Dissertation

Exchanging Normative Assimilation for Inclusion: An Examination of the Rhetorical Circulation of Ableism in University Documents and Spaces

My dissertation applied a mixed-methods, qualitative approach using the below methods:

  • computational linguistic analysis using Word Smith Tools
  • thematic coding
  • semi-structured interviews grounded in user-experience design (UX)

My dissertation analyzed the concepts of inclusion, access, and care across three major sites:

  • Composition and writing program mission statements
  • Digital classroom interfaces
  • University self-care and wellness programs

As institutional ableism reflects a systemic, transdisciplinary phenomenon, my dissertation drew from diverse bodies of scholarship including:

  • technical and professional communication
  • rhetoric
  • disability studies
  • rhetorics of health and medicine
  • inclusion and belonging
  • gender and feminism studies

Ultimately, my dissertation called for transdisciplinary, coalitional measures that position disability as integral to institutional transformation. By engaging a range of disciplines and intersectional embodiments, I assert that institutions may foster more equitable articulations of access, inclusion, and care.

For more information about my dissertation, please email me at kcb062@shsu.edu.

A photo of a white woman with blonde hair wearing a pink collared shirt and grey skirt standing next to her dissertation presentation, “Exchanging Normative Assimilation for Frictional Access: An Examination of the Rhetorical Circulation of Ableism in University Documents and Spaces.” This dissertation was defended at Arizona State University on March 23, 2022.