Invisible and unheard: epistemic injustice at the intersection of migration and disability
Invisible and unheard: epistemic injustice at the intersection of migration and disability
Migrants with disabilities have been described as the ‘hidden population’, as a lack of official and accurate data renders them largely invisible (Amas and Lagnado, 2010). In this essay, we suggest that beyond the problem of invisibility, they also experience a lack of voice by which we mean that their experiences are often dismissed or ascribed less credibility. We frame the problem in terms of epistemic injustice and consider how factors such as the experience of interpersonal discrimination and barriers to accessing healthcare contribute to and exacerbate these injustices. We further suggest that the experience of such injustices by migrants with disabilities will be particularly heightened in these times of increasing hostilities against migrants, especially in the Global North. Hence, the considerations presented in this essay are timely and targeted at inspiring creative solutions to address this burgeoning problem.
Epistemic injustice, disability, intersectionality, migration
Dibia, Chianu
879bee33-f204-4823-94df-badb53dd4852
Dibia, Chioma
1efb2857-e93a-4656-91e6-18d76b7f5a02
Dibia, Chianu
879bee33-f204-4823-94df-badb53dd4852
Dibia, Chioma
1efb2857-e93a-4656-91e6-18d76b7f5a02
Dibia, Chianu and Dibia, Chioma
(2026)
Invisible and unheard: epistemic injustice at the intersection of migration and disability.
Disability & Society.
(doi:10.1080/09687599.2026.2629891).
Abstract
Migrants with disabilities have been described as the ‘hidden population’, as a lack of official and accurate data renders them largely invisible (Amas and Lagnado, 2010). In this essay, we suggest that beyond the problem of invisibility, they also experience a lack of voice by which we mean that their experiences are often dismissed or ascribed less credibility. We frame the problem in terms of epistemic injustice and consider how factors such as the experience of interpersonal discrimination and barriers to accessing healthcare contribute to and exacerbate these injustices. We further suggest that the experience of such injustices by migrants with disabilities will be particularly heightened in these times of increasing hostilities against migrants, especially in the Global North. Hence, the considerations presented in this essay are timely and targeted at inspiring creative solutions to address this burgeoning problem.
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Invisible and unheard epistemic injustice at the intersection of migration and disability
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Accepted/In Press date: 15 January 2026
e-pub ahead of print date: 19 February 2026
Keywords:
Epistemic injustice, disability, intersectionality, migration
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Local EPrints ID: 509764
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/509764
ISSN: 0968-7599
PURE UUID: 5d628518-93ee-49ca-adb3-f312b41944f8
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Date deposited: 04 Mar 2026 17:48
Last modified: 07 Mar 2026 04:11
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Author:
Chianu Dibia
Author:
Chioma Dibia
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