Disability Studies Commons^™

Silent Holy Spirit, October-December, 2024

Silent Holy Spirit

A newsletter published for Deaf Catholics in St. Louis, MO

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Living With Quadriplegia: A Journey Of Personal And Professional Development, James Arkwright

Heroism Science

In this article, I provide an autoethnographic account of the discursive and narrative changes I have experienced and the agency I have found, following an accident thirty-seven years ago that resulted in permanent spinal cord injury. Initially losing my career and identity as a farmer, my hope and survival depended on adopting new frameworks of understanding – both in terms of the physical realities of living with incomplete quadriplegia and in becoming subjectively positioned quite differently than I was as an able-bodied male with farming knowledge and skills. In more recent years, as my spinal health and mobility have deteriorated, …

Knowledge And Attitude About New Born Hearing Screening Among Gynaecologists: Pre And Post Awareness Session Analysis, Khadija S. Jamnagarwala Miss

Journal of Early Hearing Detection and Intervention

Background: The knowledge and attitudes of healthcare professionals, particularly gynaecologists, significantly impact the success of newborn hearing screening (NHS) programs. Aim: Aim of the study was to explore knowledge and attitudes related to NHS among gynaecologists and factors related to it. Method: It was conducted in two phases. The first phase involved the development of the awareness material and questionnaires assessing knowledge & attitude about NHS during the pre & post-awareness sessions. In the second phase, 45 gynaecologists filled out the questionnaire after attending the awareness session on NHS. Results and Conclusion: The gynaecologists displayed low to moderate awareness of …

Volume 7 (2024) Artificial Intelligence And Responsibility, Arwa Alnajashi, Danielle Derise, Philip L. Frana, David Mcgraw, Amanda Sawyer, Tatjana Titareva, Raafat Zaini, Allie Zombron

International Journal on Responsibility

The seventh volume of the International Journal on Responsibility (IJR) arrives at a crucial moment in the evolution of artificial intelligence and its integration into our academic and social fabric. As we witness the rapid advancement and deployment of AI systems across various domains, this special issue examines the multifaceted dimensions of responsibility surrounding AI technology, with a particular focus on its role in higher education and broader societal implications.

The articles in this volume contribute to our understanding of responsibility through diverse lenses, from classroom implementation to ethical design considerations. Together, they fulfill IJR’s central mission of exploring “Who …

Disabilities Studies In Nursing Education – “Walking The Walk” Of Disability In Healthcare And Nursing, Clara Vesterman-Starr

Dissertations - ALL

This dissertation critically examines the integration of disability studies into nursing education and its potential to address healthcare disparities faced by people with disabilities (PWDs). Despite the increasing visibility of disability rights and advocacy, nursing education continues to implicitly define disability as a deficit, focusing on PWD’s limitations rather than capabilities. This research highlights the pressing need for a paradigm shift toward incorporating disability studies frameworks, which emphasize disability as a cultural identity and social construct, into nursing curricula to better prepare nurses for equitable, patient-centered care. This study employs two research methods: autoethnography and survey. The autoethnography, rooted in …

Disability And Transformation: Exploring The Lived Experiences Of Students With Disabilities In South African Higher Education, Hester (Hetsie) Petronella Veitch

Dissertations - ALL

In this dissertation, I explore the lived experiences of students with disabilities in South African higher education within the context of post-apartheid transformation. Using constructivist grounded theory and drawing on Critical Disability Studies, Dis/ability Critical Race Studies (DisCrit), Critical Whiteness Studies, and decolonizing methodologies, in this study, I examine how students make meaning of their educational experiences and how these align with transformation ideals. Through interviews with 16 students, the research reveals the complexities of disability identity, disclosure, institutional support, and the impact of intersecting marginalized identities. Findings highlight a disconnect between institutional rhetoric and students' realities, particularly in creating …

Neuroqueering As Culturally Sustaining Practice, Nathan Hughes, Meaghan Krazinski

