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To understand the experiences of the disabled in academia, a fully accessible and inclusive workshop conference was held in March 2018. Grounded in critical disability studies within a constructivist inquiry analytical approach, this article provides a contextualisation of ableism in academia garnered through creative data generation. The nuanced experiences of disabled academics in higher education as well as their collective understandings of these experiences as constructed through normalisation and able-bodiedness are presented. We show that disabled academics are marginalised and othered in academic institutions; that the neoliberalisation of higher education has created productivity expectations, which contribute to the silencing of the disabled academics’ perspectives and experiences due to constructions of normality and stigmatisation; and that it is important to enact policies, procedures, and practices that value disabled academics and bring about cultural and institutional changes in favour of equality and inclusion.

The employment outcomes for young adults with autism or intellectual disability (ID) lag far behind those of their peers without disabilities. Most postsecondary education programs for students with disabilities incorporate internship experiences to foster employment skills. However, the proximity of job coaches may inadvertently hinder social opportunities and independence. We used a multiple-probe, single-case experimental design across three college students with autism or ID to examine the effects of a coaching package on task engagement and social interactions. For all participants, interactions increased and task engagement maintained when job coaches reduced proximity and delivered prompts discreetly through bug-in-ear devices. Participants considered the intervention beneficial and unobtrusive. We present implications for supporting employment preparation within postsecondary education programs.

This study aims to extend the definition of quality of life (QoL) for adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD, n = 180, ages 23–60) by: (1) characterizing the heterogeneity of normative outcomes (employment, independent living, social engagement) and objective QoL (physical health, neighborhood quality, family contact, mental health issues); and (2) identifying predictors of positive normative outcomes and good objective QoL. Findings of an exploratory latent class analysis identified three groups of adults with ASD–Greater Dependence, Good Physical and Mental Health, and Greater Independence. Findings indicate that better daily living skills, better executive function, and more maternal warmth are associated with assignment to better outcome groups. Findings have implications for interventions designed to enhance achievement of normative outcomes and objective QoL.

This paper introduces Causal Agency Theory, an extension of the functional model of self-determination. Causal Agency Theory addresses the need for interventions and assessments pertaining to self-determination for all students and incorporates the significant advances in understanding of disability and in the field of positive psychology since the introduction of the functional model of self-determination. Causal Agency Theory provides a theoretical framework for developing and enhancing supports to enable youth to engage in agentic action through instruction in goal setting and attainment strategies, to influence self-determination, causal agency, and overall well-being across diverse social-contextual contexts.

This project is an interdisciplinary endeavor to connect research in the teaching of English with Critical Disability Studies, an intersection that is crucial to disrupting ableism and creating more liberatory schooling and societal contexts that embrace broader notions of human differences. Invoking critical content analysis of five young adult novels that depict characters with Tourette syndrome (TS), we asked, how are various models for understanding “disability” invoked in YA fiction that depicts Tourette syndrome? How do these various models function to reinforce, complicate, or reconstruct in a more progressive way notions about human difference in YA fiction that depicts Tourette syndrome? We focused on one of the many pervasive tropes found within all five novels using the psychodynamic construct of splitting. In particular, we call attention to depictions of TS as embodying an animal—most often a dog—that splits off into the bad/dangerous side, usually subsumed within a character’s “normal self.” This trope can be seen as part of broader, historical discourses that have dehumanized disabled people, constructing them as “other” and subsequently rationalizing exclusionary practices. We advocate for and discuss ways for scholars and educators to continue integrating disability from the margins to the center in literacy research.

The way in which technologies support students with disability has been widely explored in recent times. Much of this research has focused on computer programs specifically designed to teach social and academic skills to students with disability. In the research reported in this paper we examined how students with disability could use technology designed for the general market. The impetus for the study was the principle of normalisation, which espouses that people with disability should have the opportunity to share in experiences of their same-aged peers. In previous research we demonstrated the benefits of using the commercially available hand-held games console Nintendo DS with Dr Kawashima's Brain Training program with students in mainstream classrooms. This finding led us to consider how this technology could be used to meet specific academic and social outcomes for students with disability in the same settings. We implemented a small-scale study in an Education Support Centre [1] as this setting provided us with the opportunity for a detailed examination of how students with disability might use this technology. We found that students with disability can benefit from using the Nintendo DS with Dr Kawashima's Brain Training program and have identified how they may use this type of technology in inclusive classrooms. [Author abstract]

This article examines the value of using Crip Theory by investigating what is considered normal sex life for people with intellectual disabilities in Sweden. By combining Crip Theory with Gagnon and Simon’s sexual scripting theory, it concludes that Crip Theory can be of use for researchers and activists, and also suitable for educating staff members, in that it questions sexual norms that are most often taken for granted. However, due to the fact that research or activism inspired by Crip Theory seldom includes intellectual disabilities, its usefulness is limited, and more work is needed to solve problems surrounding agency, stigma and visibility.

The awareness and inclusion of school children with intellectual and developmental disabilities are garnering growing attention in educational research. Schools are increasingly focused on creating inclusive environments, and programs aimed at improving students’ attitudes toward peers with disabilities are key to this effort. This article reviews studies on the impact of these programs on primary and secondary education. A systematic search of the WOS, Scopus, PubMed, and ERIC databases was conducted using the PRISMA statement. This yielded nine relevant articles published either in Spanish or English. This review found that awareness programs had a generally positive effect on students’ perceptions of their peers with disabilities. However, the awareness of intellectual and developmental disabilities remained lower than that of physical, visual, or hearing disabilities. The most effective strategies involved direct interaction and information sharing, with simulation techniques also having positive outcomes. Despite some successful results, challenges remain, particularly involving the need to engage educational staff and ensure the long-term sustainability of these programs within the curriculum. Future research should investigate the long-term impact of these interventions and their effectiveness across different educational settings.

This arts-based narrative in/queer/y explores the subjectivity of gay college men living with HIV through the stories and art of two participants. Despite their significantly different lives, the two men shared a subjectivity that was also reflected in the lives of other participants. Care of the self reflects Foucault's search for a way of life that resisted normalizing discourses of identity and served as our conceptual framework. Homophobic AIDS discourse, which manifested as institutional silence about the presence of students living with HIV on college campuses, and homonormative discourses of gay respectability created an environment of contempt. This environment resulted in a care of the self style we call the art of masked advocacy. This art involved advocating for themselves and other students living with HIV while attempting to mitigate contempt. Combating institutional silence and other forms of contempt for gay men living with HIV creates individual and institutional tensions, which we explore.

The Principle of Normalisation and adopting international conventions on disability issues saw deinstitutionalisation becoming a global trend. The study explored the deinstitutionalisation of a school for the Deaf in Harare, Zimbabwe. The study used the interpretive paradigm, qualitative approach, and narrative research design. The initial study population comprised twelve Learner Welfare Officers (LWOs) and four school administrators. Purposive sampling was used to select the three LWOs and two school administrators. After failing to reach theoretical saturation, a teacher was purposively sampled from a population of sixteen teachers. A Deaf and a hearing learner were also purposively sampled from 240 learners to fill the theoretical gap. Data were collected using interviews with the respective participants. Data were presented and analysed using Riessman’s interactional model. The study found that deinstitutionalisation was a global trend as well as a government policy. The study also found that deinstitutionalisation led to reverse inclusion. Moreover, the study found that deinstitutionalisation benefited both Deaf and hearing children. Further, the study found that mainstream schools had resource challenges in implementing deinstitutionalisation. Based on these, the study recommended that the government should ensure that deinstitutionalisation is also a school policy. The study further recommended that the government avail requisite resources before implementing deinstitutionalisation.