Personal and Perplexing: Feminist disability politics evaluated

Abstract

Like the women's movement before it, the disability movement is now experiencing internal debates about issues of commonality and difference. Recent critiques of the social model of disability have advocated a move towards a so-called feminist emphasis on the individual experiences of disability and impairment. This paper argues that such an approach represents a very narrow view of feminism and its potential contribution to disability theory. It further suggests that less individualistic approaches offer a more effective way forward for disabled people, women and people from other oppressed groups. Despite similarities between the disability movement and the women's movement, tensions often exist between their respective agendas. It is proposed that only by moving beyond descriptive accounts of personal experiences can disabled people, women and other oppressed people recognise their commonalities, forge coalitions, and make society a better place for all its citizens.