Ought: The Journal of Autistic Culture

This article explores how neuroqueering can be a complementary component to culturally-sustaining practices (Paris & Alim, 2014), and explores how culturally sustaining frameworks can affirm neurodiversity. Issues such as criminalization of Autistic people of color, and implications of diagnosis disparities and barriers to receiving services are well known (Kearl, 2021). As Gordon (2021) notes, Centering Autistic culture (#BlackAutisticJoy) and ways of being is an important part of affirming Autistic students' identities. Culturally sustaining practices (Paris & Alim, 2014) that seek to provide supportive classroom spaces that affirm students’ culture and identity must also include attention to …

Normal, Perfectly Normal And Monotropic Academic, Jan A. Wozniak

Ought: The Journal of Autistic Culture

No abstract provided.

Learning To Be An Autistic Therapist: Personal Steps Towards An Autism-Affirming Psychotherapy, Sasha D. Strong

Ought: The Journal of Autistic Culture

How can Autistic therapists understand and support themselves, and how can this help them support their clients? In this paper, I recount my personal journey of healing and growth as an Autistic psychotherapist, 16 months after self-identification. Here is an overview of conceptual frameworks from #actuallyautistic authors, critical theory, queer theory, and social justice that I have found helpful. I also share some of the therapeutic and wellness approaches that have been important to me, including mindfulness and bodyfulness. Organic knowing has been pivotal for me in discerning between masking and aliveness, and regaining a choice around masking behaviors. This …

Outside Of The Norm: On Blackness And Neurodivergence In The Workplace, Safia Abdulle

Ought: The Journal of Autistic Culture

The traditional workplace is a neurotypical workplace. The foundations of the neurotypical, traditional workplace stem from the developmental norms and social processes which imbed neurotypicality into Western society. Children, from a young age, are praised for appearing neurotypical and are punished for any deviations outside of the ‘norm’—internalizing and problematizing neurodivergent behaviours as ‘unproductive’, ‘problematic’, and ‘abnormal.’ Moreover, existing as racialized and neurodivergent highlights specific, intersectional issues in the workplace worth reflecting on. As a result of these marginalizations, racialized and/or disabled, neurodivergent people must utilize masking strategies as survival mechanisms. Radical re-imaginings of the current workplace, and consequently society, …

Communicative Interventions For Autistic Employees In Academic Workplaces, Michaela De Meyer

Ought: The Journal of Autistic Culture

This essay provides an autoethnographic account of my experiences as an autistic employee in academia. By examining organizational communication literature on autism in the workplace, I identify some key issues that autistic employees face in academic workplaces. With research finding approximately 85% of autistic individuals are unemployed, and of those who are employed, only 6% are competitively employed in jobs that utilize their educational training and/or professional skill level, current cultural discourses around diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives in the workplace provide an opportunity to make organizational challenges for autistic employees more visible. By sharing my own experiences in the …

A Symphony Of Distractions, Alisha M. White

Ought: The Journal of Autistic Culture

No abstract provided.

The Importance Of Adopting A Neurodiversity Affirming Approach: A Training For School Counselors, Emily Bauer

Dissertations, Theses, and Projects

Consisting of a literature review and a training presentation, this project investigates the concerning mental health crisis affecting the autistic community and educates school counselors on how to shift to a neurodiversity-affirming approach to better support student needs. Research shows that autistic individuals subjected to applied behavioral analysis (ABA), social skills training (SST), and other behaviorist treatments experience significantly poorer mental and physical health outcomes as well as lower quality of life, indicating a critical need for change (Aral et al, 2023; Cassidy et al, 2020; Stewart et al, 2023). Supported by modern research, a neurodiversity-affirming approach is a better …

Academic Librarians With Invisible Disabilities Carry An Invisible Workload That Limits Their Career Potential, Katrina Heiderich Williams

School of Information Student Research Journal

No abstract provided.

Visual Sampling Patterns In A Naturalistic Setting For Toddlers With Autism, Katherine M. Stockhausen

The Journal of Purdue Undergraduate Research

No abstract provided.

