An Intersectional Approach to Understanding and Working with Disabled Communities

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Yau, Carmen. 2024. An Intersectional Approach to Understanding and Working with Disabled Communities. In: Claudia A. Bernard; Carlene Firmin; Frank Keating and Carmen Yau, eds. Handbook on Intersectionality and Social Work. Cheltenham: Edward Elgar Publishing. [Book Section] (In Press)

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Abstract or Description

Extensive research attributes structural oppression as barriers and challenges against disabled people and their communities. This chapter aims to introduce an intersectional approach to suggest how we address disability in a disability-affirmative manner. An intersectional approach addresses the heterogeneity of disabled communities to acknowledge social categorizing practice fails to recognize the individuality of disabled people. The chapter suggests how an intersectional approach can be implemented in social work education, practice and research.

This chapter starts with conceptualizations and models of disability (i.e. medical model, social model and human rights model). Models of disability serve as a lens to shape our concepts, ideology, and practice of disability. These models fail to recognize disability as a political identity as well as other marginalized identities of a disabled individual. As a result, these models exacerbate inequalities and marginalization of disabled people. These models may perpetuate ableism and marginalization in social work education, research, and practice.

As for education, the intersectional approach suggests education institutes and educators should connect disability-related issues in social work training. Social work curriculum should incorporate research and practice towards intersectional disability justice. Furthermore, it is crucial to provide support and reasonable adjustment for disabled social work students at placement.

As for research, a disability-affirmative approach can be integrated throughout the research process. Researchers could consider community-driven and participatory methodologies. Participation recruitment and consent should consider the accessibility, appropriateness, and inclusivity of people with different needs. Collaboration with key stakeholders including people with lived experience should include the design and implementation of data collection (e.g., conducting interviews) as well as the coproduction and interpretation in the data analysis. Methods to disseminating findings should aim to reach a wider audience. For example, sharing in podcasts or seminars or distributing results with various multimedia modalities (e.g., infographic, audio, easy-read etc).

As for practice at the agency level, the process of designing, implementing, and evaluating social services should develop a system and policy to enhance intersectional practice. For example, adjusting service availability, costs, and locations to fit the needs of the disabled communities. Social work teams should openly collaborate with disabled communities to enhance the cultural competence effectiveness and comprehensiveness of their service. Agencies should challenge discriminatory and oppressive systems which negatively impact resource access, care, and well-being of members in disabled communities.

As for practice at the individual level, a disability-affirmative approach emphasises on critical reflection of a social worker. In assessment, social work practitioners should perceive a disabled individual living in various social classes: the characteristics of one or multiple disabilities, gender/sexuality, socioeconomic status, ethnicity, geographic location, and other stereotypical factors that accumulate discrimination and marginalization. Social workers should be aware of discriminatory practices at individual levels (e.g., microaggression against a disabled individual,) and community level (e.g., biased assessment procedure).

The chapter concludes with how an intersectional approach enhances the access, representation, and leadership of the disabled community to optimize the inclusiveness and equity of social services and policy. Together, the intersectional approach serves as a strategic solution to challenge the oppressive practice across research, education, and practice in social work.

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