Conceptualizing Ableism in Higher Education Through the Experiences of Marginalized Dis/abled Students in America

• In Event: Cultivating Equitable Education Rooted in Inclusive Practice

Abstract

Students who identify as neurodivergent or dis/abled often face a myriad of barriers (academic supports, housing, acceptance) to fulfilling requirements for college degrees in America. Few published studies uncovered the challenges in public higher education spaces examining how ableism robs students of opportunities to participate university spaces. Using DisCrit, the authors seek to explain how white supremacy, ableism, and inequality are perpetuated at disproportionate rates for dis/abled students dis/abled students, particularly those with intersecting identities. Grounded in disability literature, this conceptual paper discusses barriers to consequential education such as civil rights violations, everyday ableism, and financial hardships. This work aims to nudge the field toward allowing dis/ability to take center stage for more democratic education spaces for all students.

Authors

• Isabella C. Brown, University of California - Berkeley
  Presenting Author

• Rosa Enriquez, University of California - Berkeley
  Presenting Author

• Elle Rose Fenton
  Presenting Author