Supplemental Security Income (Ssi) Receipt And Access To Homeownership For People With Disabilities, Megan Henly

Institute on Disability

People with disabilities disproportionately face barriers to homeownership, many of which are associated with costs. One related, but unexplored barrier to homeownership in the United States (U.S.) is the role of Supplemental Security Income (SSI) policy. SSI is a means-tested federal program in the U.S. that provides monthly income to those who are blind or disabled. Recipients may not own assets totaling more than USD 2000 (or 3000 per married couple). While homes are excluded from this assessment, the strict cap on savings generally means that SSI recipients who do not already own a home when they begin to receive …

Understanding The Transitional Needs Of Servicemembers To Veterans: A Focus On Mental, Social, And Behavioral Health, Marieann C. Raguso

Theses and Dissertations

This applied dissertation was designed to fill the gaps on the transitional American veterans’ lived experience using their own voice. The reconstruction of an American Veteran’s identity after transitioning back into civilian life is a process with many challenges. Transitional practices often fail to help veterans to acculturate back into the civilian world. This includes the formulation of identities and associations. There is a lack of consistency in military transitional practices leading to identity loss and the formulation of mental and behavioral disorders. The aim of this study is to examine the lived experiences of veterans who have transitioned back …

Unraveling The Labyrinth: Disability, Spectacle, And Paranormal Tourism In The Winchester Mystery House, Karenna Gm Pullen

Student Theses

This thesis examines the intersection of disability, paranormal tourism, and cultural narratives through an analysis of the Winchester Mystery House and its owner, Sarah Winchester, from a Disability Studies perspective. The research problem centers on the commodification of disability within paranormal tourism, where disabled bodies and spaces are transformed into spectacles for public consumption. Using the Winchester Mystery House as a case study, the research explores how disability is framed within narratives of paranormal tourism, with a focus on stigma, fear, and cultural mythmaking. The methodology involves historical research, discourse analysis, and architectural evaluation to reveal how Sarah Winchester’s disability …

Evaluation Of An Instructional Sequence To Promote The Emergence Of Convergent Intraverbals In Children With Autism, Jesika Woodard

Theses

Skinner (1957) defined intraverbal as a type of verbal behavior in which the

response form has no point-to-point correspondence with its verbal stimulus and is

followed by generalized conditioned reinforcement. Verbal behavior can be influenced

by multiple controlling variables, with convergent and divergent control being two

distinct types of this influence. In convergent intraverbals, multiple components of

antecedent verbal stimuli control a specific verbal response of the speaker. An example of

an intraverbal response under convergent control may be "banana" when asked, "What is

a fruit that is yellow?" De Souza et al. (2019) evaluated the effects of teaching …

The Use Of Art Therapy On Children With Life-Limiting Conditions, Karissa K. Schillinger

Counselor Education Capstones

Art therapy is a growing therapeutic technique that is noninvasive. The present literature review sets out to determine what effect art therapy has on children with life-limiting conditions. This author completed a literature review that involved analyzing ten research studies on a variety of youth populations. Studies were found about children with cancer, a child with cerebral palsy and a child with a severe neurological disorder. Zero incidences of harm were found when using art therapy. However, the literature was complicated by the type of art therapy provided, small sample sizes, varying duration of treatment, lack of control groups, lack …

Propulsion Patterns And Joint Kinematics In Experienced And Inexperienced Wheelchair Users, Alexander J. Ginter

2024 Fall Honors Capstone Projects - Archive

There are many ways to propel a wheelchair, including four main propulsion patterns. However, there are no definitive criteria for a “correct” form. This study investigated differences in wheelchair propulsion between experienced and inexperienced wheelchair users to determine any differences in propulsion patterns, joint kinematics, or speed between the two groups, indicating what contributes to a more mature form. Subjects were recorded pushing a wheelchair for twenty feet, then each video was analyzed using Kinovea, a software for tracking body movements. There will be differences in the propulsion patterns between the two groups, and inexperienced users will push more frequently …

Crip Negativity [Book Review], Jessica Schomberg

Disability in LIS (DisLIS)

This is a tiny book with a lot packed into it. Smilges is a neuroqueer author and shares personal experiences entwined with disability and queer theories to talk about the value of negativity.

