Autoethnography is a research method that relies on connecting personal narrative to larger social issues, using writing and/or performance to draw those connections for an audience and critique those issues along the way. Autoethnographers, in a vulnerable act, tell their own stories to make these connections and critiques, and ask their audiences to help them change the way society functions, to help achieve social justice by engaging with and helping to solve these issues. This project explores a specific autoethnographic work—The Wolf Inside, a solo performance piece dealing with the dis/ableist experiences of the author in their journey toward diagnosis, treatment, and good quality of life with systemic lupus erythematosus. It examines the implications of autoethnography as a method of educating audiences about invisible disabilities like lupus, confronting harmful dis/ableist behaviors, offering solutions to these issues, and functioning as a coping mechanism for the author/performer who lives with invisible disabilities.

In 2018, the Ontario College of Social Workers and Social Service Workers (OCSWSSW) implemented an additional screening question for prospective social workers registering with the College, requiring applicants to indicate if there is any sign they have a physical or mental condition or disorder that “could affect [their] ability to practice social work in a safe manner.” This Health Declaration policy was created within a broader context of increasing surveillance and punishment of social workers conducted by the College, on the grounds that fitness to practice social work is a bio-moral-medical quintessence that some possess and others lack, and which social work elites must identify in order to “protect the public.” This thesis undertakes a critical discourse analysis of publicly available documents provided by the College. I draw from critical disability studies, anti-colonial scholarship, and postmodern work to establish the College as an organ of the Canadian settler colonial project. I use the term “safe-ability” – distilling the Health Declaration’s language and that of their other rules, communications, and decisions – calling attention to ideological fiction operating within ableist/sanist and colonial logics, the basis of its authority to punish social workers and “protect” the public. The College uses terms like unfit, incapacity, and incompetence to conjure threat of risk throughout their documentation, showing significant investment in broadcasting lies about disabled people. College disciplinary documents show that social workers have been found to be unfit on the basis of statements about their health, inherent abilities, mental/physical examinations, and even charges of unfit conduct outside the scope of their duties as social workers. Legal and medical discourse is invoked to give the appearance of objectivity and to authorize power. I show that the OCSWSSW perpetrates abuses under cover of the fictitious entity “safe-ability” – a colonist ableist/sanist fabrication used to justify and valorize such professionalizing institutions that ought to be abolished. / Thesis / Master of Social Work (MSW)

The purpose of this thesis was to understand how museums make their establishment accessible, if there are any obstacles in their accessibility and in that case what effects this can cause. The thesis examines accessibility at seven museums in Stockholm by participatory observation area with focus on the visitor experience for wheelchair users. The thesis also investigates whether lack of accessibility and inclusion had any possible effect on the visitor experience by means of interviews and content analysis of the accessibility information provided on the museums' websites and annual reports on what measures have been taken by the museum to improve accessibility for people with disabilities.  The results from all seven investigated museums demonstrated that physical accessibility was taken into account but to a certain extent, there have been lifts, ramps, accessible entrances and accessibility-adapted toilets. There were also some positive aspects of accessibility that transcended the most basic accessibility guidelines. Obstacles were identified during all seven observations and these mainly related to exclusionary design of the exhibitions, which in turn affected the visitor experience negatively. The interviews showed that the informants had experienced obstacles at the specified museums and also other museums. In summary, it can be stated that all aspects of accessibility affect the visitor experience, even if the overall experience is positive. Obstacles in accessibility can have negative effects both on the visitor experience but also individually with a negative impact on feelings of independence and/or belonging. The museums' annual reports and the accessibility information from the museums' websites all showed that they are actively working with accessibility, although the extent to which varies. The accessibility information could vary in how well the accessibility adaptations were described and there were few measures reported for people with reduced mobility in the museum’s annual reports. This compiled material demonstrated that there is a knowledge gap regarding accessibility at the museums and together with the material from the interviews and the observations it can be claimed that there are several measures the museums can take to improve accessibility. Finally, a lack of inclusion and accessibility has major effects both on an individual and a societal level. The effects on the individual level have already been mentioned as a negative impact on feelings of independence and belonging but also a negative impact on the self-image. In summary, the effects on the societal level can be claimed to be low levels of participation in people with disabilities and a maintenance of prevailing normative systems that have a negative effect on inclusion and diversity. This is a two-year master’s thesis in Museum and Cultural Heritage Studies.

