Disability and Decolonial Thought in Latin America : Indigenous Knowledge and Social Justice

This book offers a pioneering exploration of disability through Indigenous epistemologies and decolonial theory in Latin America.

This book offers a pioneering exploration of disability through Indigenous epistemologies and decolonial theory in Latin America. It challenges dominant Western biomedical and rights-based models by foregrounding relational ontologies, community-based care, and ancestral knowledge systems. Drawing on interdisciplinary perspectives from anthropology, disability studies, Latin American studies, and political theory, the volume critically examines how colonial legacies shape structural exclusion and cultural representations of disability. Through ethnographic accounts, oral histories, and grassroots initiatives, the book highlights the lived experiences and resistance strategies of disabled Indigenous individuals and communities. It explores how traditional healing practices, land-based spirituality, and collective activism reframe disability as a site of resilience and political agency. Each chapter offers a stand-alone contribution to understanding disability justice from the Global South, emphasizing intersectionality and Indigenous self-determination. This timely volume fills a significant gap in the literature by offering a culturally grounded, justice-oriented alternative to dominant disability discourses. It will appeal to scholars, practitioners, and students in disability studies, decolonial theory, public health, and social justice, as well as to activists and policymakers seeking inclusive frameworks rooted in local knowledge and lived realities.