Intersectionality Dis/ability Research: How Dis/ability Research in Education Engages Intersectionality to Uncover the Multidimensional Construction of Dis/abled Experiences

Abstract

The purpose of this chapter is to systematically review the research within the field of education that explicitly examined how various social constructions of identity intersect with dis/ability to qualitatively affect young adults’ experiences by asking the following question: What are the key findings in education research focusing on youth and young adults with disabilities who are multiply situated in terms of race, gender, social class, sexual orientation, or other social markers? Our conceptual framework included a sociohistorical approach that culled from intersectionality and disability studies in education that centered on the intersectional lived experiences of youth within K–16 educational contexts. In our research, we found 10 qualifying studies that illuminated how youth create meaning along the lines of their disabilities and their intersections, and we summarized these within the following three themes: (a) navigate intersectional disability discourses, (b) present their dis/ability oppression as intersectional, and (c) engage in their identity meaning making as a form of intersectional discourse. We conclude by situating these findings within the larger body of intersectionality disability studies in education research and provide future implications. “Ain’t nobody gonna get me down!” —Kiesha (Petersen, 2009, p. 434)