Deaf and Disability Studies ─ Interdisciplinary Perspectives

This collection presents 14 essays by renowned scholars on Deaf people, Deathood, Deaf histories, and Deaf identity, but from different points of view on the Deaf/Disability compass. Editors Susan Burch and Alison Kafer have divided these works around three themes. The first, Identities and Locations, explores Deaf identity in different contexts. Topics range from a history of activism shaped by the ableism of Deaf elites in the United States from 1880-1920, to a discussion of the roles that economics, location, race, and culture play in the experiences of a Deaf woman from northern Nigeria now living in Washington, D.C.

The second theme, Alliances and Activism, showcases activism organized across differences. Studies include a feminist analysis of how deaf and hearing women build successful teams through shared responsibility for communication, and an examination of how intracultural variations in New York City and Quebec affect deaf-focused HIV/AIDS programs. The third theme, Boundaries and Overlaps, explicitly addresses the relationships between Deaf Studies and Disability Studies. Interviews with scholars from both disciplines help define these relationships. Another contributor calls for hearing/not deaf people with disabilities to support their Deaf peers in gaining language access to the United Nations. Deaf and Disability Studies: Interdisciplinary Perspectives reveals that different questions often lead to contrary conclusions by authors who still recognize that they all have a stake in this partnership.

Susan Burgh is Associate Professor of American Studies and Director of the Center for the Comparative Study of Race and Ethnicity, Middlebury College, Middlebury, VT

Alison Kafer is Assistant Professor of Feminist Studies at Southwestern University, Georgetown, TX

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