Translating Human Rights In Education [Book Review], Jessica Schomberg

Disability in LIS (DisLIS)

This book compares the primary and secondary education of students with disabilities in Germany and Nigeria, focusing on policy analysis and implementation.

Interview With Melissa Bishop, Disability Worker, Laila Halloul

Oral Histories HIST 300, Fall 2024

Interview with Melissa Bishop about her past and current experiences in the disability field. These discussions include special education (experience and education), music education, and current job responsibilities as a disability resource provider.

Bottom-Up Global Change: Stealth Action In A Decentralized World, Art Blaser, Trinity Huynh

Political Science Faculty Articles and Research

The climate justice and disability rights movements reflect a paradigm shift from a top-down approach to policy-making to one that emphasizes local efforts by non-state actors.

Perfect World [Book Review], Jj Pionke

Disability in LIS (DisLIS)

A young woman discovers that her high school crush is in a wheelchair and she sets out to be his "white knight" in the name of ableist love.

Rules For Camouflage [Book Review], Lauren Melissa Ellzey

Disability in LIS (DisLIS)

Author Kirstin Cronn-Mills explores the experiences of neurodivergent high school students, teachers, and parents through the eyes of Evvie, a neurodivergent high school senior, as they all seek to cultivate friendships, romantic relationships, and a neurodiversity-affirming school environment against the odds of systemic oppression, stigmatizing attitudes, and everyday pressures.

Scholar Perspectives On The Impact Of A Scientific Community Program For Neurodivergent Undergraduate Stem Scholars, Dylan Sullivan, Fernando Zavala, Derek Hidalgo, Jacob Stolle, Rebecca Matte, Christin B. Monroe

Journal of Science Education for Students with Disabilities

Despite the adaptive strengths and unique problem-solving skills demonstrated by neurodivergent (ND) individuals, they remain underrepresented in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) fields. High unemployment rates among individuals with disabilities emphasize the need for addressing barriers to entry and persistence in the workforce. This study introduces a program designed to enhance opportunities for neurodivergent STEM scholars with financial needs, supported by the National Science Foundation (NSF). The program involves: 1) a weekly cohort course to engage in professional development, 2) use of the Birkman Method® survey to help scholars identify and communicate strengths, fostering self-awareness and growth, and 3) …

The Art Of Inclusion: Theatre’S Contribution To Popular Culture Literacy For Students With Intellectual Disabilities, Catherine R. P. King

Dialogue: The Interdisciplinary Journal of Popular Culture and Pedagogy

This essay explores the transformative role of theatre in special education, focusing on its capacity to foster social skills and life navigation abilities in students with disabilities. In light of the fundamental importance of these skills for social inclusion and quality of life, the article highlights the innovative and effective approach to integrating theatre into special education classrooms. It discusses how theatre can empower students with disabilities by enhancing their social interaction, communication, and life navigation skills. In addition, the article delves into the intersection of theatre and popular culture, showcasing how theatre can serve as a valuable tool for …

Accommodating Incompetency In Immigration Court, Elizabeth Jordan

Northwestern University Law Review

In criminal law, an individual must be deemed competent to stand trial, yet our immigration courts routinely order the deportation of incompetent noncitizens. A removal proceeding against a noncitizen—where an outcome of deportation often risks life-threatening harm—continues apace even if the noncitizen has been deemed incompetent by the immigration judge. In place of halting proceedings, the immigration judge imposes “safeguards” pursuant to a provision of the immigration code that neither defines nor explains the term. In practice, judges’ application of the term “safeguards” is often absurd. The implications of continuing a proceeding against a noncitizen with a disability affecting competency …