Art and Disability: Intersecting Identities among Young Artists with Disabilities

by Jennifer Sullivan Sulewski, Heike Boeltzig, and Rooshey Hasnain

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Rose Weitz’s management of illness and disability stigma

Darling (2003): “while some people with disabilities have adopted disability pride

or the affirmation model, others "continue to accept the older views and regard

themselves as victims of personal misfortune" (p. 884). She proposes a typology of

disability identity encompassing seven types:

Normalization

acceptance and achievement of the norms of the larger society, with or without acceptance of disability stigma

Darling’s typology of disability identity types

Darling’s typology of disability identity types

Crusadership

involvement in a disability subculture in an attempt to achieve normalization

Darling’s typology of disability identity types

Affirmation involvement in a disability subculture and viewing disability as a primary identity and source of pride;

"coming out"

Darling’s typology of disability identity types

Situational Identification adopting multiple identities in different situations, e.g., normalization when with those without disabilities but

affirmation when with others with disabilities

Darling’s typology of disability identity types

Resignationunable to achieve normalization but lacking resources

to access the disability subculture

Darling’s typology of disability identity types

Apathy completely uninformed

Darling’s typology of disability identity types

Isolated Affirmation affirmation orientation arrived at without exposure to

disability subculture

Rose Weitzmanagement of illness and

disability stigma

Rose Weitzmanagement of illness and disability stigma

Passingor attempting to hide one’s disabilities

Rose Weitzmanagement of illness and disability stigma

Coveringtrying to deflect attention from it

Rose Weitzmanagement of illness and disability stigma

Disclosingor making an invisible disability visible to elicit

sympathy or aid

Rose Weitzmanagement of illness and disability stigma

Deviance disavowal or convincing others that they are the same as

“normal” people

Rose Weitzmanagement of illness and disability stigma

Challenging and rejecting the stigma entirely

Rose Weitzmanagement of illness and disability stigma

Passing

or attempting to hide one’s disabilities