Harkin, ‘emerged organically’ (p. 6) from their experience teaching disability studies and their desire to see collections which bring together ‘a range of impairments, material experiences and sociopolitical perspectives’ (p. 4). Some of the essays are written by professional activists or academics who are well versed in self-advocacy and critical disability theory, while others are written by contributors who are new to the field. This mix is both the strength and weakness of the book. It provides the reader with a critical analysis of disability alongside raw descriptions of life with disability/as disabled. While some essays use critical disability theory to understand the contributor's relationship with disability, other narratives pay tribute to the social model of disability, but fail to encapsulate its powerful premise of structural, complex, ubiquitous and unceasing disablism and resistance. In the latter, contributors sometimes fall back to narratives of the supercrip – the individual who overcomes his/her disabling condition through perseverance – or narratives of liberation through individual accommodation. Taken together, the anthology highlights contributors’ attempts to align critical disability theory with their own life experiences. In doing so, the book encapsulates the liberating qualities of the social model of disability and its insufficiency in capturing the most intimate experiences of disability. The book is organised into five parts; each brings together essays around ‘similar sociocultural concerns and perspectives’ (p. 14). While useful as an organisation method, the essays that compose each part are hard to distinguish from those of other parts, as essays throughout the book merge and overlap with one another. Each part opens with the editors’ introduction, as well as ‘questions to frame readings and promote discussion’ (p. 14). Relevant terms are boldfaced to guide reading and contextualise it in disability studies’ literature, and a short list of suggested reading is provided. Here, too, the editors’ choices are interesting. Part 3, for example, points the reader’s attention to ‘social misrecognition, hidden labor, gaps in communication’ and ‘silence’, but does not include ‘cure’ as an important concept. This is especially surprising given that questions regarding cure are a central theme in several essays in this and other parts of the book. The choice to organise the book by themes instead of categories of impairment serves the educational goal of de-medicalising disability and advances the editors’ political goal of ‘engaging across differences’ (p. 17). While the differences the editors point to are those of experience, I believe it is the different ways in which the contributors reflect on their disability that makes the book thought-provoking. Consider, for example, accessibility and autonomy. Popular notions of autonomy as an individual quest are brought up throughout the anthology (for other examples, see Phelp (chapter 1.4), Weingardt (chapter 1.5), Salter (chapter 4.5) and Anderson (chapter 4.6)). Writing about achieving independence, for instance, Phelp concludes ‘I have lived with ADHD all my life … my biggest coping mechanism is developing a schedule and asking those I work with to be very flexible with me’ (p. 45). In this account autonomy is achieved through resilience, individual accommodations, and support from a select few. Though exclusionary social practices (disablism) are present in these narratives, they serve as the background against which individual agency prevails. A very different approach to autonomy is seen in Ritvo's account of her experiences in academia (chapter 1.1). Comparing two academic institutions, Ritvo focuses on the social structures of the institutions and the accessibility they cultivate. In the first, perfection and competition for excellence are most valued, making Ritvo feel ‘less valuable’ then her able-bodied peers. It is only when she moves to a campus ‘that takes pride in differences and diversity’ (p. 29) that she is able to embrace her disability and find independence. This narrative echoes critical disability theory's emphasis on the environment in which one operates, rather than on individual characteristics. By placing both narratives side by side, the editors of the anthology force us to examine the interaction between the individual and the social organization of disability, autonomy, and choice. Chemel's essay (chapter 3.4), in which she laments the politics of blind independence, is exemplary. For her desire to see, Chemel is accused of betraying her peers, yet she struggles to accept the requirements of proud blindness. Finally, she argues, being blind but wanting to see is only a contradiction as long as disability is the only lens through which one is judged. Instead, she asks us to embrace a perspective that is ‘curious about each of our realities… [such as] intentions, hopes and other qualities…so that blame could no longer thrive’ (p. 124). In terms of limitations, the promise made in the book to attend to materiality as it shapes disability is arguably not fulfilled. Intersectionality is dealt with in broad strokes. Rarely discussed, race, gender, class, migration status and so on, appear as an addendum to disability rather than intertwined aspects of one's identity or experiences. Likewise, the book's reflections on developmental and intellectual disabilities are slight. This raises questions regarding the ethics of representation and the editors’ obligation to all types of disabilities. Specifically, the singularity of the woman with Down’s syndrome (the only non-academic and non-activist contributing author) reveals a flaw in the methodology of the book. Reaching beyond current and past students to solicit the ‘perspectives of disabled people’ (p. 8) in an accessible manner (including by various modes of communication) would have enriched the book. Nonetheless, the book's value is in the work it demands of its reader. That is, to tie the essays together. Readers must learn to view differing narratives of disability as complementary, not contradictory. As Calton (chapter 6.2) writes, ‘we need to have a nuanced view of the social construction of disability, not only to move forward intellectually as a discipline but also to make people feel welcome, regardless of what, if any, treatment they seek’ (p. 235). This, I believe, is the difficult task that the book lays out for us.

