64 The phenomenon of microaggressions is well established within the counseling literature, particularly as it relates to race, ethnicity, gender, and affectual orientation. However, research related to disability or ableist microaggressions is still in its infancy, so counseling professionals have limited information about experiences of disability and ableist microaggressions. The purpose of this qualitative content analysis was to describe participants’ self-reported experiences with ableist microaggressions. Participants (N = 90) had a diagnosed disability and the majority (91.11%) identified as having two or more nondominant identities beyond their disability. We report two categories and 10 themes. While participants were part of the general population, we position our discussion and implications within the context of professional counseling to increase counseling professionals’ awareness and knowledge so counselors can avoid ableist microaggressions and provide affirmative counseling services to persons with disabilities. Keywords: disability, ableist microaggressions, professional counseling, nondominant identities, affirmative counseling Day by day, what you choose, what you think, and what you do is who you become. —Heraclitus, pre-Socratic philosopher Each person is a complex makeup of dominant and nondominant sociocultural identities. Individuals with dominant cultural identities (e.g., able-bodied, White, middle social class) experience societal privilege, have more sociocultural influence, and have unencumbered access to resources. People with nondominant identities, including people with disabilities (PWD), people of color, and people in lower social class, frequently have less influence and experience structural and interpersonal inequities, limitations, and discrimination (Sue & Spanierman, 2020). As such, people with nondominant identities often experience microaggressions. Microaggressions are unintentional or deliberate verbal, nonverbal, and/or environmental messages that convey disapproval, distaste, and condemnation of an individual based on their nondominant identity (Sue et al., 2007). Professional counselors are aware and knowledgeable that their identity constellation and their experiences with microaggressions, as well as those of their clients, impact their worldviews, experiences, and—importantly—the counseling relationship (Ratts et al., 2016). While microaggressions associated with several cultural identities have been well-researched within counseling (e.g., race, ethnicity, gender, affectual orientation), others, like ableist microaggressions, have been examined far less frequently (Deroche et al., 2024). The purpose of this article is to describe the microaggression experiences that PWD (N = 90) encounter. Our intention is to increase counseling professionals’ awareness and knowledge about ableist microaggressions so they can examine their beliefs about disability, identify how they may have participated in ableist microaggressions and, ultimately, provide affirmative counseling services to PWD. The Professional Counselor™ Volume 14, Issue 1, Pages 64–82 http://tpcjournal.nbcc.org © 2024 NBCC, Inc. and Affiliates doi: 10.15241/jmc.14.1.64 Jennifer M. Cook, Melissa D. Deroche, Lee Za Ong A Qualitative Analysis of Ableist Microaggressions Jennifer M. Cook, PhD, NCC, ACS, LPC, is an associate professor at the University of Texas at San Antonio. Melissa D. Deroche, PhD, NCC, ACS, LPC-S, is an assistant professor at Tarleton State University. Lee Za Ong, PhD, LPC, CRC, is an assistant professor at Marquette University. Correspondence may be addressed to Jennifer M. Cook, University of Texas at San Antonio, Department of Counseling, 501 W. Cesar E. Chavez Blvd, San Antonio, TX 78207, jennifer.cook@utsa.edu.
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