Disability Studies and Intersectionality: A Social Justice Perspective

• In Event: 52.025 - Bringing Disability Studies Into the University Curriculum: An Interdisciplinary and Intersectionalities Approach

Abstract

Abstract
This paper confronts and critiques ways in which special education/disability issues are typically segregated and how they might be better integrated. This integration must be done critically or we risk false comparisons and distinctions or conflation of the two areas. Pugach, Blanton, and Florian (2012) ask:
How can we work together to advance a more complete vision of diversity, one that does not merely attach “disability” to a long list of social markers of identity, but rather works from the assumption—and indeed the fact—that the children and youth for whom we prepare educators do not have just one diversity identity, but rather multiple diversity identities that interact with and nest within one another in different and often complex ways? (p. 235)

Deficit perspectives form the foundation of traditional special education (as well as other segregated systems). By locating disability within a critical perspective on marginalized differences more generally, however, the implication is not that other marginalized differences should be viewed as impairments—quite the contrary. Adopting this perspective means rejecting traditional deficit-oriented perspectives that position differences (including disability) as inferior, incompetent, or less than normal. One key to developing strategies for addressing multiple oppressions and becoming a better ally for all students is understanding the concept of intersectionality—the systematic study of the intersections of race, ethnicity, class, gender, sexuality, and the other dimensions of difference mentioned previously.

In teacher education, discussion of these dimensions has typically evoked debates about discrimination, equity, affirmative action, diversity, and inclusion. But teacher educators have s also seen that they must expand their conceptions of multicultural education and diversity education by recognizing students’ multiple identities (Lawrence-Brown & Sapon-Shevin, 2014). A more sophisticated understanding of issues of intersectionality and multiple identities can help educators and students to become better allies toward those experiencing marginalization, exclusion, and bullying.

The portion of the program I facilitated was designed to contribute to building interdisciplinary undergraduate and graduate certificate programs. The focus was on framing of disabilities and intersections of disabilities with other identities and the implications for inclusion of these concepts in courses. There were three areas of focus: (1) the creation of inclusive learning climates; (2) understanding social and cultural constructions of disability; and (3) applying an intersectional analysis to the concept of ally building and interrupting oppression.

An interdisciplinary approach was used, including music and video in order to address the intersections of gender, race, class and sexuality with disability. Faculty and graduate students who attended were encouraged to bring their course syllabi in order to examine how they might revise and expand these in order to include these concepts. Participants responded enthusiastically and made clear connections to their existing coursework and were eager to explore ways of expanding their syllabi, assignments and readings.

Author

• Mara Sapon-Shevin, Syracuse University