Detta är en språkvetenskaplig studie med avsikt att belysa aspekter av det språkbruk som kan tänkas ha inflytande på föreställningen om personer med funktionsnedsättningar. Genom kritisk diskursanalys med utgångspunkt i ableismen studeras hur olika ord för att benämna personer med funktionsnedsättningar förekommer och diskuteras på internet samt hur språklig diskriminering eventuellt kan urskiljas. Analysen är uppdelad i flera delar där det görs en undersökning av hur vanliga ord för att benämna personer med funktionsnedsättningar förekommer i tre webbaserade korpusar, en analys av språket i bloggtexter från 2014 där ordet handikappad påträffas samt en beskrivning av hur handikappad diskuteras på nätverket funktionshinder.se, en portal för personer med funktionsnedsättningar. När bloggtexterna analyserats framkommer det att vid de tillfällen som den kollektiva beteckningen handikappade förekommer konstrueras de som tillskrivs grupptillhörigheten som offer i olika sammanhang. När handikappad används som adjektiv är det i majoriteten av fallen för att beskriva en känsla/situation av tillfällig fysisk nedsatthet. Återkommande är också att personer använder begreppet som metafor för att vara utan något och då vanligtvis något tekniskt som en mobiltelefon eller internetuppkoppling. Återkommande attityder och argument på funktionshinder.se är att ord har en ursprunglig betydelse som en ska ta hänsyn till, att det går att ställa högre krav på auktoriteter än allmänheten vad gäller ordval, att de ordval en gör är konsekvensen av ålder eller kunskap/okunskap eller att det ges uttryck för en oförstående inställning till språkförändring och diskussionen om den.

Friendship matters. Practical support, caring, moral guidance, enjoyment, improved health and greater life expectancy are but a few of its benefits. Despite living in a stigmatizing social environment where isolation is common among disabled youth, some disabled teens establish strong friendships. A nuanced understanding of these meaningful friendships from the perspective of disabled teens was constructed through this qualitative study. Teens aged 15 to 20 who self-identified as experiencing stigma due to disability were recruited from urban, suburban and rural areas of Nova Scotia, Canada. Each teen was involved in a friendship of at least six months duration and had a close friend (with or without a disability) who was also willing to participate. Seven boys and seven girls, all but one of whom were disabled teens, took part in the study. These seven sets of friends engaged in research interviews and participant observation sessions. Nine adults who witnessed the friendships develop over time were also interviewed. Preliminary coding was completed using Atlas.ti. This was followed by a deeper, critical approach to analysis which generated three inter-connected themes. The first theme outlines how stigma disrupts the friendships of disabled youth though a range of processes (labeling, stereotyping, status loss, separation) that arise from and contribute to ableism discrimination against disabled people. The second theme, finding a balance between adult support and surveillance, emphasizes the crucial role adults play in facilitating the friendships of disabled youth. The final theme, disrupting oppression to create enduring friendship, highlights the strategies used by these disabled teens to make and keep friends in a stigmatizing society. Strategies most often used that appeared to be effective for participants were disrupting norms about friendship, coming out as disabled, connecting through stigma, and choosing self-exclusion. Two strategies horizontal hostility and passing as nondisabled were potentially harmful to disabled youth and in some ways limited friendship opportunities. Ideas to counter the harmful effects of ableism while creating lasting friendships are addressed to disabled teens, to their families, to allies in the education system, and to the broader community.

Friendship matters. Practical support, caring, moral guidance, enjoyment, improved health and greater life expectancy are but a few of its benefits. Despite living in a stigmatizing social environment where isolation is common among disabled youth, some disabled teens establish strong friendships. A nuanced understanding of these meaningful friendships from the perspective of disabled teens was constructed through this qualitative study. Teens aged 15 to 20 who self-identified as experiencing stigma due to disability were recruited from urban, suburban and rural areas of Nova Scotia, Canada. Each teen was involved in a friendship of at least six months’ duration and had a close friend (with or without a disability) who was also willing to participate. Seven boys and seven girls, all but one of whom were disabled teens, took part in the study. These seven sets of friends engaged in research interviews and participant observation sessions. Nine adults who witnessed the friendships develop over time were also interviewed. Preliminary coding was completed using Atlas.ti. This was followed by a deeper, critical approach to analysis which generated three inter-connected themes. The first theme outlines how stigma disrupts the friendships of disabled youth though a range of processes (labeling, stereotyping, status loss, separation) that arise from and contribute to ableism – discrimination against disabled people. The second theme, finding a balance between adult support and surveillance, emphasizes the crucial role adults play in facilitating the friendships of disabled youth. The final theme, disrupting oppression to create enduring friendship, highlights the strategies used by these disabled teens to make and keep friends in a stigmatizing society. Strategies most often used that appeared to be effective for participants were disrupting norms about friendship, coming out as disabled, connecting through stigma, and choosing self-exclusion. Two strategies – horizontal hostility and passing as nondisabled – were potentially harmful to disabled youth and in some ways limited friendship opportunities. Ideas to counter the harmful effects of ableism while creating lasting friendships are addressed to disabled teens, to their families, to allies in the education system, and to the broader community.