Application of the International classification of functioning, disability and health in Taiwan: victory of the medical model

Since July 2012, eligibility for disability benefits and services in Taiwan has been assessed based on the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health. This study examines disabled people’s experiences of this new assessment system: does it incorporate the social model or a multidimensional understanding of disability and assess the needs of disabled people adequately? In-depth interviews were employed with 24 disabled persons to answer these questions from the perspective of disabled people. The findings show that the new assessment model is still medicalised: social roles and social participation are not considered, the assessment process is dominated by professionals, users’ perspectives are not included and only those who are assessed to have a high level of disability are satisfied with the new system while many others would prefer the old assessment system. These findings have relevance for the analysis of needs assessments of disabled people in different countries.

Promoting inclusive development in Ghana: disabled people’s and other stakeholders’ perspectives

ABSTRACTThis article highlights barriers to inclusive development from the perspective of disabled people, as well as staff of NGOs and government agencies. A qualitative study was conducted between August 2011 and September 2012, and in September 2013, in rural and urban areas in Greater Accra and Eastern regions in Ghana. The research shows that inaccessible public infrastructure and services, negative attitudes of service providers, little political will, limited capacity of development agencies, and lack of multi-agency coordination in the disability development sector were barriers to disabled people’s inclusion and participation in development processes.

Developing Local Resources in Community-Based Rehabilitation Programme in Sri Lanka: Follow-up Study in Anuradhapura

Local resources have been the purview of community-based rehabilitation (CBR) but have received little research and evaluation. This study examines the factors of developing local resources in the CBR programme in rural areas in Sri Lanka. Of all the resources, the study mainly focuses on community workshops. An action research approach based on qualitative methods was applied in the Anuradhapura district as a follow-up to the previous research. Actions include meetings with stakeholders, as well as outreach courses. The study used narrative data from semi-structured interviews with the participants of community workshops (n=24), separate focus group discussion with participants (n=34), and CBR core group officers (n=5), and the author’s field notes in social work practice. Data was analyzed within the framework of strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT). The results show positive and negative attributes of community workshops in both internal and external aspects. In particular, we find strong support for the strengths of developing local resources in the CBR programme from the perspective of disabled people and local government officers. The result indicates the possibility that local people take full advantage of opportunities to overcome the weaknesses of local resources. Finally, the implications of this research and recommendations for future studies are discussed.

Enabling Art Education: Recent Books That Explore the Intersection of Disability and Art Education

