‘We just stick together’: how disabled teens negotiate stigma to create lasting friendship

Abstract

Background Friendship is a crucial relationship offering practical support, enjoyment and improved health. When disability is added into the mix, the permutations of friendship shift. Despite the presence of inclusive social policies many disabled teens continue to experience stigma and social isolation, yet some teens are able to establish long‐term friendships. Methods A nuanced understanding about how disabled teens navigate stigma to create lasting friendships was constructed through this qualitative study. Seven boys and seven girls between the ages 15 to 20 years who experienced disability engaged in research interviews and participant observation sessions. Nine adults were also interviewed. A critical approach to data analysis was complimented by coding in Atlas.ti. Results This article describes the strategies used by these disabled teens to make and keep friends: disrupting norms about friendship, coming out as disabled, connecting through stigma and choosing self‐exclusion. Conclusion Disabled teens in this study felt a greater sense of belonging when with peers who shared the disability experience, thus self‐exclusion was a viable strategy for creating sustainable friendships in the context of oppression. Social policy informed by the experiences of disabled youth in the current study will more effectively promote social inclusion by first acknowledging and then disrupting ableism.

Marriage trends among Americans with childhood-onset disabilities, 1997–2013

“…Whereas disability legislation has achieved positive trends, such as increased college enrollment among people with disabilities, 31,32 other objectives, such as increased participation in the labor force, have not been achieved; 32 and people with disabilities continue to experience discrimination and social exclusion in high school, college, and the workforce. 15,31,33 This study demonstrates that marriage remains an institution in which people with disabilities experience social exclusion, notwithstanding historic achievements of legal protection for disability rights and the evolution of societal attitudes towards disability. 3 The cultural significance of marriage as a capstone event in the transition to adulthood means that the accelerated retreat from marriage associated with childhood-onset disability signals a recent increase in the social exclusion of people with disabilities.…”

“…Quantitative evidence of growing exclusion of people with disabilities from the marriage market is consistent with qualitative evidence revealing persistent discrimination and stigma experienced by people growing up with disabilities. 11,15,25 A further reason for falling marriage rates among people with disabilities may be the growing interdependence between the labor market and marriage market. The recasting of marriage as a capstone transition has meant that young adults increasingly perceive economic security as a prerequisite for marriage.…”

“…11 Meanwhile, people growing up with disabilities may be likely to seek out peers with disabilities who can relate to the challenges they experience. 11,15 The resulting segregation of people with disabilities within peer networks may increase their exposure to potential partners who also have a disability, but decrease their exposure to potential partners who do not have disabilities. Thus, people with disabilities may be disproportionately unlikely to marry a person without disabilities because they are excluded from the peer networks formed by people without disabilities, even if they participate in the same social activities.…”

Adolescents with Disabilities

“…Additionally, there are five aspects that relate to the formation of positive peer relationships: (a) perceived similarity in interests and ability, (b) the role of the adolescent without disabilities in the relationship, (c) amount of time spent together, (d) peer reactions towards students with disabilities, and (e) adult behavior towards students with disabilities (Kalymon et al 2010). Salmon (2013) studied the process of friendship development and maintenance among adolescents with disabilities-the variety of strategies utilized to make and keep friends. These include disrupting norms about friendship, the process of coming out as disabled, connecting with and developing friendships with others through stigma, and choosing self-exclusion (Salmon 2013).…”

“…Salmon (2013) studied the process of friendship development and maintenance among adolescents with disabilities-the variety of strategies utilized to make and keep friends. These include disrupting norms about friendship, the process of coming out as disabled, connecting with and developing friendships with others through stigma, and choosing self-exclusion (Salmon 2013).…”