Disability Culture

Disability culture encompasses the shared experiences, values, art, language, humor, and traditions that have developed among people with disabilities as a distinct social group. It includes disability art, literature, music, film, and performance, as well as communal practices like mutual aid, advocacy, and the celebration of disabled identity. Disability culture challenges deficit-based narratives by reframing disability as a form of human diversity rather than a problem to be fixed. It is closely connected to the social model of disability and the disability rights movement, and recognizing it is important for accessibility practitioners who aim to support and empower disabled communities rather than simply remove barriers.