Blog Task 1: Disability

In your first blog task you will use Kimberlé Crenshaw’s theory of intersectionality to analyse how disability intersects with other identity factors:

Workshops 1A & 1B: Key Concepts in Inclusive Practices (Equality Act, Intersectionality, Positionality, Disability, UAL data) and guest lecture, “Frameworks for Disability Equity in HE” with Carys Kennedy, provided the resources to develop an understanding of disability and learning differences. Through literature regarding frameworks such as the social model of disability (Oliver, 1990) and intersectionality (Crenshaw, 1990), I was introduced to their implications for disabling structures in Higher Education. Kimberlé Crenshaw’s theory of intersectionality exemplifies how disability is not a monolithic experience, but rather one that intersects with factors like race, gender, sexuality, and socioeconomic status to create unique, compounded experiences of discrimination or privilege. This theory serves as an intersectional, disability-justice analytical tool for understanding how systems such as ableism, racism, and sexism simultaneously act upon individuals and impact their sense of belonging, thus preventing disabled people from participating fully in society.

At the heart of the resources and short films, the recurring theme is that what disables individuals is not their impairments, but rather the structural barriers deeply embedded in society – whether environmental, attitudinal or procedural. Drawing from the social model of disability (Oliver, 1990) – which acts as a solution-oriented conceptual framework and a practical tool to shift the focus from an individual’s impairment to the barriers imposed by society to realise personal and collective emancipation – all three interviewees provided context about societal challenges, covert discrimination, and systemic oppression. They powerfully brought into view how their disabilities intersect with multilayered dimensions of identity, such as race, socioeconomic status, and gender.

More specifically, British-Nigerian Paralympian and wheelchair user Ade Adepitan exemplifies this intersection. He brings into focus both overt historical and modern-day covert racism, exposing the relation between the intersection of race and disability – as echoed by the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement – and the need for meaningful systemic change and intersectional equality beyond surface-level diversity.

Within the context of education, it is important to recognise that disabled students with intersectional identities face compounded discrimination compared to those with a single marginalised identity, creating unique obstacles in learning spaces. In my teaching context – the Diploma in Professional Studies (DPS), which centers on real-world industry experience outside the university culture – students navigate a complex, in-between stage of their studies. Drawing on UAL data and my own experience, it is clear that disability considerations in this space are heavily influenced by ableism and neoliberal norms.

The intersections of disability, neoliberalism, and industry placements often produce tensions that can compromise the student learning experience, including:

• A shift of responsibility for adjustments from the institution or employer to the individual student, requiring them to disclose or negotiate their own access.
• Under-resourced disability support, which often creates complex Human Resources barriers to securing reasonable adjustments in the workplace.
• A focus on employability and high performance in industry placements, which can disadvantage students who work at different paces or require alternative learning environments.

The in-between space of DPS can also amplify tensions related to disability considerations:

• Operating outside the main university campus for a year places students in a liminal space, where they may lack the immediate access to university support, such as the UAL’s Disability Service.
• A disconnect between the university’s commitment to the social model of disability and the realities of industry employers, who may hold traditional or medicalised views of disability.
• The pressure on students to align with ableist norms of constant productivity, causing them to hide or downplay their access needs to seem more employable.

Based on my experience in supporting students in this in-between space of DPS – where they are balancing professional demands with personal access needs – it is vital to implement relational, care-focused approaches over ableist, market-driven ones. This presents clear challenges, as students face additional pressures stemming from an extra year of debt and the cost-of-living crisis, which interrelate with complex social and academic barriers. Framing the discomfort of navigating an uncertain, precarious new territory (such as a year in industry) as a “threshold concept” (Osmond, 2009) allows us to co-create ways to scaffold this transition.

Update & Reflection (Based on Peer Feedback)

Valuable peer feedback regarding the transition from UAL into industry, the differences in institutional support, and how students cope with this shift brought into discussion the need to address the silent challenge of non-disclosure.

Reflecting on my experience supporting placement students, it is clear that the vast majority of those with invisible disabilities actively choose non-disclosure. This challenge goes far beyond a structural gap between university policy and industry practice; it is driven by an intense pressure to “save face” and a deep fear of compromising future career opportunities. This dynamic forces students to view their access needs as an imposition, creating a heavy burden of professional masking that many carry throughout their working lives.

To scaffold this liminal transition, I use my own lived experience as a teaching tool. Due to a chronic musculoskeletal condition, I cannot sit on standard chairs. Instead, I bring a gym ball to tutorials as a seating substitute to accommodate my physical needs at the workplace (CSM), as shown in the image above. This visible accommodation actively normalises reasonable adjustments for DPS students preparing to enter professional environments. By openly disrupting ableist university structures, I offer an example that can demystify self-advocacy and show students that claiming space for our bodies is a fundamental right, rather than professional failure.

References:

Crenshaw, K. (1991) ‘Mapping the Margins: Intersectionality, Identity Politics, and Violence against Women of Color’, Stanford Law Review, 43, pp. 1241–1299. Available
at: https://www.jstor.org/stable/1229039?seq=1 

Chapter 2/ The Social Model in Action: if I had a hammer Mike Oliver (In ‘Implementing the Social Model of Disability: Theory and Research’ edited by Colin Barnes and Geof Mercer (2004); Leeds: The Disability Press, pp. 18-31).

Disabled Students Campaign – Social Model of Disability with Mike Oliver, National Union of Students UK (2018). Youtube [Online]. 22 Nov. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gDO6U0-uaoM

ParalympicsGB (2020) – Ade Adepitan gives amazing explanation of systemic racism. Youtube [Online]. 16 Oct. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KAsxndpgagU&t=42s

Orr S. & Shreeve A. (2017) Art and Design Pedagogy in Higher Education: Knowledge, Values and Ambiguity in the Creative Curriculum. Routledge Research in Education.

Further reading/resources:

Rust C. (2005) Threshold Concepts and Troublesome Knowledge (3)*: Implications for Course Design and Evaluation, Improving Student Learning Diversity and Inclusivity. Oxford Centre for Staff and Learning Development, pp 53–63

Meyer, J. H. F. and Land, R. (2005) ‘Threshold concepts and troublesome knowledge (2): Epistemological considerations and a conceptual framework for teaching and learning’, Higher Education, pp. 373–388.