Disability Identity

The ways in which individuals understand, relate to, and incorporate disability into their sense of self. Disability identity is shaped by personal experience, cultural context, community belonging, and social attitudes toward disability. People with temporary, episodic, or newly acquired disabilities may struggle with disability identity formation, particularly when deciding whether to claim disability status for accommodations or when navigating the boundary between impairment and recovery. Disability identity is central to disability rights and disability justice movements.