Disability Studies (in Education) and Family Research
摘要
We learn in this chapter about the traditional research on families with children with disabilities and the influence of the medical model and its deficit mindset: families get pathologized. Stress and (mental) health and marital problems are attributed to families without giving attention to possible effects of experts, institutions, and power imbalances. Thinking from this mindset stereotypes about ‘disabled families’ living with a lower quality of life are reinforced. The only solution is ‘to fix’ these ‘disabled families’. Colleagues (also parents of children with disabilities) like Philip and Diane Ferguson, Linda Ware and Susan Gabel united in Disability Studies in Education highlighted the importance of understanding family dynamics from an insider perspective. They advocated for the promotion of social justice and the integration of family/parents’ perspectives into the educational discourses. This integration could help us to recognize and respect diverse family experiences (emphasizing intersectional and contextual factors) making sure we get away from stigmatization. With this recognition, an inclusive and equitable approach to families through disability studies is introduced.