Disabled Social Work Students' Use of Disability Justice Strategies In Higher Education

Background and Purpose

For decades, the emphasis in the research literature regarding disabled social work students has primarily focused on providing ADA accommodations, universal design strategies, and the gate-keeping function of higher education (Author, 2022). While the disability community has been calling out ableism in our service system for over 50 years, as a profession and in particular in academia, social work has only recently begun to explore disability as diversity, and incorporate aspects of Disability Justice into our practices and procedures. By centering those most impacted, programs can learn from the lived experiences of disabled students regarding their higher education experiences beyond the provision of accommodations, which is merely the minimum legal standard. The purpose of this study is to explore the use of the 10 principles of disability justice by disabled students while in pursuit of a social work degree.

Methods

This qualitative inquiry was part of a larger study informed by the social model of disability, utilizing a post-intentional phenomenology approach (Vagle, 2018), seeking to explore the lived experiences of disabled social work students with the implicit curriculum. We conducted a secondary investigation of our data seeking out evidence of use of the 10 disability justice principles as defined by Berne et al. (2018). Using a directed content analysis approach (Hsieh & Shannon, 2005), we reviewed each transcript for evidence of the 10 pre-identified themes. The sample consists of 10 social work students or recent graduates across the United States who identified as disabled. Participants were recruited via social media and the snowball method. Interviews were conducted over Zoom and transcribed verbatim by student research assistants with lived experiences with disability. The concept of "nothing for us without us" was embraced in the design and implementation of this study.

Results

Evidence of use of all 10 of the disability justice principles was found. Notably, participants discussed the intersectionality of disability with other marginalized identities, and the impact that being “othered” had on their education experience. Participants identified ableism in the social work academy and multiple levels of systemic oppression. Participants noted the inadequacies of the curriculum in covering disability content at all, and moreover from a disability justice lens, and the impact that had on their overall education experience.

Importantly, there was a significant theme of resistance to systemic ableism in academia and opposition to oppression via mutual aid, interdependence and collective access. Mutual aid was a significant factor for degree completion, as participants often credited others in the disability community with getting them through the program, including both disabled faculty and students, with one participant stating, "they keep me sane." Students discussed creating solidarity and being a united front in the classroom.

Conclusions and Implications

Disabled social work students in this study embodied core concepts from disability justice while they navigated the higher education system. Social Work programs could support students by assisting them in creating disability affinity support, ensuring inclusive and justice-oriented disability curriculum, and also by uplifting disability voices in leadership and high-level decisions.