Conceptualizing Disability

Empirical analysis of disability identity has great potential to improve understanding of the role of disability status in identity politics. Despite ongoing discussions of the relevance of disability identity in the disability rights movement and political actions related to disability, there is limited research into its nature and its underlying psychological, social, and political constructs. This may in part be caused by the lack of a theoretical model to guide analysis. This article proposes a conceptual framework to guide empirical analysis of disability identity, outlining six potential construct domains and their sub-domains based on a review of scholarly discussions and empirical research.