Exploration of a resilience intervention among women with disabilities: an examination of two case studies

Abstract

Issues experienced by women with disabilitiesExperiences of women with disabilities are scantly discussed throughout the literature. Much of the information that exists is dated and was conducted by women living with a disability or researchers interested in promoting the understanding and support needs of women with disabilities. [10][11][12][13] Despite this lack of prioritizing women with disabilities throughout the research, scholars continue to inform and educate us about the needs and experiences of women with disabilities. 8,14-17 Currently, women with disabilities continue to face several challenging and difficult experiences that often compound the experience of living with a disability and the coping process.Similar to men with disabilities, women encounter unemployment/ underemployment, negative societal biases and perceptions, changes in social and family support, health insurance and financial concerns, environmental and architectural barriers, peoples' disregard for their personal boundaries, and lowered expectations, yet, at the same time, women with disabilities are exposed to additional layers of stress compared to their male counterparts. More specifically, women with disabilities experience a substantial amount of lowered societal expectations regarding their worth and abilities, 13,15,18 and are viewed as "doubly-or triply stigmatized" due to living with a disability. This stigmatization contributes to women with disabilities being viewed as "one of the most disadvantaged groups of individuals". 15 Furthermore, women with disabilities are at greater risk of (a) health discrepancies