Critiques of ableist educational spaces

Abstract

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.

Points of Interest

• 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.

Keywords:

• disability
• education
• autoethnography
• critical intercultural communication

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).