Formation of disability identity: A triadic intersectional qualitative approach

Introduction: Disability identity refers to the positive sense of self of people with disabilities. While it is known that disability identity is formed by interactions with individuals in one’s immediate environment, such as the family, scant research examined this topic. Especially missing is an intersectional approach examining how disability identity interacts with other identities, especially ethnic identity.
Goals and Methods: This research project aims to explore disability identity formation among persons with physical disabilities, focusing on the role of the family and comparing Jewish and Arab families. The study employs a qualitative methodology based on the constructivist paradigm. The phenomenological approach is used to capture the subjective and lived experiences of individuals with disabilities and their families. The uniqueness of this study project is in interviewing family triads (an individual with a disability, a parent and a sibling) in both Jewish and Arab families in Israel. Thematic analyses will focus on each family member’s individual experiences, on each family triad assessing overlaps and contrasts between individual narratives, as well as cross-family analysis, which will also employ an intersectional perspective to enhance understanding of the intersection of disability and ethnicity.
Results: We expect that findings will provide a deeper and more accurate understanding of disability identity formation and the role of the family in this process. Furthermore, the study will demonstrate the intersection of disability identity with other identities. Findings will present each family member’s perspective as well as the family perspective as a whole (the family narrative).
Conclusions: The unique qualitative triadic intersectional approach in this study can guide practitioners to understand how individual, family and cultural factors intersect in disability identity development. This can guide practitioners on how to support individuals with disabilities to develop more positive and meaningful identities.