Date of Award
Summer 2024
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Science (MS)
Department
Psychology
Committee Chairperson
Lauri Hyers, PhD
Committee Member
Geeta Shivde, PhD
Committee Member
Susan Gans, PhD
Abstract
In this study, I explored disability activist identity and activism through one-on-one, semi-structured qualitative interviews with four university activists who shared their personal stories of awakening to disability activism, using thematic analysis (Braun & Clarke, 2006) to explore themes. Each interviewee had a unique form of disability activist identity and a multifaceted process of awakening to that identity. They identified strengths in the disability activist community, such as a supportiveness, persistence, and uniqueness, but they also identified challenges, such as ineffectiveness of laws and policies, discrimination, and a lack of accessibility and awareness. The results of this study illuminate the multifaceted nature of disability activism among individuals with disabilities.
Recommended Citation
Hirokawa, Sophia, "Awakening to Activism: Exploring Disability Activism through the Voices of University Student Activists" (2024). West Chester University Master’s Theses. 337.
https://digitalcommons.wcupa.edu/all_theses/337