Roundtable

Contextualizing Disability: Settler-Colonial Power and the Production of Impairment in Palestine

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Abstract

This paper focuses on how dominant Eurocentric models of disability—especially the medical and social model—fall short in addressing the lived experiences of disabled people in diverse global and geopolitical contexts. These models often conceptualize disability as either an individual issue or as the result of social barriers, but rarely consider how impairment can be actively produced through structural violence. Showcasing on settler-colonialism in Palestine, we draw on decolonial, intersectional feminist, and critical disability scholarship to examine how disability is used as a tool of control under occupation. Through textual analysis and engagement with Global South perspectives, this contribution aims to question the universality of existing disability frameworks and highlight the need for more contextually grounded approaches. By bringing attention to the political dimensions of disability and amplifying marginalized voices, we hope to promote broader conversations around global disability justice and the intersections of disability, power, and oppression.

Keywords: Feminist Disability Studies, Contextual Disability, Debility, Settler-Colonialism, Palestine

How to Cite:

Beutels, F. & Verhoeven, M., (2025) “Contextualizing Disability: Settler-Colonial Power and the Production of Impairment in Palestine”, DiGeSt - Journal of Diversity and Gender Studies 12(1), 13-20. doi: https://doi.org/10.21825/digest.95437