Cripping Digital Storytelling: Disability, Accessibility, and Celebrating Difference

Authors

  • Kathleen C. Sitter Faculty of Social Work, University of Calgary
  • Brooke Allemang Faculty of Social Work, University of Calgary
  • Mica R. Pabia Faculty of Social Work, University of Calgary
  • Emma Gaunt Faculty of Social Work, University of Calgary
  • Ana Herrera Faculty of Social Work, University of Calgary
  • Bruce Howell Calgary SCOPE Society

Keywords:

Disability, crip theory, crip time, digital storytelling, accessibility, disability pride

Abstract

The authors report findings from an 11-month research study where disabled adults created digital stories about life-stage transitions related to employment, post-secondary, and community living. While results about transitions have been published elsewhere, this article focuses on the online digital storytelling process as experienced by disabled adults. It begins with a brief description of crip theory and its relationship to disability. Next is an overview of the research design: a two-phased process where 13 post-secondary disabled youth were trained as digital storytelling peer-facilitators, and subsequently co-facilitated a series of digital story workshops over 8 months involving 34 disabled participants. Peer-facilitators and participants completed pre- and post-workshop surveys. Responses were analyzed guided by crip theory and content analysis. The second half of the article reports on survey findings which indicated several themes: disability pride, centering disability perspectives, the importance of crip time, and the need to consider community connection. It ends with a discussion and considerations in designing and replicating accessible online digital storytelling workshops to remove ableist barriers, amplify community, and ultimately celebrate difference.

Author Biographies

Kathleen C. Sitter, Faculty of Social Work, University of Calgary

Faculty of Social Work, University of Calgary

Brooke Allemang, Faculty of Social Work, University of Calgary

Faculty of Social Work, University of Calgary

Mica R. Pabia, Faculty of Social Work, University of Calgary

Faculty of Social Work, University of Calgary

Emma Gaunt, Faculty of Social Work, University of Calgary

Faculty of Social Work, University of Calgary

Ana Herrera, Faculty of Social Work, University of Calgary

Faculty of Social Work, University of Calgary

Bruce Howell, Calgary SCOPE Society

Calgary SCOPE Society

Published

2023-04-21

How to Cite

Sitter, K. C., Allemang, B., Pabia, M. R., Gaunt, E., Herrera, A., & Howell, B. (2023). Cripping Digital Storytelling: Disability, Accessibility, and Celebrating Difference. Canadian Journal of Disability Studies, 12(1), 29–58. Retrieved from https://cjds.uwaterloo.ca/index.php/cjds/article/view/970

Issue

Section

Articles