Exploring a Disability Justice Generation With Youth-Authored Disability Texts

Literary works authored by youth with disabilities provide insightful perspectives on their lived experiences, understanding of disability community, and processes of disability identity development. In this paper, we respond to the question raised by Erevelles et al. (2019), “What would curriculum studies look like if disabled people re-imagined the curriculum?” (p. 358) by examining literature written by disabled youth. We propose the existence of a disability justice generation whose perspectives are crucial to consider with the K–12 curriculum, particularly to extend existing notions of justice within education. Nine texts written by disabled youth about their lived experiences were analyzed to learn about their perceptions of disability and disability identity. The texts were analyzed using a disability justice framework. Results indicated that texts highlight the importance of the disability community and meaning-making related to disability identity. Intersectionality and the interdependence of their relationships with their peers with disabilities, educators, and families were important themes across the texts. Results highlight the rich and meaningful experiences of disabled youth, and we consider what stories of and by disabled youth can offer to curricula.