ABSTRACT
This chapter identifies a need to include disability studies in two common areas of political communication research in which disability is incredibly relevant, yet noticeably absent: campaign image-building and hegemonic masculinity. It proposes case studies and concrete activities that allow instructors to delve into the interplay of disability and political communication. The chapter discusses how ableism figures prominently into political hegemonic ideals, intersecting with gender ideologies importantly displayed on the radar of scholars. Illness, disability and embodied experiences are pejoratively figured as feminine; as weak and illogical and as an obstruction to a fully functioning citizenry. Students are rarely deeply knowledgeable about the history of Franklin Delano Roosevelt (FDR) and, unless they are from Texas or New York, are also under-informed about Governors Abbott and Patterson. Disability studies adds a rich layer of analysis to sections of political communication courses that already study a political environment entangled in identity politics.
