ERIC Number: EJ835853
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2009
Pages: 12
Abstractor: ERIC
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0882-4843
EISSN: N/A
Feminist Disability Studies Pedagogy
Knoll, Kristina R.
Feminist Teacher: A Journal of the Practices, Theories, and Scholarship of Feminist Teaching, v19 n2 p122-133 2009
The goal of this paper is to raise awareness about systems of oppression and privilege, as related to ability and disability in the classroom, and to provide tools to create instructional and institutional transformation. Feminist analyses of privilege, oppression, and intersectionality provide a framework for looking at the diverse experiences of people with disabilities and their access to education. Many disability studies theorists argue for a model of "universal design," which seeks to create architecture and instruction for the widest group of people possible. In this article, the author argues, that although educators should strive for universally designed objects and pedagogy, they must simultaneously keep dialogue about intersectionality and the individual experience at the forefront. She outlines a few potential cultural barriers, including disabilities and impairments that have yet to be considered in particular arenas of access and accommodation, and suggests techniques for creating a more welcoming and accessible environment in one's classroom and department. She stresses that by using what disability studies calls "Universal Design" and using feminist theories of privilege, oppression, and intersectionality in a dialogue with students and instructors about disability and intersectionality, some of the immediate oppression in classrooms and departments can be alleviated. (Contains 7 notes.)
Descriptors: Social Discrimination, Disabilities, Feminism, Social Theories, Access to Education, Higher Education, Social Status, Barriers, Cultural Awareness, Classroom Environment
University of Illinois Press. 1325 South Oak Street, Champaign, IL 61820-6903. Tel: 217-244-0626; Fax: 217-244-8082; e-mail: journals@uillinois.edu; Web site: http://www.press.uillinois.edu/journals/main.html
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Opinion Papers
Education Level: Higher Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A