Ableism is based on the belief that it is better to not have a disability than to have one and that it is preferable to function in society the way nondisabled people do. In this thesis, the theory of ableism is applied to the field of special education. Two different perspectives on dis/ability are explored and how they, in turn, relate to ableism specifically in terms of autistic pupils. The medical perspective, where diagnoses are used to correct abnormalities, is set against the relational perspective, in which the environment is seen as the cause of disabilities. The thesis argues that autistic social impairment is a “double empathy problem”, rather than stemming from a more medicalized understanding of autistic impairment.  Through a systematic literature review, previous research concerning autistic pupils in special education is analyzed to explore whether it shows indications of ableism, and if so, how. The review, conducted through Swepub and ERIC, included peer-reviewed scientific articles published 2010-2020 based on research conducted in school environments with autistic pupils (ages 6-18) within special education. The thesis identifies four themes of ableism within previous research: (1) the aim of “fixing” autistic individuals; (2) viewing autistic individuals as impaired; (3) the absence of autistic agency; and (4) the use of “with autism” instead of “autistic”. All the analyzed research contained at least one of the four identified themes. As such, the analysis indicates that all examined studies contain some form of ableism, where the use of “with autism” was the most commonly found, closely followed by the goal of fixing the autistic individual. Additionally, the autistic pupils rarely had agency in the previous research, which is problematic as autistic individuals can be more difficult to interpret via observation. In turn, this affects both the reliability of the research results and the types of interventions and adaptations implemented to improve autistic pupils’ school situation. However, a few of the analyzed studies did discuss and share this view on agency. In addition, some of the previous research analyzed in this thesis also incorporated clear non-ableistic views, which shows a possible path forward for future research as well as for the design of special education programs. The thesis concludes that autistic phenomenal expertise could play a role in better understanding which adaptations are effective for autistic pupils in school.

The aim of this work is to question ableism by exploring the expressional possibilities in reforming garments for the seated body in active wheelchair use. The fashion scene could be defined as normative, idealistic and excluding, but could it originate from the lack of diversity and knowledge in the people behind the scene? Fashion is a subject in constant developement and this work aims to push the boundaries and reach for the constructional and expressional possibilities in designing for a seated body in active wheelchair use based on self-lived experience . Additionally to the constructional approach, raising awearness and knowledge about the issues of ableism is a topic if importance in the matter. The combination of theese aspects points towards a proposal to how fashion could press social issues and create space for discussion and development. Not only in how it’s made, but how it’s percieved.

The objective of this study is to investigate ableism and social support networks in the healthcare setting. Social support networks play an important role in combating emotional distress in healthcare. They provide disabled patients a method for defending against the negative effects of ableism among other stressors. By definition, ableism refers to perceptions that disability is abnormal and undesirable. Ten healthcare providers in central Florida (i.e., in nursing homes, rehabilitation centers, and primary care offices) were interviewed, using in-depth face-to-face qualitative interviewing. Participants were asked questions relating to the effects of ableist language on patients with disabilities as well as the role of social support networks in combating related stress. Throughout the process of data analysis, five major themes arose as most relevant to the research questions proposed: (1) Traditional Social Support, (2) Online Networks as a Source of Informational Support, (3) Concerns about Ableist Language, (4) External Sources of Patient Social Support, and (5) Accommodation and Accessibility. Results indicated a strong preference for traditional social support, as opposed to online support. Traditional social support is offered through accommodation of caregivers, availability of social workers, and creation of support groups. Benefits of online support networks are viewed mainly in terms of fulfilling the informational needs of patients with disabilities. Additionally, while some accommodations for patients with disabilities were described, these dealt primarily with alterations to the physical environment. Results showed a lack of attention paid to ableism in the healthcare field, particularly instances occurring in communication practices. Overall, there is room for improvement in the healthcare field concerning accommodations for patients with disabilities.

This study focused on nine disabled college students' interpersonal interactions with their campus community. Study participants discussed the meaning they took from their interpersonal interactions. Critical disability studies theory and Disability Justice Principles provided a conceptual framework for this study's design. Using narrative inquiry methodology, this study explored the following research questions: (1) How do disabled college students describe their interpersonal interactions with those in their campus community (e.g., staff, faculty members, peers)? (2) What meaning do disabled college students ascribe to their interactions with those in their campus community? (3) How do disabled college students describe their participation in, if any, student organizations at their institutions? Inductive analysis from 18 semi-structured interviews revealed five themes: lower(ed) expectations for support and connection, experiencing oppression, coping with oppression, experiencing interdependent friendships, and in-group friendships. Findings affirm the insufficiency of compliance with disability laws, disabled college students' resiliency in response to ableism, and the need for administrators to foster belonging for disabled college students. Study implications emphasize the urgent need for higher education administrators to foster a sense of belonging among disabled college students with multiple marginalized identities as well as disrupt systems of oppression within higher education institutions. / Doctor of Philosophy / Enrollment of disabled students in higher education continues to rise, but postsecondary administrators still overlook the need for full inclusion of this population in all aspects of college life. Disabled college students have a legal right under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) to request accommodations and talk with campus disability service providers about their accommodation needs. It is important for college administrators to foster the social inclusion of disabled students at their institutions. The purpose of this study was to learn about the interpersonal experiences of disabled college students with those in their campus communities. I used a narrative methodology to consider the following research questions: (1) How do disabled college students describe their interpersonal interactions with those in their campus community (e.g., staff, faculty members, peers)? (2) What meaning do disabled college students ascribe to their interactions with those in their campus community? (3) How do disabled college students describe their participation in, if any, student organizations at their institutions? After interviewing study participants, I learned they lowered their expectations for support and connection and experienced oppression. In response, participants found ways to cope with oppression, especially by forming mutual friendships with campus peers. These coping strategies confirmed the urgent need for higher education administrators to foster a sense of belonging among the disabled students on their college campuses.