Suggested Reading for Disability & Racial Justice
Disclaimer:
The suggested readings below offer a multitude of viewpoints, voices, and truths regarding experiences at the intersection of disability and racial justice and/or theory. There is no one all-encompassing experience, and it is important to never reduce a group to one story. That being said, the narratives and academic texts below provide a glimpse into this unique intersectionality.
TEDx Talk: I'm not your inspiration, thank you very much. - Stella Young
Stella Young, disability justice advocate, discusses the unreasonable assumptions and expectations that society sometimes holds towards persons with disability, including seeing disability as a negative or using the word "inspirational" when disabled people are simply living their life. Young hopes to reframe the conversation, viewing disability as a cultural norm, and advocates for celebrating the geniune achievements of the disability community.
Disability Justice, Race, and Education
The authors provide a look into the intersection of disability and race with the lens of education. The underrepresentation of various racial groups within disability in research and mainstream media is highlighted. This piece also touches on potential barriers individuals of varying backgrounds may face, for example a lack of ASL interpreting resources for hard of hearing Native Americans.
(requires SUNet ID login for access)
This article dives into the spectrum of Native experiences with disability, including the disproportionate representation of Indigenous disabled students in exclusionary discipline, inclusing suspension and expulsion in the K-12 context.
Black Disability History, Vol. I: Reclaiming the Black Disabled Experience
Ten stories of Black Americans with disability are shared, each reflecting what the intersection of Blackness and disability meant to them. The narratives span from the founding era of the United States through the 1990s.