Who’s Teaching Whom? Disability and Deaf Studies Approaches to the Health Humanities

Abstract

This chapter contributes to health humanities pedagogy by addressing the social and structural dimensions of health and healthcare through the theories and practices of disability studies. It begins by discussing the role of disability studies in health humanities approaches to social and structural determinants of health, as well as the sometimes vexed relationship between the two fields. It discusses shared commitments to the pedagogical use of narrative and provides a case study of inclusive education in practice. This chapter represents disability studies critiques of health humanities as welcome challenges to deepen its pedagogy and practices. It also maps out arguments for and some basic approaches to access in the classroom, describing pedagogy that is accountable to the claims of disability justice in practice as well as theory.