Invisible Structures, Visible Struggles: Intersectional Barriers Faced by Black Female Students with Disabilities

• In Event: Virtual Poster Session
  In Virtual iPresentation Only: SIG-Critical Examination of Race, Ethnicity, Class and Gender in Education Virtual Poster Session

Abstract

Educational equity efforts often treat race, gender, and ability as separate categories, yet Black female students with disabilities experience unique and compounded disadvantages. This paper examines how overlapping systems of racism, sexism, and ableism create invisible structural barriers that limit their educational participation and advancement. Through a literature synthesis, supported by quantitative data and qualitative “virtual case” analysis, the study foregrounds the experiences of these students, analyzes systemic mechanisms that marginalize them, and proposes more inclusive interventions rooted in intersectionality and critical disability frameworks.

Author

• ruiwen song, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia