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Abstract\nPoints of interestDespite the proliferation of intersectionality in academic research and political activism, the intersection of disability and migration remains neglected in academic research. With this paper, we contribute to exploring this interlinkage. Drawing on research in a disability rights organization, this paper explores different positions concerning the intersection of disability and migration. Proposing a typology of three different modes, we shed light on individual approaches towards this intersection and thereby explain the reluctance to change of an organization in correspondence with a slowly-moving field. Placing this analysis in a broader context, we contribute to an understanding of the construction of the category of disability and its intersections with other categories, in this case migration within the organizational context of a disability rights organization. We show varying perceptions of this intersection within one organization and highlight their underlying organizational and personal logics. By doing so, we identify forces of organizational inertia and resistance to diversity-related change. Finally, this paper encourages discussions on the incorporation of migrants in the field of disability more widely.This paper studies how a disability rights organisation in Germany deals with the topic of migration. We refer to the concept of intersectionality. In the qualitative interviews with employees and volunteers of the organisation, we identified three different positions.One group expressed that the organisation should only focus on disability-related issues and treat all people alike. Migrants or migration-specific topics should not be specifically addressed.Other people consider it to be the organisation’s duty to respond to migrants’ needs and to adjust their services.Another group of people expressed that not only migration, but also categories such as gender and age affect the needs and experiences of disabled people. The organisation should be sensitive to specific needs of all kinds.We show that different positions can prevail in one organisation. It is challenging for organisations to deal with this. It is important to better understand the field of disability and migration.This paper studies how a disability rights organisation in Germany deals with the topic of migration. We refer to the concept of intersectionality. In the qualitative interviews with employees and volunteers of the organisation, we identified three different positions.One group expressed that the organisation should only focus on disability-related issues and treat all people alike. Migrants or migration-specific topics should not be specifically addressed.Other people consider it to be the organisation’s duty to respond to migrants’ needs and to adjust their services.Another group of people expressed that not only migration, but also categories such as gender and age affect the needs and experiences of disabled people. The organisation should be sensitive to specific needs of all kinds.We show that different positions can prevail in one organisation. It is challenging for organisations to deal with this. It is important to better understand the field of disability and migration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract\nPoints of interestDisability Studies scholars have extensively analysed how people with disabilities are oppressed in societies that devalue them. Teachers can promote change in thinking by presenting people with disabilities as people with multiple identities and experiences who are frequently oppressed. This paper explores how teachers can change their thinking and Reconceptualise their practices to this end. It reports on a two-year teacher education programme implemented in Cyprus. The participants were 59 teachers from pre primary, primary and secondary levels of education. The study analysed discussions with teachers held in seminars, lesson plans and the researcher’s diary. The findings suggest that teachers questioned dominant oppressive practices, became critical of and proposed alternatives to oppressive materials, began to think in terms of anti-oppressive Approaches, and planned and implemented anti-oppressive lesson plans. The discussion draws the connections between the findings and relevant research to consider changes that can advance teacher education for inclusion.This paper explores how teachers Reconceptualise their thinking and practices to raise disability awareness.The research team developed a teacher education programme, based on Disability Studies key ideas, such as the social model.The participants were 59 teachers from pre primary, primary and secondary levels of education.The data included recorded discussions with teachers held in seminars, lesson plans and the researcher’s diary.According to the findings teachers changed their initial views on disability and were able to develop lesson plans to raise disability awareness.The discussion suggests how teacher education can be improved to empower teachers raise disability awareness.This paper explores how teachers Reconceptualise their thinking and practices to raise disability awareness.The research team developed a teacher education programme, based on Disability Studies key ideas, such as the social model.The participants were 59 teachers from pre primary, primary and secondary levels of education.The data included recorded discussions with teachers held in seminars, lesson plans and the researcher’s diary.According to the findings teachers changed their initial views on disability and were able to develop lesson plans to raise disability awareness.The discussion suggests how teacher education can be improved to empower teachers raise disability awareness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the impact of COVID-19 on disabled people from the perspective of disability organisations located in the Global South. Drawing on the findings of an online survey, which received responses from 20 representatives of disability organisations located in 13 countries, this study builds on a growing body of recent research highlighting the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on disabled people, many of whom have experienced greater levels of discrimination and deeper levels of isolation and poverty as the result of inadequate state responses to the pandemic. The study also highlights the crucial role played by many disability organisations in supporting disabled people during the crisis, often filling in the gaps in mainstream service provision, and argues that they should be enabled to play a much more prominent role in the long-term recovery process in order to ensure a more disability-inclusive post-pandemic world. This paper argues that: State responses to the pandemic have often failed to take account of the specific needs and priorities of disabled people. During the pandemic, many disabled people have been denied access to essential services, cut off from the support of their caregivers, excluded from education provision and exposed to severe economic hardship. Disability organisations have offered vital to support to their members and beneficiaries, often helping to ensure that their basic needs are met. Policymakers and service providers should collaborate closely with disability organisations in order to ensure that disabled people are not left behind in the long-term recovery process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a focus group study of the role of digital inclusion in overcoming disability stigma. It reviews stigma literature and contrasting disability models, ultimately arguing in favor of the value of the biopsychosocial approach to the role of digital inclusion in disability stigma. The paper qualitatively explores the stigma experienced by people with disabilities and the ways in which digital inclusion might affect such experiences. It asserts that the benefits of digital inclusion depend, simultaneously, on bio-medical, social, and personal/psychological levels. In addition, prominent barriers to digital inclusion, such as low accessibility and usability and ineffective technology design, are determined by complex biopsychosocial factors, rather than purely bio-technical or social parameters. Thus, the paper recommends the adoption of the biopsychosocial model of disability, in order digital inclusion research to generate longitudinal insights into the actual and potential role of digital inclusion in people with disabilities' social inclusion and welfare. This is a study of what people with different or similar disabilities think of the role of digital technologies in their experiences of disability stigma. The people with disabilities who participated in the study argued about the positive role that digital technologies play in alleviating: a) medical aspects of their stigma by helping them cope with everyday life tasks; b) social aspects of their stigma by helping them socialise and participate in the society; and c) psychological aspects of their stigma by helping them express freely and be more confident. At the same time, the participants criticised the design of digital technologies and argued that digital design often worsens their experiences of stigma, as it reinforces medical, social and psychological aspects of such stigma. The study recommends that future research on the role of digital technologies in disability stigma should shed light on medical, social and psychological aspects and forces of disability stigma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractOur paper aims to consider how hybrid academic conferences can create inclusive spaces for knowledge exchange. The paper begins by considering the purpose of academic conferences and identifying the groups of people excluded when conferences are run in an in-person-only format. Reasons for exclusion include being disabled, being a carer, being unable to travel (e.g. in the final trimester of pregnancy), being unable to secure a VISA, or being unable to access funds to cover travel and accommodation costs. Next, we consider the existing challenges that individuals and event organizers face concerning academic conferences. Then, pragmatic opportunities for event organizers are presented, making the case for running conferences in a hybrid format. The paper concludes with a call to action for promoting care democracy in the workplace by addressing the humanity deficit and the unheard voice of academics currently excluded from in-person-only academic conferences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is widely recognised that First Nations peoples in Australia (also known as Aboriginal Australians) have some of the poorest health and social outcomes of any other group. This is evidenced in a number of areas including the disproportionately high rates of disability for First Nations peoples in Australia. This paper explores how the intersection of race and disability compounds disadvantage for First Nations peoples with disability in Australia. Additionally, it explores the conceptual diversity of disability and the role colonisation has played, and continues to play, in creating and maintaining high rates of disability for First Nations peoples in Australia. This paper argues for the decolonisation of the disability sector as a step towards improving outcomes for all. In particular, the use of intersectionality theory is examined as a potentially effective tool for mapping and enacting the decolonisation of the disability sector. First Nations peoples in Australia understand disability in a manner that differs from the mainstream dominant 'western' understanding, and this has huge implications for the disability sector. The dominant model focuses on people with disabilities as individuals who need to be 'treated' and 'supported' by health authorities. First Nations approach is community-based wherein everyone has abilities and responsibilities that are valued by the community – a culture of inclusion and connection that normalises and accepts people with disabilities. Routinely encountered racism and structural discrimination experienced by First Nations people compound discrimination commonly experienced by people with a disability. Intersectional theory identifies how disability and race combine in Australia to produce particularly poor outcomes for First Nations people with a disability, compared to their non-Indigenous peers. Decolonisation, the process of reversing the impact of the dominant way of thinking, is important to improving outcomes for First Nations people with a disability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the last two decades there has been an increase in the use of participatory and emancipatory methodologies within disability research; centring the lived experience of disabled people. This paper explores some of the ethical and practical considerations when researching in the area of disabled women and sexuality, highlighting the pervasiveness of ableist attitudes and processes. Drawing on critical disability studies and utilising critical reflexivity, the researcher, a disabled woman, discusses some of the strengths and limitations of being an 'insider-outsider' researcher. The paper also presents some strategies and considerations for researchers who seek to use inclusive methods in research with and by disabled people, including the importance of language and multi-methods to facilitate and promote access and expression. If research is to be a true reflection of the community being researched, then it is vital inclusive principles are incorporated into all stages of research projects. There has been an increase in research that includes disabled people in all stages of the research process. This paper discusses some of the ways the researcher, a disabled woman, used inclusive research methods throughout her study focused on disabled women's experiences of sex education, sexual expression and violence. The paper considers some of the strengths and challenges of insider research, and outlines ways to promote access and expression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper forms an intervention into existing literature on the life stage transitional crisis of emerging adulthood, commonly referred to as quarter life crisis. Whilst among existing analyses, aspects such as gender and ethnic dimensions are considered, a marked absence of attention to disability within quarter life crisis persists. Toward theorizing the position of disabled emerging adults undergoing transitional life crisis, a composite theoretical framework is envisioned and applied. This entails the application of a five-part typology of critical disability studies, within which a life course approach to disability is integrated. Given the novelty of the subject matter, aspirations for the analysis are modest. The aim is to destabilise and refigure present individualistic psychologised discourses and common popular culture understandings of quarter life crisis. To undertake this work, disability is taken up as a transformative site to rethink the meaning of life stage transitions in emerging adulthood. As young people move from adolescence to adulthood, they can experience a difficult period in their life known as 'quarter life crisis.' Little is known or written about the experience of disability within quarter life crisis. Much of the way that quarter life crisis is understood presently is from an area of study known as psychology and from movies, articles, books and television shows for people in general. To better understand disability in quarter life crisis, this paper suggests that one perspective is particularly useful. This perspective is made up of an area of study that is known as 'critical disability studies' and an approach to understanding people's lives that is called the 'life course approach'. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Following the publication of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with a Disability, the rights and situation of people with disabilities have once again become a focus of national, European and international policy and advocacy. Mansell et al., (2007) identified that there were over 1million people with disabilities in Europe living in institutions of over 30 places in size and almost 1.4 million in some form of residential care. This paper reports findings from a review of national and international sources of data on living situation for 27 European countries as of 2019. Although there had been some changes, especially for children and especially in countries where EU structural funds had been used, there were still 1.4 million people living in residential care, with many still for more than 30 people. People with intellectual and developmental disabilities were those who were most likely to still be in residential services. We consider some of the potential reasons for these findings and discuss what might be needed to really advance deinstitutionalisation. People with disabilities have the same rights as everyone else to live in the community. This paper looks at where people with disabilities live and how this has changed over time. We found that many people with disabilities still live in institutions and that the number had not changed much since 2007. There have been more changes for children than adults. Fewer children now live in institutions. People with intellectual disabilities are most likely to still live in institutions and least likely to be living and participating in the community. Many countries in Europe still do not have good information about where people with disabilities live and whether they have choice and control or are active citizens. There was more change in countries which had received money from the European Union. However, in many countries, there were no plans for how to help more people to live in the community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study sheds light on how to develop inclusive pedagogy in higher education, from the point of view of 42 inclusive faculty members from 6 Spanish universities. A qualitative methodology was used through semi-structured in-depth interviews. Data analysis was inductive, using a system of categories and topics. The results reveal that the faculty members which develop inclusive pedagogy in general have beliefs linked to the social model of disability and inclusive education approaches. They do not usually have specific training or knowledge about disability. They design their curricula in a flexible and open way to accommodate all students. They show a positive attitude toward students with disabilities and use diverse and participatory teaching methodologies, giving prominence to students. These data are consistent with those found in previous studies and offer keys to those faculty members who are interested in developing an inclusive pedagogy at the university. This paper examines in detail how faculty members of six faculties of educational sciences develop a theoretical framework comprising beliefs, knowledge, designs and actions. The research has found that faculty members hold beliefs about disability based on the social model of disability and inclusive approach. In general, inclusive faculty members' knowledge of disability and attention to diversity issues is scarce. The design of courses and teaching programmes led by inclusive university faculty is characterised by being open, flexible and providing clear and detailed information to students. Faculty who develop inclusive pedagogy use varied, participative and active methodologies, which are combined with a positive and approachable attitude towards students with disabilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Counterspaces are fields of social action and activism in which people organize themselves to change oppressive social structures. Ableism, or discrimination based on disability, is expressed in everyday life. Its expressions may take the form of ableist microaggressions. This paper analyses a Twitter campaign, through a sample of 335 tweets published from August to December 2018 under the hashtag MeCripple, that exposed ableism and the daily microaggressions people with disabilities endure in Spain. It examines exposed ableist microaggressions, tests if the domains of microaggressions proposed by other scholars apply to Spain, and explores whether the campaign generated a space for coping and responding to ableist discrimination. It also shows that practices of online visibility generate heterotopic online counterspaces leading to cooperation and mutual support to counter ableist microaggressions. This article analyzes a 2018 Twitter campaign in Spain under the hashtag MeCripple as an offshoot of the MeToo movement. Most of the tweets under this hashtag report experiences of discrimination, insults, or contempt towards a person just for having a disability: we call these situations ableist microaggressions. The classification of ableist microaggressions used in this study serves to analyze experiences in both the U.S. and Spain. Tweets in this campaign expressed the importance of meeting each other on social media websites, such as Twitter, and bringing visibility to the discrimination faced by people with disabilities. This article suggests that public exchanges can help people unaware of ableist microaggressions better understand these forms of discrimination and mobilize them to form alliances to counter these aggressions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract\nPoints of interestAbleist microaggressions are ubiquitous experiences for workers with an impairment, chronic illness or neurodivergence in the daily execution of their job. These (un)intended everyday (non)verbal negative messages based on disability status affectively disable people, momentarily and with lasting effects on mental health and positive identity. Past research provided either psychological accounts, locating the origins of microaggression in the minds of individuals, failing to highlight the role of an ableist society, or sociological accounts, stressing exclusionary structures and marginalising discourses, neglecting to fully account for the inner experience. This paper puts forward an alternative, combined account by empirically zooming in on three vignettes in work contexts. It contributes to expanding knowledge on subtle forms of ableism, showing the entanglement between material arrangements, negative co-worker affect, and their internalisation by the disabled worker. By locating the microaggression concept firmly in the structural oppression of ableist societies, we hope to inspire organisational programs aimed at detecting and preventing microaggressions. Finally, we prepare the ground for future research to look into even more subtle forms of disability-based discrimination present in everyday interactions.This study explores how barriers in the environment and negative interactions from colleagues impact individuals with disabilities, chronic illnesses, and neurodivergences in the workplace, leading them to internalise feelings of inadequacy and create their own barriers.One way this happens is through small but hurtful actions known as ableist microaggressions, which can come from co-workers, supervisors, or others. These actions include making someone feel like an outsider, talking down to them, or disregarding their dignity or privacy.The findings show that these microaggressions play a big role in maintaining unfair treatment of disabled individuals at work, even if they are not intended to be harmful.It is crucial for managers to recognise and address these behaviours to create a more inclusive work environment.This study explores how barriers in the environment and negative interactions from colleagues impact individuals with disabilities, chronic illnesses, and neurodivergences in the workplace, leading them to internalise feelings of inadequacy and create their own barriers.One way this happens is through small but hurtful actions known as ableist microaggressions, which can come from co-workers, supervisors, or others. These actions include making someone feel like an outsider, talking down to them, or disregarding their dignity or privacy.The findings show that these microaggressions play a big role in maintaining unfair treatment of disabled individuals at work, even if they are not intended to be harmful.It is crucial for managers to recognise and address these behaviours to create a more inclusive work environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractLimited literature is available from Arab women authors on the topic of disability, and even less interest is found when looking at the publishing industry. This autoethnographic paper examines the role of the publishing industry in promoting underrepresented voices and questions who determines which voices are important and deserving of publication. This article intends to highlight the obstacles that disabled scholars and individuals confront in the publishing sector by examining the author’s personal experience in publishing a hybrid memoir. Head Above Water: Reflections on Illness (2022, 2023, London and New York) explores themes of ableism, academia, and disability identity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper forms an intervention into debates about the corporeality of impairment and 'bodies that matter' in critical disability studies. Toward informing the epistemology of embodiment present in critical disability studies, it proposes new directions for progression within four set parameters. Firstly, insights from disability might be better re-purposed toward understanding the nature of all human embodiment. Secondly, one must sufficiently address, but not necessarily polarise, materiality and abstraction. Thirdly, within its parent academy, the epistemological approach might adhere to critical disability studies' conventions, whilst still avoiding present perils and impasses. Fourthly, it is important not to be so exhaustive and conclusive as to eliminate innovation and creative new trajectories. Overall, the sustaining proposition is, that the productive capacity of disability is immense, toward disrupting and re-configuring ableist understandings of the body in the material world. Writers from a critical disability studies perspective have a particular way of understanding the role of the body in disability. This article considers this way of understanding the body, and then describes four directions for how this understanding could be further developed. The way that critical disability studies understands the role of the body in disability is called 'epistemology of embodiment' in this article. This article concludes by saying that disability is a great starting point for understanding the meaning of the body for all human beings. In this context, the article uses the term 'dis/ability' instead of 'disability' to highlight how people are disabled by interrelations between ability and disability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper describes five orientations informing the efforts of postsecondary educators to teach more accessibly, including commitments to accessibility as the mandated, right, pedagogically effective, nice, and/or profitable thing to do. These orientations emerged from focus groups and interviews with instructors and teaching assistants at a research-intensive Canadian university. By attending to these underlying orientations, we can grapple with important, but often unexamined, complexities, such as messages we may be inadvertently endorsing and contradictions between intentions and potential outcomes and their ramifications. We encourage support for educators to reflect on the limitations and complications of their orientations and associated efforts to advance accessibility, as well as cross-pollination with other areas of critical scholarship beyond that focusing on Universal Design and accessibility-specific principles. University instructors and teaching assistants seek to teach more accessibly for a number of reasons. This paper describes five reasons – or 'orientations' – for teaching more accessibly informed by: (1) legislative or university requirements; (2) equity and social justice; (3) effective teaching practices; (4) kindness; and/or (5) profit. Paying attention to these orientations for teaching more accessibly is important because they may impact which accessibility practices are implemented, when and under what conditions, and for whose benefit. Some orientations may also promote negative ideas of disability, such as disability as costly or a burden, even while they encourage teaching more accessibly. We reflect on the challenges and limitations of applying 'accessibility' language and principles broadly to 'all' students, instead of intentionally focusing on reducing barriers for students with disabilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Where one sibling has a disability, research has examined the role of disability in sibling relationships; however, the majority has reflected a normative understanding of sibling relationships and a deficit understanding of disability. Reacting to this history, this paper draws on the concepts of embodiment (absorption of bodily experience into self/identity) and enactment (performance of self/identity) to provide a new way of understanding the role of disability in sibling relationships. Using data from an Australian study of young adult siblings with and without disabilities, the paper discusses how disability is embodied and enacted in: how siblings engage in supportive and conflictual talk and everyday chat with each other; how they enact recreation and seek connection with each other; and how they strive to understand and experience their emotions about each other. The paper ends by discussing how embodiment and enactment allow a clearer understanding of disability in sibling relationships, which may be empowering for siblings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract \nPoints of interest Research on families with disabled children has highlighted how such families experience frustration in their encounters with health and welfare services. However, less attention has been given to how these encounters are linked to social class. This article explores whether levels of cultural capital and family resources influence communication with professionals among parents of disabled children. To this end, I draw upon a longitudinal qualitative dataset of fieldwork and interview data from families in Norway. The findings show that middle-class parents could utilize experts, keep communication smooth, and persist in trying to secure services for their children without any real sense of achievement to a higher degree than working-class parents. However, neither working-class nor middle-class parents thrived in navigating these bureaucracies. This study has clear implications for policy and professionals in acknowledging how levels of cultural capital and other family resources influence the ability to endure and navigate welfare institutions. To understand the situation of families with disabled children it is important to find out under which circumstances these families try to obtain public services for their children. The paper examines the significance of social class on how parents with disabled children manage welfare services for their children in Norway. The research uses interviews with parents and practitioners and observation of meetings. All parents fight for services for their children and find it frustrating. Working-class and middle-class parents differ in how they communicate with professionals and how they deal with frustration. To understand the situation of families with disabled children it is important to find out under which circumstances these families try to obtain public services for their children.The paper examines the significance of social class on how parents with disabled children manage welfare services for their children in Norway.The research uses interviews with parents and practitioners and observation of meetings.All parents fight for services for their children and find it frustrating.Working-class and middle-class parents differ in how they communicate with professionals and how they deal with frustration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The contemporary universal challenge of COVID-19 pandemic put more restrictions to disabled people's social interaction. This paper reports qualitative findings from a short-term art therapy intervention for a person with West Syndrome to examine how art therapy can be used as a coping strategy with the psychological impact of confinement. The data were analysed using Cathy Malchiodi's theory of 'art in therapy' and Edith Kramer's theory of 'art as therapy'. Findings from this study show that the use of art therapy as a coping strategy during the confinement period has clear benefits as it promotes emotional well-being and helps to reduce the mobility limitations caused by disability. The article concludes that art therapy can be used as an alternative way to cope with disability. It aims to positively impact parents and caregivers through highlighting new spots of action. The article looks in detail at the real-life experiences of a disabled person during the period of home-confinement. Disabled people experience isolation from society and the home-confinement policies put more restrictions to their social interaction. Disabled people need to be involved in activities such as painting, drawing, colouring, singing and story-telling to better cope with confinement. This type of research is important because it can help caregivers improve the quality of personal assistance during the period of confinement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract\nPoints of interestAgeing family caregivers of family members with disability must navigate complex social care systems within a single household for long-term and end-of-life transitions. This is particularly challenging for migrants from culturally and racially marginalised (CaRM) backgrounds, given their historical exclusion from developing disability and aged care support systems. Limited research exists on the lived experiences of new and second-generation CaRM communities providing informal care to family members with disabilities, globally and in Australia. This paper highlights the challenges faced by CaRM families navigating racial, ethnic, and immigration politics while seeking access to appropriate disability and ageing social care supports. The findings reveal that Many CaRM families face isolation and difficulty accessing needed support due to misconceptions about their strong local networks. Moreover, the significance of place, especially in low-resource urban areas, poses challenges for ageing family primary caregivers managing a dual long-term care arrangement, leading to uncertainties about their future.Families in culturally and racially marginalised (CaRM) communities experience significant difficulties in seeking help for disability care changes (or transitions) when primary caregivers are ageing;Disability and ageing support systems in Australia often wrongly assume that CaRM families have strong support networks that help to access formal care and support;Parents need long term support for their adult child with a disability, but want to avoid giving their other adult children without disability care responsibilities after their own death;Many families feel isolated and alone because of language barriers, and cultural exclusion. This makes it very difficult to seek the right care and support for both the ageing carers and family members with disability;Many factors affect immigrant ageing family caregivers in seeking suitable care transition options for family members with disability. These include property ownership, caregiver age, personal health, partner support, and other adult children in the family;Therefore, families need different social care systems to plan support changes (a) short term for the ageing family caregiver, and (b) long-term for the family member with disability, into end-of-life stages.Families in culturally and racially marginalised (CaRM) communities experience significant difficulties in seeking help for disability care changes (or transitions) when primary caregivers are ageing;Disability and ageing support systems in Australia often wrongly assume that CaRM families have strong support networks that help to access formal care and support;Parents need long term support for their adult child with a disability, but want to avoid giving their other adult children without disability care responsibilities after their own death;Many families feel isolated and alone because of language barriers, and cultural exclusion. This makes it very difficult to seek the right care and support for both the ageing carers and family members with disability;Many factors affect immigrant ageing family caregivers in seeking suitable care transition options for family members with disability. These include property ownership, caregiver age, personal health, partner support, and other adult children in the family;Therefore, families need different social care systems to plan support changes (a) short term for the ageing family caregiver, and (b) long-term for the family member with disability, into end-of-life stages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There has been published work in Disability & Society showing that the social model of disability may be re-invigorated if its emphasis reflects current social conditions and their specific context and if relevant questions are applied to specific impairment labels by each country. In this paper, I further address the issue of terminologies, concerning the notions of impairment, disability, the social model, as well as some terms with negative connotations surrounding these notions. I argue that, in attempting to detangle part of language's complexity, it may be important to re-focus on the dynamic nature of relevant chameleon-like terminologies and their impact on attitudes towards disability, which seem to be prolonged. This scope, when coupled to a clearer focus on a materialist approach to disability, may act as a catalyst towards a re-invigoration of our understanding of the social model's potential. This article looks into the issue of terminologies surrounding the notions of impairment, disability and the social model of disability. The article is written by an intellectually disabled woman who is committed to the social model of disability. Such discussions are important because the nature of the terminologies surrounding disability is often masked. As such, it affects attitudes toward disability. The materialist approach to disability is suggested to be at the heart of such discussions. When disabled people themselves raise such discussions, they act as catalysts towards a re-invigoration of our understanding of the social model of disability's potential. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, I argue that using autoethnography as a vehicle to narrate the disabled self could be therapeutic for disabled persons, since it could unlock the unconscious, silenced parts of the self. Disabled persons often keep quiet about the thorny segments of their lives, because they learn that it is too anxiety-provoking for nondisabled listeners. Yet, it is often in the painful stories of disabled persons where external and internal oppressions meet. Uncovering hidden truths will inevitably reveal an inaccessible and often hostile world and the myriad ways in which these find root in the psyche of disabled persons. The notion that writing personal lifestories could be therapeutic is nothing new; In this paper I argue that writing a personal story, and making theoretical sense of experiences embedded within it, could be particularly therapeutic for disabled persons; Disabled persons often learn, from a very young age, to deny the painful parts of their experience; Writing about and reflecting upon personal experiences can help disabled persons to welcome these painful parts of their experience, that they are not aware of, back into their bodies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Digital media have become integral to the everyday life of people with disabilities. So far, research about disability and digital media use is rather scarce and narrowed on issues of accessibility and social media. This paper draws on qualitative interviews with people with visual or motoric impairments to provide an in-depth analysis of their everyday experiences relating to barriers and benefits of digital media. The findings reproduce previously identified barriers and extend these by adding novel sub-aspects of individual cognitive and attitudinal barriers like non-use of digital media due to their (perceived) complexity and a feeling of greater dependence on digital technology. However, the results also shed light on highly individualized ways that people with disabilities actively make use of digital media to improve their daily life. Despite persisting and new barriers, the general findings suggest that, with the appropriate training and support, digital media are largely beneficial. About 15 percent of the population worldwide are directly concerned by the issue of disability and digital media (for example smartphones, apps, online news). In this study, forty people with visual or motoric impairments were interviewed about their everyday experiences with digital media. They reported both benefits and problems of digital technology. Benefits: digital media allow people with disabilities to lead a more independent life; for example, shopping without assistance, reading the newspaper, or using social media. Problems: fear of technology, feeling dependent on digital devices, and lack of know-how are obstacles for digital media use. Increasingly complex websites and apps create additional barriers. A solution would be individual support and training. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents and critically discusses a disability awareness program that was addressed to non-disabled children aged between 6-8 years old in Cyprus. The main aims were to explore how disability studies and anti-oppressive pedagogies could inform decisions on structured activities and materials to support children understand disability as condition of life, and recognize disabling practices. Artefacts from children's work and narratives are presented throughout the paper to inform decisions and choices in relation to the program. The discussion draws on international literature and critically examines: a. how disability feminists' focus on experiences of disability can have a central place in awareness raising programs, and can be further strengthened by a social model understanding of disability, b. the local context and the use of language as raised by postmodernists/poststructuralists, and c. the use of cartoons as a form of art that can help recognize and challenge dominant disability stereotypes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we explore the interaction between unconventional and conventional political participation of electoral candidates with disability who competed in Indonesia's 2019 general elections. Interviews with electoral candidates highlight that their reasons for entering the electoral race, and strategies adopted over the course of their campaigns, were shaped by their prior involvement in the disability rights movement. This connection between activism and electoral engagement demonstrates how the disability rights movement shaped political candidates' selection and use of political participation tools. The significance of these findings has bearing for others seeking to understand the political behaviour of people with disability. In particular, it illustrates that community building based on unconventional political participation can positively influence the participation of people with disability in conventional politics despite ongoing challenges posed by accessibility, public perceptions of disability, and access to resources. The 2019 election was the first national legislative election to be held after Indonesia's new disability law was passed in 2016, and many more people with a disability competed than in it compared to previous elections. Most candidates who ran did not have any previous experience running for public office, but the majority did have experience with disability activism. Candidates were motivated to run for office to build on the previous successes of the disability movement, to make sure people with disability had a voice within parliament and to use the electoral campaign to raise awareness about disability rights within the community. Candidates with a disability struggled with physical accessibility, social stigma, and costs during campaigning. Ultimately, it was the skills, networks and resources that candidates previously acquired through their links with the disability movement that helped them to negotiate these limitations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract\nPoints of interestPeer work with people with disability often engages people with lived experience of disability to address social exclusion and isolation experienced by their focus people. This paper discusses findings that are part of a project evaluation wherein peer workers with varied disabilities aimed to support focus people to make community connections for their focus people. Focus people lived in disability group homes in regional New South Wales, Australia, after relocating from a large-scale institution. All lived with complex support needs. Using qualitative methods, researchers interviewed seven peer workers over twelve months about their peer work experiences. Drawing on reflexive thematic analysis the authors argue that successful peer work with people with disability must acknowledge interdependencies across individuals’ identities as people with disability, the environment in which peer work takes place, the structure of support around peer workers, and the systemic drivers of social exclusion.Peer workers identified with their focus people’s disability, were empathetic towards them and confident about making connections with their community;Peer workers experienced ableist attitudes toward them and their focus people from staff in disability group homes;Peer workers struggled to learn about and to communicate with focus people who had complex communication access needs;Peer work objectives were modified to refocus on personal peer worker relationships rather than the project’s original objective of making community connections;Peer workers made positive connections with their focus people by spending time with them and joining them in activities;The research demonstrates interdependencies in peer work with people with disabilities, involving peer workers’ identification with disability, the peer work environment, the peer work model, and systemic drivers of social exclusion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Parents are often concerned about managing risks for their children, particularly in the context of disability. This paper reports qualitative findings from an intervention study and examines how parents of children with developmental disabilities (mainly autism) manage risks during play. Interviews (n = 17) highlighted parents' fears about their child's safety, which were often exacerbated by concerns about the child's (lack of) cognitive and intellectual capabilities to 'appropriately' negotiate harms. Outdoor play and play that involved other children were reported as particularly challenging. In these contexts, parents described how they would intervene and redirect play activities to avoid any emergent physical, emotional and social harms. The social aspects of risk and disability gave way to adult-mediated and controlled forms of play. We conclude by considering opportunities to support the full inclusion of children with disabilities and their rights to play. Play is an important aspect of all children's health and development Children with disabilities often experience fewer opportunities to engage in play Parents responses to 'risk-taking' in their children's play help understand the barriers to play for children with a disability Social aspects of play are particularly challenging for parents of a child with disability Developing socially inclusive contexts is important to enhance all children's opportunities to play. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The focus of this paper is to consider how disability studies and migration studies may be brought into further conversation with one another. While their experiences overlap and intersect in many ways, the lives of disabled people and migrants have rarely been considered together and this is an omission we address through a discussion on points of intersection and departure between migration studies and disability studies. We argue that migrants and disabled people are among the most marginalised individuals today whilst a Global North neoliberal rhetoric has pushed them further to the margins. We draw on Bauman's theorisation of 'wasted lives' to bring disability studies and migration studies in dialogue with one another. Through this analysis, we highlight how bringing both disciplines together may help to inform debates focused on social justice and rights to dignity for some of world's most marginalised communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Humour is an advocacy tool used by women organisers in Sāmoa, an Independent State in the Pacific. Examining the use of humour (jokes, sarcasm, banter, and clowning) in social action research reveal creative ways that advocates and activists can challenge systems of normalcy. This paper examines humour as an informal conversational and non-confrontational strategy used by (non)disabled Indigenous women to support the creation of schools for disabled students. Thematic analysis of the data shows that the women’s use of humour supports their agenda of transforming exclusive structures in education and policy. Using humour as an organising strategy also shifts mainstream thinking about disabled people as easy targets of offensive and degrading humour. The paper explores humour as an organising strategy that provides new supports into inclusive spaces for the education of disabled people in the global South. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To understand the impact of the COVID-19 public health response on families of children with disabilities in Central Uganda we conducted phone interviews with parents and children during the first 5 months of the outbreak (March - July 2020). Most parents and children were well informed about COVID-19 and were keen to adhere to government prevention measures. The majority said lock-down measures had a negative effect on their mental and physical health, social life, finances, education and food security. Access to medical services and medication for chronic illness had been limited or absent due to restrictions in travel, some facilities restricting access, and limited financial resources. The majority of parents reported loss of work which resulted in difficulties in finding enough food and paying rent. Parents worried about children missing education and friends. We suggest greater attention to children with disabilities and their families when implementing mitigating and long-term responses. This paper reports a study with families of children with disabilities in Uganda during the Coronavirus pandemic in 2020, known as COVID-19. Families of children with disabilities in Uganda are well informed about COVID-19 and try to follow prevention measures. Families of children with disabilities have difficulties meeting daily basic needs as they were unable to work and had no income during the COVID-19 related lock down. The COVID-19 response affects access to health and rehabilitation services for children with disabilities in Uganda. Parents of children with disabilities struggle with home education and learning due to lack of access to accessible learning materials and learning support in Uganda. The COVID-19 response affects the peer support networks and social support for parents of children with disabilities in Uganda. Children with disabilities and their families should be involved and considered in the development and implementation of the COVID-19 response. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper is an analysis of the depiction of autism in The Boy on the Bridge, a post-apocalyptic, dystopian, horror, fiction novel to critically deconstruct the representation of autism specifically related to 15-year-old science prodigy Stephen Greaves. Using a critical content analysis approach, three relevant constructs were identified with depictions including savant/super-crip, non-human othering, and psycho-emotional disablism. Each of these areas is discussed related to the current literature on disability, generally, and autism, more specifically. This analysis demonstrates that cultural understandings of disability are dominated by the medical model, and continue to stigmatize and pathologize while excluding positive social identities. Consideration of the potential damaging aspects of literature portrayals of autism in fictional works is needed to move the autism genre forward in a humanizing and inclusive manner. This study brings awareness to some assumptions around disability by pulling apart one way that autism is presented for public understanding. Even fictional stories can play a role in awareness and understanding of disability such as knowing that autistic people can also be gifted. Notions such as savantism are presented and discussed to help readers understand the various layers in disability. Disability can be presented positively and/or negatively in popular media in both obvious and subtle ways. It is up to readers and viewers to carefully consider how information on disability from popular media might be biased. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract \nPoints of Interest In this autoethngraphic paper, I chronicle three key experiences I have endured throughout my time in the U.S. educational system. Collectively, these moments have continuously shown me that disabled bodies like mine are not welcomed in academic spaces, overall. I choose these experiences, not because they are the only ones that have occurred, but because they most succintly represent my ongoing journey of understanding what it means to be a student and/or academic with a visible disability. I have kept these stories mostly to myself for a long time. However, I feel that now is the time to discuss what I have experienced as both a healing and challenging personal and academic endeavor. In addition, I hope students like myself can relate to these experiences and know they are not alone.Ableism consists of policies and routine, everyday practices that discriminate against people with disabilities with an overarching belief that people with disabilities are inherently less valuable than those without disabilities.Ableism in education is a topic that impacts all people with disabilities.Ableism in education is a topic that impacts people with disabilities in particular ways based on the various identities they hold.People with disabilities need to know we are not the cause of these experiences, but the educational system that treats our bodies like a problem is.People with disabilities need to know it is possible to pursue a career in academia, despite the ableism in academic spaces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract This paper explores tensions navigated by researchers and project leaders when involving people with disability as experts in co-design and in the core team. Part of an evaluation aiming to improve paid employment of people with intellectual disability is used to consider this work. Assemblage analysis of the data assisted in identifying a range of material and social conditions, flows, and factors that de- and re-territorialise power in the co-design process. The expertise of people with disability informed research design. Structural conditions of funding and institutional support were foundational to the co-design. These included accessible practices, core roles for people with disability and resolving ableist conditions. Power shifts were easily undermined by institutionalised norms that disrespected the co-design contributions. When people in decision-making positions and allies recognised the value of codesigning research, it was key to centring valuable knowledge in articulating key issues, methodology, and analysis. Points of interest It is increasingly expected that people with disability will be involved as researchers and decision-makers in projects. This kind of co-design in research is very popular. When governments or organisations ask researchers to complete research quickly, people with disability are less likely to be involved in designing the research from the start. This reduces how much power they have as members of the research team. Our research found that people with and without disability needed to work together to resist when co-design work was not treated with respect by people or systems. Allies need to work to make co-design positions more secure. For example, people with disability need to be in decision-making positions before research proposals are developed. It is increasingly expected that people with disability will be involved as researchers and decision-makers in projects. This kind of co-design in research is very popular.When governments or organisations ask researchers to complete research quickly, people with disability are less likely to be involved in designing the research from the start.This reduces how much power they have as members of the research team.Our research found that people with and without disability needed to work together to resist when co-design work was not treated with respect by people or systems.Allies need to work to make co-design positions more secure. For example, people with disability need to be in decision-making positions before research proposals are developed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper begins by giving a description of the relationship between austerity and the neoliberal policy focus on work in the UK, and how this impacts negatively on disabled people. It examines why Black disabled people's employment experiences have been missing in the literature despite the fact that they are more affected by austerity. Black disabled people's experiences in the job market tend to focus on racism and discrimination, whilst other struggles linked to disability, and what this implies for Black people, are poorly understood. A case study, of Black disabled workers, living with the sickle cell condition, is examined to comprehend why more nuanced intersectional research might be needed to understand why some Black people's experiences of employment remain invisible. While there has been a lot of attention on disability and impact of austerity and employment in the England, certain experiences have been missing in analysis. The study explains why Black disabled people's employment experiences are neglected in disability, ethnic minority as well as within employment research. Black people's experiences in the job market tend to focus on racist discrimination or identities, whilst other struggles linked to class, sexism and disability discrimination are poorly delineated. A case study of Black disabled workers with a genetic condition, sickle cell, is given to argue that more nuanced research is needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Little research has been conducted, understanding the impact of educational-inclusion and workplace anti-discriminatory policies on lived-experiences of people with dyslexia. This paper consequently analyses qualitative-biographical accounts of 15 adults with dyslexia; applying the social relational model of disability to conceptualise these. Findings illustrate, the embodied-experiences of dyslexia defined within a disabling-educational system and discriminatory-workplace; culminating in psycho-emotional impact on participant's self-esteem leading them to pathologise experiences of failure through an individualistic deficit-explanation of self. The article concludes suggesting these lived-experiences must be acknowledged in education to develop inclusive practices adequately preparing individuals for adulthood, not just for the workplace. This article draws on the social relational model of disability (i.e. recognising both the social and the biological) and applies it to the experiences of people with dyslexia. Participants discussed the psychological and emotional impact of experiences of exclusion throughout their life histories. Participants discussed painful school experiences during childhood which had a lasting emotional impact. Even though legislation requires 'reasonable adjustments' must be made in workplaces, people with dyslexia still experience discrimination The research views dyslexia as an alternative reading and writing style which needs to be considered by schools and employers, looking to create an inclusive environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is well established that social determinants are crucial to health outcomes. However, the link between how social determinants contribute to health inequalities for people with disability has often failed to be acknowledged. For example, Australian disability policy has paid little attention to social determinants of health, despite people with disability faring particularly badly on a range of outcomes. This paper identifies barriers to policy action on the social determinants of health for people with disability in Australia. Data obtained from interviews with key disability policy stakeholders are analysed using a micro, meso, macro level policy analysis framework. Our analysis identifies a "services drift" acting as an important barrier to policy action, where attention is focused on health service access rather than broader social determinants such as housing, employment and education. We also identify issues in how disability policy is made that hinders action on social determinants of health. The environments people live, work and interact in like their housing, employment and education, have been shown to be more important for good health than having access to health services, yet these areas are often neglected in policy for people with disability. Using interviewees with people involved in disability policy in Australia this article aims to explore why these areas are neglected in policy relative to the focus on access to health services. Reasons for focusing more on health services compared to other policy areas include people's attitudes towards disability such as thinking about it as a medical problem rather than a social problem. There are also issues with how disability policy is being made, such as a lack of consultation with people with disability, and a lack of co-ordination between government levels and departments. Identifying these policy barriers is an important step in finding ways to get more policy action on improving the environments people with disability live in. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

People with disabilities working together to overcome oppression is a common theme in depictions of disabled people, featuring in works including the films Freaks and X-Men and the song Spasticus Autisticus. Indeed, collaboration between people with disabilities has been the foundation of the disability rights movement. This paper explores disabled solidarity and resistance as depicted in the film-clip to US-band Kounterclockwise's song Whip. Set in a dystopian landscape, Whip explores police violence against black people with disability in the USA. Despite its fictional setting, Whip explores a real-life problem, and suggests its solution in the form of Leroy Moore and Krip Hop Nation. Although in reality Krip Hop Nation is a community of musicians with disabilities, in Whip they are a powerful, fully weaponised army defending their disabled brethren from evil. By mirroring the solidarity of the disability rights movement, Whip demonstrates the power of unity in the disability community. People with disability often work together to fight for their rights. They helped to create the American with Disabilities Act in the USA and the Disability Discrimination Act in the UK. The films Freaks and X-Men and the song Spasticus Autisticus show people with disabilities working together to fight for their rights. The film clip of the song Whip by American band Kounterclockwise shows people with disabilities protesting police violence against black people with disability. Whip shows musician Leroy Moore as a super-hero leading the 'Krip Hop Army' to protect people with disability. In real life, Leroy Moore leads a group of disabled hip hop musicians called Krip Hop Nation. In their film clip, Kounterclockwise show us that when they work together, people with disability can change the world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While disability scholars are increasingly exploring the experiences of disabled employees within the academe, there seemingly does not exist literature on this topic in South Africa. In this autoethnography, I make sense of my experiences as a visually impaired university lecturer. I dissect my continual performances of able-bodiedness – my efforts to conceal truths around my disability – despite a seemingly inclusive work environment. I discuss the psychological cost of these performances and, lastly, illustrate the importance of a creative, open and responsive attitude on the part of nondisabled colleagues and managers to help their disabled colleagues to become their true and authentic self. While literature on the experiences of Black academics is on the rise, very few studies investigate the experiences of disabled academics; Currently, there is no literature that tells the stories of disabled academics within South Africa; In this autoethnography, I narrate aspects of my experiences as an academic with a visual impairment; In this paper, I unravel my continual able-bodied performances within the academy and the cost thereof; Lastly, I discuss the importance of open and responsive relationships between managers and disabled academics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Neurodivergence is currently underrepresented among staff in higher education. Acknowledging such underrepresentation, this narrative review critically explores the experiences of neurodivergent academics as reported within the scholarly literature. This review of the literature, which utilised Scopus, ProQuest Central and Education Source via Ebsco databases, identified 34 relevant articles after applying the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Findings from this review challenge universities to acknowledge and redress the negative experiences of neurodivergent staff across issue-areas of disclosure, stigma and discrimination. Moreover, in recognising the positive experiences of accommodated neurodivergence in the academy, medical model supported views of the 'disabled' scholar are undermined. Universities that value diversity and inclusion need to be open to the content of this narrative review along with the suggestions for future research directions. This paper discusses the lived experiences of neurodivergent staff (people who have brains that work differently to most others) in higher education. It reveals what published articles have reported on this matter. Neurodivergent staff can enjoy positive experiences in higher education. For example, they describe receiving accommodations and applying their abilities. These staff can also have negative experiences after telling people that they are neurodivergent. They can be seen and treated in bad ways. This review is useful because it shows that universities need to do more to include neurodivergent staff. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the experiences of a small group of socio-economically disadvantaged people and their attempts to access disability welfare under Australia's National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS). We interviewed 32 individuals with some form of disability who were potentially eligible to apply for the NDIS. Our research revealed that only a small proportion of a sample successfully applied to the NDIS, with our interviewees characterised as 'hard-to-reach' because of their socio-economic disadvantage, social isolation, and lack of adequate support. Reflecting on the many and varied experiences of this group, we consider our interviewees to be at risk of further marginalisation in the absence of effective measures to engage and support them. We recommend ways to bring the hard-to-reach group within the ambit of the NDIS, as well as possibilities for future research. This article reports on the experiences of people who have attempted to engage with Australia's national disability support scheme. Only a few people within our sample had successfully applied for support under the national scheme, with others either unaware of it or unsuccessful in their applications Many in our sample were effectively excluded from the scheme due to the complexities of disability, social exclusion, and financial hardship. Further research in this area is critical so that the problems faced by people in the hard-to-reach group, with respect to accessing the national disability support scheme, can be addressed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The COVID-19 pandemic has had significant and long-term social implication for economics, education, and employment. This paper aims to analyse the current situation in Turkey from the perspective of disabled and older people. Specific precautions related to the virus were taken for this population. However the precautions were implemented in a disorganized manner and did not necessarily protect the whole group. In some cases the precautions might be detrimental by nature. It was concluded that the governments need to be flexible to support the citizens. This analysis could be beneficial to Turkey and other countries in the case of that disease or a different pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores connections between affect studies and critical disability studies. Our interest in affect is sparked by the beginnings of a new research project that seeks to illuminate the lives, hopes and desires of young people with ‘life-limiting’ or ‘life-threatening’ impairments. Cultural responses to these young people are shaped by dominant discourses associated with lives lived well and long. Before commencing our empirical work with young people we use this paper to think through how we might conceptualise affect and disability. We present three themes; ontological invalidation in neoliberal-able times; affect aliens and crip killjoys; disability and resistant assemblages. