ABSTRACT
This chapter explores the maternal role of women with disabilities from two perspectives, the standpoint of mothers with disabilities and the perspective of their children, both of them are important because mothering is a mutual interaction between these women and their children. The first section investigates three types of mothering, including complete mothering, assisted mothering and substitute mothering and then proceeds with the analysis of how mothers cultivate their children in terms of physical nurturance and moral education. Nurturing children with disabilities is also discussed in this section. This chapter also examines children’s interaction with their mothers with disabilities. It is found that internalized stereotypes and internalized responsibilities are two distinctive characteristics of children growing up with mothers with disabilities. By taking the maternal roles, most women with disabilities fulfill their womanhood successfully and simultaneously succeed in minimizing the stigma attached to their disability identity.
