Claiming our space : embedding intersectionality in research with diverse women with disabilities

Abstract

This document details research I conducted in partial fulfillment of the Master of Arts in Women and Gender Studies program, jointly provided by Saint Mary’s University and Mount Saint Vincent University in Halifax, Nova Scotia. I applied a theoretical lens consisting of the social constructionist approach to disability, feminist intersectionality and theory of misfitting, to reveal that an intersectional exploration of the experiences of women with disabilities is often absent in academic literature. I developed this research question in response: What tools and practices are necessary to ensure that diverse women with disabilities can fully participate in, and benefit from, research? I employed intersectionality to analyze the themes that emerged from focus group and demographic data to develop three recommendations aimed at supporting researchers wishing to include and reflect diverse women with disabilities in all phases of research — from planning to dissemination of findings.