I found interesting your viewpoint on how we as individuals consider disabilitiesThe application of intersectionality can vary across contexts and individuals may prioritize different aspects of their identities at different times. The interviews with Adepitan (2020) and narratives by Kim (2024) & Brown (2023) highlight the experiences of individuals at the intersection of disability, race, and sexism including those who are black, transgender and deaf. Rather than simply challenging the complexity of multiple identities, I believe it is important to consider how these differences impact their lives. We should reconceptualize disability and racism to foster solidarity between black and white individuals with disabilities and transgender. Intersectionality, as proposed by Crenshaw in 1990, allows us to challenge the fixed categories of identity. Challenging the groups that are ‘home’ to everyone is not easy. This can cause discomfort as it challenges the centrality of certain groups. For instance, in the context of disability and racism, intersectionality explains why black individuals with disabilities can not simply prioritize the community’s interests over addressing interracial discrimination. Disability can unite people across different identities, but it can also perpetuate discrimination within schools and universities. I believe that what is important is to acknowledge the diversity within institutional settings and the existence of various discourses within them. This can elicit tensions and inherent flexibility that allow for multiple interpretations. Brown (2022) suggests that institutions consist of diverse perspectives and practices. Individuals within these institutions have the ability to blend or adopt different elements of these discourses to suit their own objectives. In other words, there is a recognition that institutional settings are complex ecosystems. As a result, different voices and viewpoints can coexist and provide individuals with opportunities to navigate and utilize these complexities to their advantage irrelevant of any disability.
References
Brown, A,D.(2022). Identities in and around organizations:Towards an identity work perspective. Human relations, 75 (7),pp. 1205-1237. DOI:10.1177/0018726721993910.
Brown, C. (2023). Parapride. Intersectionality in Focus: Empowering Voices during UK Disability History Month 2023 [Online] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_yID8_s5tjc (Accessed: 1 May 2024).
Crenshaw, K. (1990). Mapping the Margins: Intersectionality, Identity Politics, and Violence against Women of Color. Stanford Law Review 43 (6), pp.1241-1299.
Kim, C.S. (2024). Christine Sun Kim: “Friends and Strangers” [Online] Available at: https://youtu.be/2NpRaEDlLsI?si=QV59cxUazGY4Ca2t (Accessed :1 May 2024).
ParalympicsGB (2020) .Ade Adepitan gives amazing explanation of systemic racism. 16 October. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KAsxndpgagU&t=88s (Accessed: 1 May l 2024).