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Author ORCID Identifier

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1358-6165

AccessType

Open Access Dissertation

Document Type

dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Degree Program

Education

Year Degree Awarded

2022

Month Degree Awarded

September

First Advisor

Ezekiel Kimball

Second Advisor

Ryan Wells

Third Advisor

Jonique R. Childs

Fourth Advisor

Justin Coles

Subject Categories

Disability and Equity in Education | Educational Assessment, Evaluation, and Research | Educational Leadership | Higher Education Administration | Social and Behavioral Sciences | Student Counseling and Personnel Services

Abstract

Black women graduate students with dis/abilities; those identifying as neurodivergent are scarce in contemporary research. Throughout widespread disability studies, research, and the research on neurodiversity, this lack is consistent regarding minoritized race and gender groupings (Matthews, 2019; Strong et al., 2020). Larger neurodivergent, ADHD, and Autism conversations tend to skew toward White boys and men (Travers, 2018). The convergence of disability (race, gender, and place/space) as another marginalized community and diverse student population, is an additional gap in the literature, despite the benefits of DisCrit (Annamma et al., 2013). Black women graduate students with disabilities, specifically those identifying as neurodivergent are barely visible in contemporary research. Throughout widespread disability studies, research, and the research on neurodivergence, this lack is consistent regarding minoritized race and gender groupings (Matthews, 2019; Strong et al., 2020). This is a problem. Neurodivergent conditions and symptoms are often hard to detect. When compounded with a community (Black women) who generally experiences high levels of institutional erasure, this is doubly concerning. This problem worsens without appropriate regard to cultural norms around diagnosis, treatment, and disclosure that are prevalent in the larger Black community (Artiles, 2013). The current interventions are tailored toward White (male) students (Loomes et al., 2017). These current interventions are ineffective at solving the problem because cultural norms do impact Black women, and their ability to receive appropriate campus support. Race and dis/ability need to be thought of alongside gender (Leake et al., 2014). Gender plays a role in the experiences of dis/abled Black women. In acknowledgment of the dearth of literature on this, particularly, the attention paid to space and place - race, dis/ability, and Black women, this paper engages with those lenses. Black women’s ability to re-mix and remake harmful environments is remarkable and historical. Black women’s cultural production creates a means to transcend oppressively limiting situations (Schalk, 2018; Taylor, 2017) Cultural production’s link to Black feminism reflects the power of community. The cultural production is an adaptive response to the violence neurodivergent Black women graduate students experience in higher education environments (Hubain et al., 2012).

DOI

https://doi.org/10.7275/30783865

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