Moving Beyond Deficit: Principles for Disability Justice in Mathematics Education (Poster 6)

• In Event: Reconceptualizing Ability, Normativity, and Equity: Methodologies in Mathematics Education Resistance and Justice

Abstract

This paper draws from the disability justice framework, which was developed through the grassroots efforts of disabled queer activists and disabled people of color (Sins Invalid, 2019). Disability justice focuses on the relationship between ableism and other interlocking systems of oppression such as racism, sexism, imperialism, and capitalism. A guiding principle of disability justice is to center the voices of people most impacted by systems of oppression, rather than the voices of “external experts” or perceived authorities. In this way, the development of the disability justice perspective has contrasted other lineages of disability-focused work such as special education, which are largely driven by nondisabled people.

Research shows that a disability designation can be a marginalizing factor in itself, despite intentions to help disabled people (Artiles, 2019). Thus, it is crucial to listen directly to the voices of disabled people, rather than making assumptions about what is needed. Disability justice aims to reclaim the term “disabled” as a political statement, much in the same way that the term “queer” has been reclaimed. Thus, consistent with disability studies perspective, it recognizes the role of society in disabling people, through ableist systems (Oliver, 2013). Where disability justice departs from more academic perspectives is its unapologetic commitment to collective liberation and movement building.

We draw upon 10 principles for disability justice from Sins Invalid (2019) to provide participants with an introduction to this particular perspective. The principles, briefly summarized, are: 1) intersectionality, 2) leadership of the most impacted, 3) anti-capitalist politics, 4) cross-movement solidarity, 5) recognizing wholeness, 6) sustainability, 7) cross-disability solidarity, 8) interdependence, 9) collective access, and 10) collective liberation. As mathematics educators and disability activists ourselves, we do the work of contextualizing these general principles to the mathematics classroom, to consider their implications for teaching and learning practices.

Most notably, we emphasize that a disability justice perspective is relevant for all students, not just those who are disabled. For example, all students have access needs, not just disabled students, even though particular aspects of access may be most salient for disabled students. Disability justice practices have the potential to disrupt larger ableist systems, to create learning environments in which disabled people actually have an opportunity to learn about their own communities, and celebrate disabled joy (Mueller, 2021). We envision this paper as a first step towards bringing this much-needed perspective into conversation with mathematics education.

Authors

• Daniel Reinholz, San Diego State University

• Cathery Yeh, University of Texas at Austin

• Lisette Esmeralda Torres-Gerald, TERC

• Paulo Tan, University of Missouri - St. Louis