Disablism and Diaspora: British Pakistani Families and Disabled Children

Abstract

This paper explores the intersections of diaspora, disability and family. Drawing on qualitative interviews with the parents of three British Pakistani families we draw out three lines of enquiry. The first, disability and disavowal in Pakistan, explores parents’ relationship with ‘home’ and how this is complicated by the presence of disablism. The second, disability and the fight for care in Britain, explores the ways in which British Asian families are grounded not only in the cultures and traditions of their parents and the Asian subcontinent, but also in the social practices of Britain. The third, disability and diaspora - from isolation to ensembled caringscapes, examines the limits and possibilities offered through diaspora. One key affirmative element of this is the support of an extended family, which brings with it, the chance to look to the future with hope and possibility.