“Reclaiming” Disability in Critical Qualitative Research: Introduction to the Special Issue

Abstract

This article introduces the special issue, “Reclaiming” Disability in Critical Qualitative Research, which aims to center disability and disabled people in critical qualitative research. More particularly, we highlight here how the articles included in this special issue collectively consider new possibilities for the place and practice of critical qualitative methodologies and methods in research involving disabled people. We begin this introduction by discussing the meaning of reclaiming disability and foreground the importance of critical qualitative inquiry. Then, we offer a brief discussion of the interdisciplinary field of disability studies and the fruitful possibilities for its generative intra-action with critical qualitative research. In doing so, we also point to the often taken-for-granted ableist practices that have historically been used in qualitative research. Finally, we offer a brief overview of the articles included in the special issue and conclude with a call for consideration of next steps for the qualitative research community.