ABSTRACT
This chapter argues that disability is a contested and changing social category that is shaped by raced and classed dynamics of exclusion and oppression. Drawing on the tenets of Critical Race Theory (CRT), it argues that dis/ability is a White property right, i.e., the construction and deployment of particular dis/ability labels operate to grant advantage to White middle class people while further marginalizing and excluding Black children and young people. The chapter presents an analysis of empirical data that explores the educational experiences and strategies of middle class Black parents. Despite the official rhetoric from government, and despite schools' encouraging words, in practice, the regulation of dis/ability labels appears to put the interests of the racist status quo ahead of the needs of the Black child. The chapter concludes with a reflection on the status of dis/ability as a racist technology in society.
