Disability and parenting : the experiences of four women with disability

Abstract

Women with disability are said to experience double discrimination, and their role as mothers augments their experiences of disablement. This qualitative research explores the intertwining and complex factors that emerge from the narratives of four disabled mothers in a Maltese cultural context. Interviews were conducted with four mothers who have different impairments. The findings from the narratives are presented using a life course approach. In the analysis of the data, social factors were found to impinge on the experiences of mothers with disability to a greater extent than impairment-related factors. These social factors comprise the immediate support networks of each mother, as well as wider cultural factors pertaining to being a mother with disability in Malta. The responses of the four mothers to these factors the stigma and misconceptions about the inability of disabled women to be mothers while at the same time, particularly mothering.