Welcome
This page serves as an introduction to Disability, Neurodiversity and Accessibility. To find more information and research tips explore these guides:
- Disability & Accessibility Research Guide
- American Sign Language Research Guide
Disability
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC), defines disability as: any condition of the body or mind that makes it more difficult to do certain activities and interact with the world.
The World Health Organization's (WHO) disability overview emphasizes environmental and societal barriers:
"Disability results from the interaction between individuals with a health condition, such as cerebral palsy, Down syndrome and depression, with personal and environmental factors including negative attitudes, inaccessible transportation and public buildings, and limited social support."
Some definitions may be more appropriate in certain contexts. To explore the impact of defining disability further, investigate different models of disability.
Neurodiversity
Neurodiversity positions individuals with differences in brain function and behavioral traits as part of normal human variation. The Neurodiversity movement aims to uncover the strengths of neurodivergent people. (Stanford's Neurodiversity Project).
According to the Harvard Health blog, neurodiversity "is often used in the context of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), as well as other neurological or developmental conditions such as ADHD or learning disabilities" (Baumer & Frueh, 2021).
Accessibility
Accessibility refers to the intentional inclusion of people experiencing a disability. Accessibility refers to places, experiences, and things. "Accessibility means that people can do what they need to do in a similar amount of time and effort as someone that does not have a disability." (Duggin, "What we mean when we talk about accessibility").
Accessibility professionals often focus on creation, design or planning. Accessibility is intentional.
Ableism
"Ableism is a set of beliefs or practices that devalue and discriminate against people with physical, intellectual, or psychiatric disabilities and often rests on the assumption that disabled people need to be ‘fixed’". (Leah Smith, Center for Disability Rights.) Ableism can be found in systems and policies, as well as in interactions between people.
Research
These tabs offer a small selection of resources on disability and neurodiversity. To view more recommendations see this list of more resources or explore the Snell Library website.
The Neurodiverse Classroom by
With specific learning difficulties more prevalent than ever in mainstream schools, this is the essential guide for teachers wishing to create inclusive and successful learning environments in diverse classrooms. Focusing on promoting acceptance and self-esteem of each child rather than on labelling their difficulties, it shows how to make good use of simple resources and meet a wide range of needs, including children with ADHD, autism, OCD, dyslexia and special speech and language needs. The practical advice and strategies in this book enable schools to become more accepting places for all pupils, and embrace neurodiversity as the new 'normal' in education today.
ISBN: 9781784507039Publication Date: 2018-05-21
Academic Ableism by
Academic Ableism brings together disability studies and institutional critique to recognize the ways that disability is composed in and by higher education, and rewrites the spaces, times, and economies of disability in higher education to place disability front and center. For too long, argues Jay Timothy Dolmage, disability has been constructed as the antithesis of higher education, often positioned as a distraction, a drain, a problem to be solved. The ethic of higher education encourages students and teachers alike to accentuate ability, valorize perfection, and stigmatize anything that hints at intellectual, mental, or physical weakness, even as we gesture toward the value of diversity and innovation. Examining everything from campus accommodation processes, to architecture, to popular films about college life, Dolmage argues that disability is central to higher education, and that building more inclusive schools allows better education for all.
ISBN: 9780472073719Publication Date: 2017-11-22
College for Students with Disabilities by
Sharing the personal stories of individuals with disabilities who describe both the challenges and successes of their time in higher education, and with a major section on the findings of broad ranging research into the experiences of such students, the book explores the current situation, what works, and how things can be improved. "You are not college material" or "you don't belong in college" are comments frequently heard by students with disabilities. Despite this, college education is now an expected part of the transition to adulthood for many individuals with disabilities. The book includes practical advice to encourage self-advocacy in students with disabilities, and to support the professionals who are facing the challenges alongside them. Covering cerebral palsy, autism spectrum disorders, intellectual disabilities, and much more, this is vital reading for parents, individuals with disabilities, school teachers, college professors, and professionals working with adults with disabilities.
ISBN: 9781784501013Publication Date: 2015-08-21
Explore these databases to find articles and other resources:
- PsycARTICLES (Proquest) This link opens in a new windowFull text articles in psychology and related fields
- Psychology & Behavioral Sciences Collection (EBSCOhost) This link opens in a new windowA select collection of full-text articles in psychology from chiefly peer-reviewed journals.
- ScienceDirect Books and Journals (Elsevier) This link opens in a new windowAccess to Elsevier ebooks and select scholarly journals covering biomedical science and medicine, pharmacology, neuroscience, psychology, social sciences and more.
- ACM SIGACCESS accessibility and computingJournal from Association for Computing Machinery's Special Interest Group on Accessible Computing
- Journal of Design and Accessibility for All"The aim of Journal of Accessibility and Design for All is to publish theoretical and empirical articles, that contrast and extend existing theories, and build new theories that contribute to the understanding of phenomena related with aspects of universal design and equal opportunities for people with disabilities."
- International Journal of Inclusive Education"Provides a strategic forum for international and multi-disciplinary dialogue on inclusive education for all educators and educational policy-makers concerned with the form and nature of schools, universities and technical colleges."
- Brain and Lifeopen access resources from the American Academy of Neurologist Magazine resporting on research and the experiences of neurodivergent persons and their families and caregiver with a link to the top 10 articles of 2020 and a searchable database of Disorders A--Z
- Simmons Anti-Ableism / Anti-Oppression GuideThis guide from the library at Simmons University provides many resources related to accessibility, including background info and scholarly info in all kinds of formats, support resources, and info for allies.
- Social Sciences Premium Collection (Proquest) This link opens in a new windowScholarly and professional citations and abstracts with full text links in politics and public policy, sociology, social services, anthropology, criminology, linguistics, information sciences and education. Professional society databases included.
Looking for a topic?
Consider one of these:
- cultural norms and variation within the disability community
- strategies for inclusion (personal, political, societal)
- how people with a specific identity (e.g., autism spectrum) experience life differently in one country compared to another
- media representation of neurodivergent individuals
- The psychological effect of bullying
- accessibility planning
- universal design for learning
Northeastern & Beyond Resources
- Disability Resource Center (DRC)The Disability Resource Center is dedicated to partnering with the diverse population of students, staff, and faculty who we serve at Northeastern and in the surrounding community. We strive to provide exemplary service, education, and resources in the work that we do. Our guiding principles are informed by federal law regarding disability and privacy, by the University’s policies on equal opportunity, non-discrimination, and also by the rights and the individual needs of the people who we serve.
- Access for AllAccess For All is intended to increase understanding and awareness of accessibility and to provide individuals with usable information, skills/processes, and resources necessary to address accessibility in the classroom. It was compiled by Danielle Smith at the University of Mary Washington.
- Interacting with People with Disabilities from respect abilityAn easy to understand primer for staff, faculty, or for sharing about how (and how not) to interact with people with disabilities.
- National Center on Disability and Journalism's Disability Language Style GuideStyle guide for writing about people with disabilities.