Understanding Students with Autism through Art Gerber, B. L, & Kellman, J. (Eds.). (2010). Reston, VA: National Art Education Association. 174 pgs.; ISBN 978-1-890160-48-7 (pb).Art and Disability: The Social and Political Struggles Facing Education Wexler, A. J. (2009). New York, NY: Palgrave Macmillan. 248 pgs.; ISBN 978-0-230-60629-6 (he).This review comparatively discusses two recent books that intersect art and disability: Alice Wexler's (2009) Art and Disability: The Social and Political Struggles Facing Education and Beverly Gerber and Julia Kellman's (2010) edited book Understanding Students with Autism through Art. These books follow two landmark NAEA publications on disability: Nyman and Jenkins' (1999) Issues and Approaches to Art for Students with Special Needs and Gerber and Guay's (2006) Reaching and Teaching Students with Special Needs through Art. The newer books, like the former, complement one another as they differ in theory, praxis, and scope. Each book provides a new concentration within the canon of literature amassing art and disability, including disability studies, special education, art therapy, and art history.Gerber and Kellman's (2010) Understanding Students with Autism is the sequel to Gerber and Guay's (2006) Reaching and Teaching, as indicated by its shared cover design, horizontal page layout, content organization, and authorship. Understanding Students with Autism exudes a more scholarly tone than its predecessor, with authors representing diverse perspectives within art education, special education, and neuroscience. Thirteen chapters are organized in three main sections - an overview of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), teaching scenarios, and community resources - with considerable overlap and repetition. Many chapters detail case studies with surprising attention to empathy rather than sympathy, reflecting a growing trend across disability-related literature to deeply consider the perspectives of disabled people or people with disabilities^ in addition to the concerns of their guardians and service providers. Although most authors write from an orthodox special education perspective, in which educators are regarded as service providers for dependent children, the book argues that successful teaching occurs when teachers really get to know their students and make significant changes to curricula and classroom environments. Understanding Students with Autism essentially addresses four aspects of autism: what it is, how autistic people think and behave, how to effectively teach children with autism, and the diverse contexts of art education. The book is appropriate for undergraduate and early graduate students in art education and special education, and instructors could easily select a few chapters or use the entire book. Practicing teachers will also find the book readable, informative, and useful.Wexler's (2009) Art and Disability casts a broader net and targets a wider authence than Understanding Students with Autism by covering many kinds of disability rather than just one and by discussing the artwork of accomplished disabled artists along with art education concerns. The book is similarly structured with beginning chapters that introduce the topic, a lengthy co re section that explores the topic in detail, and closing chapters that discuss community education and other peripheral matters. The core section discusses art and disability according to different clinical categories: ASD, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, learning disabilities, emotional disturbance and behavioral disorders, visual impairment, and traumatic brain injury. Wexler ardently acknowledges the inherent problem of labeling and categorizing disabled people, and each chapter details the perspectives of disabled people as well asthose of non-disabled stakeholders. In this sense, Art and Disability is reminiscent of Nyman and Jenkins'O 999) Issues and Approaches, which balanced orthodox and progressive perspectives. …

Views of disability in Portugal: ‘fado’ or citizenship?

Disability research in Portugal is scarce and often lacks the perspective of disabled people. This paper tries to bring insights from leaders of disability associations about the community of disabled people in Portugal, the barriers to their politicization and links with disabled identity. It seems that most disabled people get trapped in a tragic paradigmatic vicious cycle due to a system-induced disempowerment which is sustained by a dominant individual and remediation model that extends to families, society, policies and politicians. The disabled associative movement has been unable to reach the majority of disabled people. Suggestions are thus made in order to transform this social reality by disseminating politically aware alternative disability paradigms and the possibility of a positive disabled identity, as well as by generating societal involvement in disability as a public matter.

“A Different Light”

This article explores narratives of parenting a child with impairments for insight into impairment as both a materially and socially meaningful phenomenon. Drawing from in-depth interviews with parents, a narrative approach is employed to explore the ambiguities of human impairment and embodiment as experienced by an intimate other. Parents’stories illustrate impairment as an intersubjective and intercorporeal accomplishment and illustrate multiple locations of meaning of impairment within the context of intimate social relationships. Narrative approaches have largely been identified with research on embodiment from the perspective of disabled people; it is argued that narrative accounts of embodied others may avoid dualisms of objective/subjective and social/natural that trouble current theoretical approaches to impairment.

Horizontal Equity for Disabled People: Incapacity from Accident or Illness

The current dual system of benefit provision and service delivery for disabled people has led to substantial horizontal inequities between those on the ACC register and those receiving income tested social security benefits. Whilst there are often distinct differences in the nature of the clientele between these groups, they often have similar requirements, but can receive quite different treatment. The Disability Strategy offers the prospect that a more unified system will be developed, initially in terms of service provision, especially rehabilitation and access to health care. The move to a combined benefit structure raises issues about the fundamental nature of social security, though equality of access to second and third tier benefits should minimise the degree of conflict between earnings related and flatrate benefits. From the perspective of disabled people, the major issue is access to nonincome support, ranging from access to equipment to health care, education and employment.

Developments in special education in Ireland: deep structures and policy making

Clinical discourses from the domains of medicine and psychology exert a powerful influence on theory and practice in special education. These discourses first define disability as ‘an individual human condition’ and locate ‘the problem’ in the physiological and psychological characteristics of the individual. Second, they privilege the role of experts and exclude the perspectives of disabled people themselves. In spite of considerable criticism, psycho-medical definitions of and responses to disability have been incorporated into educational legislation in Ireland and continue to dominate policy development in special education. The real danger of failing to address these deep structures in special education is that exclusion and marginalization will be reproduced even in well-intentioned and well-supported programmes.