Paul Freire and a Manifesto for Disability Pedagogy

This manifesto is an invitation, a request to collaborate, an opportunity to work with others who experience oppression with the goal of critically transforming our conditions of dehumanization in order to become more fully human.

Our manifesto will be guided by the thought and concepts of Brazilian educator and philosopher, Paulo Freire. Born in 1921, his childhood was marked by post-colonialism, socioeconomic struggles, and a deep desire for education. We will ground ourselves in two of his influential works, Pedagogy of the Oppressed and Pedagogy of Freedom: Ethics, Democracy, and Civic Courage (referred to in citations as PO and PF, respectively).

Just as Freire begins his work by saying that human beings are ontologically incomplete, so will this manifesto represent an ongoing and unending process of liberation and emancipation. Our goal is to become more critically conscious of our conditions of oppression so that we may relentlessly pursue a revolutionary praxis through the simultaneous activity of reflection and action.

Moreover, the ultimate goal of this project is to develop a critical disability pedagogy so that we may become not just disability activists and allies, but Freirean Revolutionaries.

This manifesto is intended to be accessible to the general audience, but part of our revolution is intense critical thought and action. Thus, it is also intended to be scholarly. Resources for engaging with concepts or for obtaining further information on a certain topic are included as buttons at the end of many pages.

Welcome to the beginnings of the Freirean Revolutionary Manifesto. Proceed critically.