Access Intimacy, Interdependence and Disability Justice

Text of Mia Mingus presenting at the 2017 Paul K. Longmore Lecture on Disability Studies at San Francisco State University, with a link to the video, posted to YouTube. Mingus is a queer physically disabled Korean transracial and transnational adoptee, who is a writer and educator of disability justice. The lecture focuses on disability scholarship with personal stories woven throughout used as persuasive appeal. She stresses that disabled people, including disabled queer individuals of color, are often overlooked in social justice movements and communities, and emphasizes the importance of including their experiences and stories. The main focus of this talk is the idea of “access intimacy,” which is a term she coined that refers to a deep, often unspoken connection between individuals who understand and accommodate each other’s access needs, in the context of disability. It’s the feeling of comfort and understanding when someone “gets” your access needs, making it easier for disabled people to navigate their daily lives. Access intimacy can exist with other disabled people, family members, or complete strangers, and can be as small as a knowing look and intangible as a feeling of familiarity. Nevertheless, Mingus describes how access intimacy is a powerful tool for liberation and a way to reframe the understanding of disability. Mingus argues that access should be used to challenge ableism and able-bodied supremacy and encourages shifting the responsibility for access from individual to collective responsibility.

This talk could be used to bring up discussions about disability and ableism, disability justice, interdependence, cultural competence and intersectionality, and patient-centered care.

Access