Unpacking Professional Judgment: A Beginner’s Guide to Reflexivity in Higher Education Disability Resources
By Morgan M. Thompson, Ph.D. and Jamilah McLaren, M.Ed. (2024)
In higher education, disability resource professionals make decisions that significantly shape disabled students’ experiences, from accommodation choices to collaboration with faculty and staff. These decisions, often influenced by personal biases, identities, and experiences, can have profound impacts on students’ access and inclusion. While professional judgment may evolve over time, it is essential to critically examine how individual positionality—shaped by personal and social factors—affects these choices.
This monograph offers a practical guide to reflexivity for disability resource professionals, providing a framework for understanding how personal experiences and identities influence decision-making. It explores how reflexive practices—such as self-scrutiny and awareness of one’s positionality—can lead to more equitable, socially-just practices in supporting disabled students. Through interactive chapters, reflection prompts, and tangible strategies, this book equips professionals with tools to integrate reflexivity into their daily work.
Whether supporting students, collaborating with faculty, or supervising staff, disability resource professionals can use this guide to enhance their practice, ensuring that their decisions are grounded in critical self-awareness and a commitment to inclusive, student-centered support. This resource aims to cultivate a new generation of professionals dedicated to advancing equity and access for disabled students through reflective and socially-conscious decision-making.
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