Critical Disability Studies (CDS) challenges normative definitions of success and capability, shifting focus from productivity to valuing diverse abilities. It promotes empowerment and self-advocacy by questioning societal norms, redefining what it means to thrive.

State University of New York at Binghamton

- Using the Critical Disability Studies Framework to Redefine Success
- Explore how the social model of disability shapes the experiences of disabled people 

Implications of Critical Disability Studies for Mental Health Research

Peddigrew, E. (2023). Stigma, self-hatred, and stereotypes: Using a Critical Disability Studies framework to understand learning disabilities and mental illness. Canadian Journal of Disability Studies, 12(1), 141–160. https://doi.org/10.15353/cjds.v12i1.754

Reference For: Stigma, Self-Hatred, and Stereotypes: Using a Critical Disability Studies Framework to Understand Learning Disabilities and Mental Illness

The social model positions society as the disabling agent, rather than an individual’s impairment. Under the social model, an impairment is not automatically a disability. It is only a disability when society is not structured (physically, socially, or culturally) to include that impairment/variation. For example, in a society where glasses/corrective lenses are accessible and socially accepted, the impairment of having blurry vision without them is not necessarily disabling. The social model seeks to make changes in society, rather than focusing on disabled people to change.

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