Chapter 9: “Nothing About Us Without Us”: Challenging Ableist Leadership Education

When thinking of harmonious pairs, disability and leadership do not always come to mind. Historically, disability has been painted as a “defect;” as something to fix or avoid. Rooted in the medical model of disability, this mindset persists through popular media and in educational institutions throughout the world. A consequence of this deficit-oriented model is the preclusion of individuals with disabilities from leadership learning, stemming from the perceived inability of those individuals to meaningfully contribute to our communities. The history of disability rights and disability justice reflects a transition from this model to one of understanding and representation of disability in leadership; one that highlights the vital role that disability identity can play in leadership development. Through the experience of a disability, disability identity influences the development of leadership skills, such as a unique connectedness to one’s community, a penchant for affecting change in one’s community, and a capacity for resilience in the face of adversity.