Persons With Disabilities' Experiences of Microaggression: A Qualitative Meta-Synthesis

Area of Science:

• Disability Studies
• Social Psychology
• Qualitative Research

Background:

• Microaggressions against persons with disabilities are widespread, negatively impacting health and well-being.
• Existing qualitative research on lived experiences of disability microaggressions lacks synthesis.
• Understanding these experiences is crucial for developing effective interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically review and synthesize global qualitative evidence on microaggression experiences among people with disabilities.
• To explore how individuals with disabilities perceive and respond to microaggressive incidents.
• To identify common themes and patterns in the lived experiences of disability microaggressions.

Main Methods:

• Systematic literature search across multiple databases (EBSCO, Web of Science, PubMed, ScienceDirect, ProQuest, Google Scholar).
• Inclusion of 23 qualitative studies after duplicate removal and application of exclusion criteria.
• Meta-synthesis approach to analyze and integrate findings from the selected articles.

Main Results:

• Identified four key themes: the inescapable nature of microaggressions, feeling trapped by them, compliance or defense of aggressors, and active resistance.
• Demonstrated the pervasive and multifaceted impact of microaggressions on individuals with disabilities.
• Highlighted the spectrum of responses, from passive acceptance to active resistance.

Conclusions:

• The findings underscore the profound and often insidious effects of microaggressions on the disability community.
• Implications for enhancing support programs and interventions aimed at mitigating the harm of disability microaggressions.
• Emphasizes the need for greater awareness and systemic changes to address ableism and microaggressions.