This themed issue posits disability justice in India as a critical framework for rethinking inclusion, equity, and public life. The term ‘Disability Justice,’ more than a call for equality, is an intersectional framework committed to critiquing and undoing ableism and exclusion. Disability justice calls us to go beyond policy, asking us to rethink structures entirely, asserting that all bodies are unique and essential and have strengths and needs that must be met. In Indian contexts where ableism intersects in myriad ways with caste, gender, class, region, and religion, disability justice offers a lens to examine how structural oppression of disabled people can be contested through creative, collective, and community-based articulations.

We invite contributions that foreground disability as a public issue—social, political, cultural, and embodied—rather than solely a personal, medical, or legal category. Submissions may draw from interdisciplinary scholarship, activist practice, and community-engaged work to show how disability-oriented notions of justice open up new possibilities for rethinking solidarity, access, and inclusivity in India.

The issue welcomes submissions in varied formats, including academic articles, reflective case studies, and roundtables. We particularly encourage submissions from early career researchers, practitioners, disabled scholars, and those working collaboratively with community partners.

Submissions will be assessed on the following criteria: relevance to the theme; clarity of argument or purpose; originality and critical insight; accessible writing style; and potential to engage wider publics across disciplinary and social boundaries.

We are interested in work that addresses the issue of disability justice in India through:

•      Cultural, educational, and media representations of disability

•      Intersectional experiences and identities

•      Models of care, access, and community support

•      Grassroots activism and policy transformation

•      Disability and public memory, history, or art 

This issue aims to initiate urgent, inclusive, and accessible conversations about disability justice in India that are relevant both within and beyond academia.

Submission Guidelines 

Submissions should be written in accessible language for a wide readership across and beyond the humanities. Articles will be peer reviewed for both content and style. Articles will appear digitally and open access in the journal. 

All submissions should be made through the Public Humanities online peer review system. Authors should consult the journal’s Author Instructions prior to submission. 

All authors will be required to declare any funding and/or competing interests upon submission. See the journal’s Publishing Ethics guidelines for more information.  

Contacts

Rimjhim Bhattacherjee: rb.udaynarayanpur@gmail.com

Nandini Ghosh: nandinighosh@gmail.com

Questions regarding peer review can be sent to the Public Humanities inbox at publichumanities@cambridge-org.demo.remotlog.com.