Conference Program

The intersectional paradigm emerged from the movements that, since the second half of the twentieth century, challenged one-dimensional readings of discrimination: Black feminisms, LGBTQIA+ subjectivities and decolonial perspectives highlighted the simultaneous and stratified nature of systems of oppression. Within this framework, Crenshaw (1991) conceptualised intersectionality as the interaction of multiple identity positions – gender, ethnicity, age, sexual orientation, disability and neurodivergence – producing configurations of privilege and marginalisation (Collins, 1990; King, 1988). The Wheel of Intersectionality (Simpson, 2009) represents this dynamic by placing subjective experience at the centre of interconnected dimensions that cannot be analytically isolated.

This paper presents three ongoing research projects based at the Department of Educational Sciences of the University of Bologna, united by their adoption of intersectionality as an epistemic stance and methodological orientation for promoting the self-determination of adults with disabilities across different life contexts.

The first study investigates self-narration among adults with intellectual disabilities in socio-rehabilitative day centres. Drawing on a participatory narrative approach, it explores how autobiographical storytelling enables individuals to reclaim their own stories beyond diagnosis (Atkinson, 2010), interrogating the power asymmetries that determine who is recognised as a legitimate interlocutor (Rice et al., 2015). The use of communicative mediators makes narrative practices accessible, acknowledging that barriers to expression are structurally situated (Grove & Harwood, 2021).

The second study is situated within the framework of Universal Design for Working (UDW), developed to rethink work environments by recognising the plurality of human functioning (Canevaro, 2004). Drawing on Universal Design for Learning (CAST, 2018) – which proposes flexible design principles for accessible learning environments – UDW extends this perspective to the workplace. Starting from four principles modelled on the three UDL principles and reworked for the employment context, the research aims to develop guidelines for professional environments that foster coexistence and valorisation of differences, on both utilitarian and deontological grounds. The methodological design comprises focus groups with inclusion advocates, followed by questionnaires administered to workers and employers for the validation of the resulting indicators. The intersectional perspective informs both the framework – which recognises that workplace experience is shaped by the interaction of disability, gender, neurotype, ethnicity and generational belonging – and the participatory process of construction.

The third study explores the integration of Montessori principles into the education of adults with disabilities. The emphasis on the prepared environment, autonomy and respect for individual pacing is reinterpreted through an intersectional lens as a valorisation of the singularity of each learning trajectory. Adapting these principles to adulthood makes it possible to move beyond standardising approaches, recognising that educational needs are shaped by the interplay of social, cultural and embodied experiences. The research adopts an exploratory design involving participant observation and interviews.

Together, the three studies demonstrate how intersectionality can be translated into concrete methodological choices – in the design of research instruments, the selection of participants, and data analysis – capturing the complexity of those who inhabit multiple positions of marginalisation, while raising shared questions concerning the risk of categorical essentialism, power dynamics in the research process, and the building of epistemic alliances with the communities involved.