Tess Carichner
Research Mentor(s): M. Remi Yergeau
Research Mentor School/College/Department: Digital Studies and English
Presentation Date: 08/03/2022
Presentation Type: Oral presentation
Poster Number:
Session: Session II: 1:30 – 2:20pm
Room: Vandenberg
Authors: Tess Carichner
Abstract
Ableism is a deeply intersectional issue, which is amplified by the perception of other marginalized identities. Neurodivergent people have self-advocated and made great changes in disability rights and how professionals come to understand identity, diagnosis, and clinical care. Despite these gains, healthcare still operates with an ableist lens that harms neurodivergent people in many ways. Specifically, neurodivergent women and gender diverse people have voiced disparities in respectful language, provider preparedness, and acceptance-based healthcare. By examining stories told by neurodivergent people themselves, a group that has historically and presently been excluded from positions of power (like academia, research, politics, healthcare administration), the purpose of this literature review is to synthesize these stories and organize vocalized issues and solutions. By reviewing articles, books, essays, movies, and other media by neurodivergent young women and gender-diverse people, this literature review identifies common healthcare issues and the ableist ideals that allow them to persist. History, caretaking, shared experiences, healthcare goals, and proposed pathways are all discussed. How infantilization, institutionalization, gender diversity, late diagnosis, shame, medical gaslighting, euphemistic language, lack of representation, dependency, masking, stimming, and disability identity intersect to disenfranchise disabled women and nonbinary people in the healthcare setting is inspected through a disability studies lens. By approaching these grievances from a disability studies point of view, centering the expertise of lived experiences, this literature review works to reframe how disability is approached in healthcare settings.
