Racism, Ableism, and Apparentness: Using Disability Justice to Reimagine Institutional Accommodation Processes
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| Title: | Racism, Ableism, and Apparentness: Using Disability Justice to Reimagine Institutional Accommodation Processes |
|---|---|
| Language: | English |
| Authors: | Autumn K. Wilke, Capria Berry |
| Source: | New Directions for Higher Education. 2025 (211):13-20. |
| Availability: | Wiley. Available from: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030. Tel: 800-835-6770; e-mail: cs-journals@wiley.com; Web site: https://www.wiley.com/en-us |
| Peer Reviewed: | Y |
| Page Count: | 8 |
| Publication Date: | 2025 |
| Document Type: | Journal Articles Reports - Evaluative |
| Education Level: | Higher Education Postsecondary Education |
| Descriptors: | Racism, Attitudes toward Disabilities, Social Bias, Social Justice, Academic Accommodations (Disabilities), Higher Education, Intersectionality, Equal Education, Civil Rights Legislation, Educational Legislation, Access to Education |
| DOI: | 10.1002/he.70004 |
| ISSN: | 0271-0560 1536-0741 |
| Abstract: | In this chapter we explore the racialized dynamics embedded in disability accommodation practices within higher education. We draw on DisCrit, whiteness as property, and research on how racial identity influences experiences of apparentness of disability in educational settings. Institutional processes for approving accommodations often reflect and reinforce structural racism, disproportionately privileging white students while marginalizing students of color with disabilities. Through an intersectional lens, we challenge the idea that accommodation policies and processes are race neutral and we advocate for more equitable practices. Readers are introduced to foundational disability rights legislation in education and guided to critically assess how policies and procedures may reproduce systemic inequities. By engaging with data and case-based analysis, the chapter empowers practitioners, educators, and administrators to make informed decisions that actively support the disability community. We call for a recognition of the ways many widely used practices in higher education compound existing access issues and fail to account for the systemic intersection of racism and ableism. |
| Abstractor: | As Provided |
| Entry Date: | 2025 |
| Accession Number: | EJ1486992 |
| Database: | ERIC |
| Abstract: | In this chapter we explore the racialized dynamics embedded in disability accommodation practices within higher education. We draw on DisCrit, whiteness as property, and research on how racial identity influences experiences of apparentness of disability in educational settings. Institutional processes for approving accommodations often reflect and reinforce structural racism, disproportionately privileging white students while marginalizing students of color with disabilities. Through an intersectional lens, we challenge the idea that accommodation policies and processes are race neutral and we advocate for more equitable practices. Readers are introduced to foundational disability rights legislation in education and guided to critically assess how policies and procedures may reproduce systemic inequities. By engaging with data and case-based analysis, the chapter empowers practitioners, educators, and administrators to make informed decisions that actively support the disability community. We call for a recognition of the ways many widely used practices in higher education compound existing access issues and fail to account for the systemic intersection of racism and ableism. |
|---|---|
| ISSN: | 0271-0560 1536-0741 |
| DOI: | 10.1002/he.70004 |
