Disability Activism and Advocacy: Introduction

The second decade of the twenty-first century has witnessed a multitude of significant changes that have engendered systemic shifts, civic disruptions, and humanitarian crises, which have proven to be especially harmful to those who are most at risk of exclusion, in both the global North and South. In this context, disability activism and advocacy assume a pivotal role in reshaping and restructuring societies, and redefining our conceptualization of emancipatory politics, equity, rights, space, and democracy. Indeed, disability justice activists have been and continue to be instrumental in advancing innovative visions, tactics, strategies, and transformational outreach to dismantle institutional, physical, and attitudinal barriers to inclusion. This introduction provides a comprehensive framework to understand the foundational role of disability justice advocacy and activism and the inescapable challenges that disability activists must confront to promote inclusion for all and contribute to building more resilient, sustainable, and just societies.