Bumping Places of Social Inclusion: A Narrative Inquiry into the Experiences of Refugee Families Who Have a Child Who Is Living with a Disability

Abstract

ABSTRACT Little attention has been given to the experiences of refugee families parenting a child living with disabilities as they resettle in a new country. Using narrative inquiry, we inquired into the experiences of two Syrian refugee families’ identity-making and agency in their efforts to secure services and programs for their children in Canada. We drew on field texts composed over two years that we spent alongside the children and their parents. The families experienced multiple and complex difficulties as they attempted to recompose their lives alongside their children. We identified multiple tensions and bumping places as the parents negotiated their and their children’s experiences on school and other institutional landscapes. The families’ stories showed the importance of using their experiences as the starting point for creating inclusive spaces for their children.