Why should schools consider intersecting identities?

Disability resource professionals who work with students with disabilities to ensure they are provided with reasonable accommodations as required by law, understand that a disability by itself does not define a person. While a disability can have a major influence on a student’s perception of their life at school or college, it is only one aspect of their identity that makes them who they are. Students with a disability have other unique identities such as race, gender, ethnicity, being an English language learner, or being a first-generation student, each of which brings its own distinct set of experiences. These other identities intersect with a student’s identity surrounding their disability and cannot be considered in isolation or apart from one another. Rather, these intersecting identities must be viewed through a “holistic lens” where the sum of all parts comprise the whole person.

Intersectional identities and issues that could impede the accommodation process

There are several critical issues involved in making decisions on reasonable accommodations for students with disabilities under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Disability resource professionals agree that taking a holistic approach in assessing the student’s disability and intersecting identities is necessary to ensure that any decision on what constitutes a reasonable accommodation addresses the whole student and is not simply limited to just the disability itself. In doing so, it is important to recognize that some of the identities of a student may be marginalized by society, and care should be taken to ensure that this does not negatively affect the decision-making process on a request for reasonable accommodation.

Another issue that could arise is when a student encounters difficulty in accessing the documentation required for approval of an accommodation request. Some students, especially those coming from a less privileged socio-economic background, may not have the resources to obtain the necessary verification of disability from a healthcare provider. Other students may run into problems accessing the required paperwork because they are undocumented immigrants.

Finally, the unconscious and personal bias of a disability resource professional in reacting to a student’s identity could influence their decision on a request for reasonable accommodation. This could unfairly deny the student equitable access to educational services to which they otherwise would be entitled to under the ADA.

Professional guidance on intersecting student identities is needed

Researchers have highlighted the need for additional guidance from professional organizations, such as the Association on Higher Education and Disability, that would address how a student’s identities can intersect with the identity around their disability. Such guidance should provide strategies for engaging students in discussions about their experiences which could better inform disability resource professionals in making decisions on a request for reasonable accommodation.

To learn more about intersecting identities and the process for establishing reasonable accommodation for students with disabilities, read this article co-authored by Jodi Duke and Grace Francis, both of whom are associate professors in the Special Education program within George Mason University’s School of Education.