Feminist Disability Studies

Disability, like questions of race, gender, and class, is one of the most provocative topics among theorists and philosophers today. This volume, situated at the intersection of feminist theory and disability studies, addresses questions about the nature of embodiment, the meaning of disability, the impact of public policy on those who have been labeled disabled, and how we define the norms of mental and physical ability. The essays here bridge the gap between theory and activism by illuminating structures of power and showing how historical and cultural perceptions of the human body have been informed by and contributed to the oppression of women and disabled people.

Kim Q. Hall is Professor of Philosophy and a faculty member in the Women's Studies and Sustainable Development programs at Appalachian State University. She is editor (with Chris Cuomo) of Whiteness: Feminist Philosophical Reflections.