Navigating Disability in an Ableist World: Intersections and Insights

Navigating Disability in an Ableist World examines the discourse surrounding disability through both historical sources and contemporary scholarship. Bringing together the perspectives of scholars and activists, this collection explores disability in relation to structures of ableism across different social and historical contexts. The volume engages with sources ranging from popular tales such as the Jatakas, the Buddha's birth story, to colonial perspectives on disability, highlighting its place within Indian history. Also exploring representations of ableism in Bollywood movies and literature, the essays reflect shifts in societal attitudes toward people with disabilities. This includes portrayals of both disabled characters and more recent challenges to ableist perspectives in Hindi literature. The book emphasizes lived experiences, particularly regarding intimacy and the struggles faced by families of persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). It also discusses how intersection of mental health, queer identities, and gendered experiences of disability makes ableism more complex. Broadly, the collection invites readers to reconsider the boundaries between 'disabled' and 'able-bodied' identities, while critically examining the social assumptions that sustain these distinctions.