Adolescent understandings of disability labels and social stigma in school

Abstract

Frequent discussion in the field of disability research focuses knowledge on rehabilitation for students with disabilities. However, lacking is a focus on student identity development in the face of a highly stigmatizing and stigmatized label. Semi-structured interviews with four freshman males labeled with high incidence disabilities were conducted. The aim of the study was a student-centered discussion of disability knowledge and awareness of stigma. This student-centered discussion is presented in contrast to a body of literature critiqued as stories that are told about people with disabilities by nondisabled researchers and practitioners. Instead, this paper frames students with disabilities as the experts on their own identity. All students were aware of the stigma of their disability label, though each negotiated this stigma differently. The young men conceptualized disability in differing ways. Results suggest students’ deep knowledge, of, and conscious behaviors to avoid disability stigma.

Keywords:

• Learning disabilities
• emotional/behavioral disorders
• identity
• stigma
• disability awareness

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Carlyn Mueller

Carlyn Mueller is a Ph.D. candidate in special education at the University of Washington. Carlyn’s research focuses broadly on disability identity development. Based on her experience as a person with physical and learning disabilities, her research privileges students’ perspectives on special education and works to disrupt deficit notions of disability in school and schooling. Her work is published in Rehabilitation Psychology and the Journal of Postsecondary Education and Disability.