Decolonising Excellence: The Decolonial Autoethnography of a Disabled Person from Réunion Island

Authors

  • Dylan Rivière l’Université du Québec à Montréal

Keywords:

Autoethnography ; disability ; coloniality ; La Réunion ; excellence ; university

Abstract

This article examines the effects of French elitist culture in the context of Réunion, drawing on my personal experiences as a person with a disability from La Réunion. Through the account of my academic and school journey, I analyze the colonial legacies that continue to shape the subjectivities of subaltern populations in Réunion. Adopting a socio-historical perspective, the article highlights how the French meritocratic model, perceived as a universal and republican ideal, forces individuals from Réunion's working-class communities to internalize ableist and racist norms to prove their worth, often at the expense of their health.

Author Biography

Dylan Rivière, l’Université du Québec à Montréal

Doctorant enseignant-chercheur en communication à l’Université Paris 3 Sorbonne Nouvelle et l’Université du Québec à Montréal

Published

2025-05-05

How to Cite

Rivière, D. (2025). Decolonising Excellence: The Decolonial Autoethnography of a Disabled Person from Réunion Island. Canadian Journal of Disability Studies, 14(1), 1–44. Retrieved from https://cjds.uwaterloo.ca/index.php/cjds/article/view/1208

Issue

Section

Articles