The Impact of Epistemic Oases within Educational Spaces on the Disability Rights Movement (Stage 2, 4:44 PM)

• In Event: e-Lightning Ed-Talk Session 14 - Stage 2

Abstract

The systemic silencing of people with disabilities has led to cultural misunderstandings of disability that has created both physical and epistemic harms. The impacts of the disability rights movement were made possible by grassroots groups of disabled activists who were in community with each other and formed, what we describe as, epistemic oases. We draw on Fricker’s (2007) and Pohlhaus’ (2020) work on epistemic injustice and identify examples of epistemic oases in educational spaces that led to prominent events throughout the disability rights movement that affected positive political change. We look at communities developed in the University of California, Berkeley and Gallaudet University and contend that these are examples of epistemic oases that precipitated collective resistance in the twentieth century.

Authors

• Rebekah Wallis, Syracuse University

• Ethan W Jackson, Syracuse University