Document Type
Article
Publication Date
1-1-2025
Journal / Book Title
Journal of Disability Studies in Education
Abstract
This article examines the impact that signs, readable as texts and discourse embedded in architecture and the built environment, have on shaping disability knowledge among undergraduate students on college campuses. Using reflexive photography as a research tool, we speculate that architectural signs, the artifacts of ableism, are (mis)representing disability and essentializing what it means to be disabled - which results in an "othering"of the disabled population, perpetuates stereotypes about disability on college campuses, and limits a sense of inclusion. Further, by remaining focused on access, this distortion obscures identities within the disabled community and operates counterfactually to the disabled community's culture. We present several solutions, including a universal design approach, that can help modernize the language of the built environment, help improve access, and create a sense of belonging for contemporary undergraduate students with disabilities.
DOI
10.1163/25888803-bja10037
MSU Digital Commons Citation
Williams, Will M.; Steinmetz, Talia; and Gerber, Elaine, "Artifacts of Ableism: Semiotics of the Built Environment and Disability Identity on University Campuses" (2025). Department of Anthropology Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works. 72.
https://digitalcommons.montclair.edu/anthropology-facpubs/72
Rights
This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the CC BY 4.0 license.
Published Citation
Williams, W. M., Steinmetz, T., & Gerber, E. (2025). Artifacts of ableism: Semiotics of the built environment and disability identity on university campuses. Journal of Disability Studies in Education, 1–31. https://doi.org/10.1163/25888803-bja10037