“They helped me fly”: an autoethnographic study of disability, gender, patriarchy, class, and FIRST CARE framework

PURPOSE: This autoethnography examines the intersectional barriers of disability, gender, and class experienced by a woman with polio within a conservative and patriarchal Indian setting. It generates conceptual insight into how structural constraints and enabling systems shape educational and professional trajectories. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study adopts an autoethnographic methodology grounded in the author's lived experiences. Through iterative narrative analysis, thematic abstraction, and theoretical engagement, the study develops the FIRST CARE framework, comprising nine interrelated pillars: Family, Individual Empowerment, NGO Resources, Employer Support, Technology and Assistive Devices, Community Inclusion, Academic Support, Regulatory & Government Aids, and Economic & Banking Support. RESULTS: The findings demonstrate that resilience is not an individual attribute but is relationally and systemically produced through the interaction of multiple support systems. The FIRST CARE framework illustrates how foundational supports, institutional enablers, and individual agency collectively enable navigation of structural barriers. The study highlights that inclusive education must extend beyond physical access to address social marginalization and support independent decision-making. CONCLUSION: The FIRST CARE framework is proposed as a contextually grounded and transferable heuristic to inform inclusive policy and practice. The findings suggest that educational and policy interventions must move beyond access-based approaches to foster autonomy, inclusion, and systemic change.