MELBOURNE: People with disabilities often experience ableism, and people of color also experience racism. However, these experiences of discrimination and how they affect disabled people of color are rarely discussed together. How disabled people cope with discrimination and how this may differ between racial and ethnic identities is largely unknown.

A new survey study of 103 people with disabilities examined experiences of racism and ableism among people of color and white people. We found several main results, described below.
Discrimination Attributions

Approximately 82 percent of participants indicated they have experienced discrimination at some point. Out of those who reported discrimination, 62 percent indicated it occurred due to their disability, and 25 percent due to their race or ethnicity. Being a person of color predicted more race and ethnicity discrimination attributions, meaning people of color were more likely to say they were being discriminated against due to race or ethnicity in comparison to white people. Two percent of white participants attributed discrimination to their race and ethnicity in comparison to 52 percent of people of color.

Having multiple disabilities predicted increased disability discrimination attributions, such that those with more than one disability were more likely to say they were being discriminated against due to their disability in comparison to those with just one disability.
Coping with Discrimination

One way people cope with discrimination is by connecting with others like them, getting support from their community. People of color may connect with other members of their racial and ethnic group to help them cope with experiences of racism. However, their identities as being both a person of color and disabled may affect how they cope.

Disabled people of color felt that their membership in their racial group was important to their own sense of self. However, they also felt that others judged their racial group negatively.
Appearance Affects Coping

Interestingly, how disabled people of color coped seemed to be affected by their appearance. People of color with more observable disabilities felt less worthy as members of their racial and ethnic group, and white participants felt more worthy as members of their racial and ethnic group, the more observable their disability was.

Adding to this, those with darker skin tone felt more worthy as a member of their racial and ethnic group. The appearance of disability and racial and ethnic identities influences how people of color cope with discrimination.

When we imagine disabled people, most people will not picture a person of color. When we imagine a person of color, most people will not picture someone who is disabled. In both instances, disabled people of color are marginalized in the representation of their identities. They may be experiencing intersectional invisibility where they are not recognized as full members of their racial and ethnic groups or their disability group. This could be contributing to disabled people’s low feelings of self-worth regarding their racial and ethnic groups, affecting how they cope with discrimination.
Greater Intersectional Representation

Because appearance influences how disabled people of color cope with racism and ableism, better representation of these groups can help. Increasing the portrayal of disabled people of color in media and ensuring these intersections are included in community and other organizations could help individuals with these identities see themselves more positively and increase the visibility of this group. Mental health professionals can also consider how appearance and representation may be affecting the coping strategies disabled people utilize and whether encouraging them to connect with their communities could be beneficial. The roles of race and disability should be considered together, not separately.