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Australia's National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) provides a once-in-a-generation opportunity to transform how people with a disability are served. Similar to the enactment of the Disability Services Act 1986, which challenged the segregation and supported the integration of people with a disability into community settings, the National Disability Insurance Scheme Act 2013 is expected to fundamentally disrupt traditional service practice and improve disabled people's lives. This paper identifies some lessons from the previous reforms of 1986 to guide policy makers, people with a disability, their families and service-providers, as they implement the NDIS now. It reflects on what it takes to make change, and what can be expected to remain essentially the same regardless of the disruption that the NDIS will bring. It concludes that if the lessons of the past hold true, the NDIS will require several decades of intentional leadership and capacity-building to achieve enduring, positive change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this autoethnography, BW and I explore the various ways in which my experiences of lockdown during the Coronavirus pandemic are not altogether different from my everyday experiences as a visually impaired person. Further, we make sense of my experience that, notwithstanding the social world's expression of feelings about lockdown and social distancing, my own reactions to disability-imposed lockdown remain unrecognized, invalidated and unseen. Making sense of these experiences of invisibility is essential, since it is only when our experiences are truly contemplated by others that we can have the hope of being fully known. In this paper, my co-author and I explain the various ways in which my experiences of lockdown during the Coronavirus pandemic are not altogether different from my everyday experiences as a visually impaired person; I provide examples to illustrate that there are anxiety-provoking challenges lurking outside my home; Yet, giving in to these anxieties and being confined to my home is too painful to give in to; While my everyday experiences are, too some extent, what the world is experiencing at the current moment with social distancing and lockdown, my feelings about disability-imposed lockdown remain unrecognized, invalidated and unseen; It is important to voice and make known these realities, For it is only when our experiences are truly seen—when we are completely known—that we can move towards self-acceptance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reports the part findings of an evaluation of a dual-screen installation entitled ‘Resistance: Which Way the Future?’ by the writer and director Liz Crow. Central to the installation is the experience of disabled people during the Holocaust period, the values underpinning this neglected period of history and how this relates to understanding the experiences of disabled people today. Simultaneously, this paper raises issue with a previous comment which suggested that disabled people and eugenics are a form of ‘emotive rhetoric’. On the contrary, this paper asserts that the link between eugenics and disability cannot be overstated, and is a significant moment in history where the lived experiences of disabled people – people described as having ‘learning difficulties’, surviving artefacts, and recorded testimonies – have still yet to be explored. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This paper explores the influence of the community-based rehabilitation approach among international development actors in Gulu, Uganda through the lens of policy transfer. Developed by international organizations, this approach has been promoted as a meaningful way to address the needs of persons with disabilities in low-income countries. This qualitative case study consists of a questionnaire completed by representatives from 25 different organizations, in addition to semi-structured follow-up interviews with 8 development professionals. The findings indicate that the community-based rehabilitation approach has had some influence, as respondents appeared cognisant of key principles of the approach in relation to persons with disabilities. However, detailed knowledge of the approach is mainly limited to the field of health, and there were few current examples of the approach being implemented. These results illustrate the challenges of implementing community-based rehabilitation specifically, as well as broader issues related to the transfer of international policy ideas to the Global South. Community-based rehabilitation is a way of helping people with disabilities in low-income countries where services are limited Development organizations in Gulu, Uganda (like the local government and non-governmental organizations) think that this approach is a good way to support people with disabilities Only a few of the people interviewed for this study had a strong understanding of the community-based rehabilitation approach, and these people mostly worked in the health sector There were no examples of community-based rehabilitation programs in Gulu at the time of the study, but some projects (mostly in the health field) used some ideas drawn from the approach Local development organizations find it difficult to apply policy ideas like community-based rehabilitation, especially when they do not have consistent funding [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The social interpretation of disability (SID) that originated in Britain in the 1970s is a radical attempt to locate the problem of disability in society. SID has been criticised, however, on the grounds that its distinction between impairment and disability cannot be drawn; that it neglects impairment; that it over-emphasises barrier removal; and that it lacks a category for person-level activity. This paper isolates SID's core claims, uses them to criticise other claims that some of SID's advocates advance, and defends SID against these criticisms. If SID's core claims are recovered from misrepresentation, they can be used to expose some limits of using the categories of the World Health Organisation's International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health to think about how society should respond to impairment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Globally, South Africa has one of the highest rates of gender based violence (GBV). While little is known about the levels of GBV against women with disabilities in the country, less is known about the accessibility or inclusivity of post-violence support and services. The paper draws on data from interviews and focus group discussions with thirty women with disabilities and nineteen disability and GBV service providers in Cape Town, South Africa. Thematic analysis revealed that women with disabilities experience unique disability-related barriers to GBV care and support. Disability-related stigma, accessibility barriers, inadequate training, limited resources and lack of funding contributed to poor GBV service provision for women with disabilities. Awareness and training, accessible information, reasonable accommodations, increased funding, and disability relevant referrals need to be integrated into existing GBV services to ensure sustainable and accessible pathways to inclusive violence prevention, support and responses in the country. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

VACTERL Association is a medical diagnosis that represents a broad range of characteristics affecting the following body systems: vertebrae; anal; cardiovascular; trachea; esophageal; renal and radial; and limb. Auditory, growth, sex, and reproductive characteristics are often present as well. Thus far, VACTERL has only been examined within the medical system, and, within that framework, it has become identified as an anomaly and ‘disability,’ leaving the embodied experiential realities of individuals who live with it unexplored. This paper reports on a qualitative study with eight self-identified women with VACTERL Association. This paper provides an introduction to the experiences of these women and provides an exploration of the elements and processes of identity negotiation, with particular focus on the intersection between gender and ability. As well, the impact of a medical label as it affects identity formation is examined. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The South African Constitution (no. 108, 1996) enshrines the rights of disabled people to equality - an almost unprecedented attainment achieved by disabled people. Ten years on this paper reflects on what this has meant for disabled people in South Africa. It uses secondary sources and draws on the work and research experience of the authors. Human rights are viewed as a bundle of interrelated, interdependent and mutually supporting civil and political, as well as socio-economic, rights. A brief description of the context introduces the body of the paper. The paper demonstrates that legislative and administrative measures have been put in place to protect the rights of disabled people but these have yet to be experienced at the everyday level of social life. The scale of the inequality that still exists requires disabled people to move beyond the courts of law and to adopt a human rights approach. However, this approach will require reviving the successful strategies and the spirit of collective action that realised disabled people's constitutional right to equality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The value of, and need for, parent-professional partnerships is an unchallenged mantra within policy relating to 'special educational needs'. In spite of this, partnerships continue to be experienced as problematic by both parents and professionals. This paper brings together the different perspectives of two disability researchers: one a parent of a disabled child while the other was a teacher for 20 years of children with the label autism. The paper deconstructs the concept of partnership and then, drawing on the expertise of parents, suggests how enabling and empowering parent-professional relationships might be achieved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]