Navigating the Impact of Discrimination: Exploring the Experiences of Sex/Gender Minoritised Youth With Disabilities

Background

Youth with disabilities often experience disability-related discrimination (ableism). Those with multiple minoritised identities, such as along the axes of disability and gender, arguably encounter more complex forms of discrimination; however, little is known about their experiences. Exploring the experiences of sex/gender minoritised youth with disabilities is important because they often face many challenges within education, health and social services, including discrimination, which could perpetuate inequalities. The purpose of this study was to understand the ways in which discrimination influenced the experiences of sex/gender minoritised youth with disabilities and how they coped with the discrimination they encountered.

Methods

This study involved a qualitative interview design using a purposive sample of 10 sex/gender minoritised youth with disabilities aged 17–25 years (mean age 21.5 years). An interpretive inductive thematic analysis was applied to the interview data.

Results

Our findings identified the following themes: (1) intersectional forms of discrimination, (2) negative impacts on physical and mental health, (3) hiding minoritised identities while avoiding unsafe spaces and situations and (4) inadequate social support and opportunities. We found that some youth demonstrated several positive coping strategies for dealing with ableism (Theme 5), which included (1) finding safe spaces through support-seeking and community involvement and (2) self-acceptance and self-advocacy.

Conclusions

The results highlight the pervasive negative impact that ableism has for sex/gender minoritised youth with a disability. Although most youth demonstrated some coping and resilience skills, much further work is needed at a societal and institutional level to address and reduce discrimination while optimising social inclusion.