Fiona Kumari Campbell

Education

Fiona Kumari Campbell has long been interested in the study of the civil rights of people from marginal backgrounds. Within her studies, she has focused on the consequences of discrimination and social oppression that affects the people in her research. Campbell is a scholar of disability studies, sociology, cultural studies, and legal theory all of which can be found in many of her published cross-disciplinary research. The issues that Campbell touches on in her writing relates to issues on the subjects of philosophy, Buddhism, disability, Sri Lankan disability, law, technology, and marginality.

Campbell started her education at La Trobe University attending between 1995 and 1998 where she received a BLS in Law and Sociology. Then in 1999 she returned to university where she graduated with a PhD in Sociology, Humanities, and Law from Queensland University of Technology. Campbell then went on to receive a certificate in higher research degree supervision in 2005 from Griffith University and in 2014 received an advanced diploma in Theology, Systematic Theology, Catholic Liturgy, and Buddhist Studies from MCD University of Divinity.

Career

Campbell began her career as a shelter workshop employee before moving on to work in the private sector where she focused on projects involving poverty and disability. Moving out of the private sector Campbell worked in the National Government's disability policy positions before finally settling on academia.

In 2003, Campbell joined Griffith University’s Logan campus as the Convenor of the disabilities program in the School of Human Services and Social Work, which is considered to be Australia’s largest postgraduate disabilities program. In 2009, Campbell published her first book, Contours of Ableism, before leaving the Griffith University in the following year. In 2016, Campbell joined the faculty of the School of Health and Wellbeing at the University of Southern Queensland and was appointed as the Program Director of Human Services .

With over 18 years of teaching experience, Campbell has taught at several universities in Australia such as Griffith University, Victoria University, and Queensland University of Technology. She has taught on the subjects of human rights, diversity studies, sociological and law theory, and Australian politics and disability studies.

In 2017, Campbell will be joining the School of Social Work at the University of Dundee. Currently, Campbell is also working on two books Crippin’ the Law: Jurisprudential Narratives of Impairment and other Reasonable Accommodations and The Unveiling of (Dis)ability: Essays on Silence, Voice, and Imprints.

As well as being a disability activist, Campbell played an integral role in the government and non-government sectors. She advised former Ministers of Community Services Senator Don Grimes as well as Dr. Neil Blewitt, playing a fundamental role in the establishment of attendant care in Australia.

Campbell is also involved in a number of journals. Some of the journals that Campbell contributes to include the International Advisory Board of the Socio-Legal Review, Journal of Literary and Cultural Disability Studies (Liverpool), Ethnographica: Journal of Disability and Culture (Leuven, Belgium), the International Review of Disability Studies, and Associate Editor, Journal of Social Inclusion (Griffith) and the Scientific Board of the Italian Journal of Disability Studies.

Important Writings

When discussing Fiona Campbell, it is important to note that she, herself, is an 11-year paraplegic. Campbell uses her experience of disability to inform and educate people on the nature by which ableism and dis-ablism come about and how conversations are created through different mediums of this discourse. Campbell has published essays which discuss topics dealing with the production of disability itself, “The Ableist Project,” and how Ablism is created through an examination of The Critical Race Theory.

Contours of Ableism: The Production of Disability and Ableness

Contours of Ableism by Fiona Campbell was written, not as an introduction to disability, but to broaden the spectrum of learning for those already immersed in the field. The book allows for an addition to social scientific texts regarding disability. Campbell's writings are erudite, cultured expansions of the theory she created coined the “ableist project.” In each of her chapters she focusses on a different topical area that lends a hand to elaborating and exaggerating how ableism plays a role in daily social life. Each of the chapters, while generalizing and describing different topical areas, develop a binary dynamic of ableism and dis-ableism. This binary dynamic is described throughout her writings through a variety of contexts including law, education, medicine, and science and technology.

“The Ableist Project” is an explanation of the three steps Campbell proposes in which to deal with the problematic conversation that is ableism. Campbell First explores the problems with people thinking, feeling and speaking about the Other (other being the disabled person). It is here that she argues that it is important to shift the focus the disability itself to the researching and understanding of ableism. Her second task deals with what can be described as “Ableist Relations.” This includes anything that may be even remotely accurate in the conversation involving what is and what is not characterized as "Ableist". Finally, in order to make the true connection, she looks at real life examples in which examples of Ability are portrayed and how this differs from examples of disability.

Ableism examined through Critical Race Theory (CRT):

Campbell explores an assessment of critical race theory and how this theory can contribute to different thoughts associated with ableism, and disability in general. The main focus of the paper deals with the idea of internalized racism and how its application in critical race theory applies to disability studies. Campbell explores the ways that racism and ableism are internalized and reflected in the process of understanding the convergence of the two across conversation.

Aids and Equipment:

In this essay, Campbell argues, yet again, for the shift in redefining disability. She is in favor of directing the definition toward a more social construction. She relays information regarding the OPCS study which indicates that over 6 million adults and 14 percent of people living in households suffer from some form of disability, the most common stemming from mobility and leaning into hearing and personal care. Campbell’s main argument in this piece is that with so many people in need of medical assistance or aid, the finding of these avenues and solutions should not be so difficult and frustrating. She explains the quantitative/survey methods that were adopted in order to successfully identify the ease at which people are able to receive the aids and care they need or desire, and found that prior research was correct in their negative accusations of availability.

Research Career at University of Southern Queensland

Currently, Campbell is appointed as the Senior Lecturer of Human Services at the University of Southern Queensland's School of Health and Wellbeing. Additionally, Campbell is the principal supervisor for the research thesis topic of ' Ableism and the Study of Disability.' According to the University's website, Cambell's research involved dealing with the concept of Ableism that was drawn from her 2009 book, Contour of Ableism. The website further added "[t]he research can be related, but not restricted to, employment practices, formation of identity, immigration, gender and the body, religious thought, legal reasoning and systems, disability studies, medicine and scientific practices, and education." At the same time, Campbell is listed as the approved research supervisor in the area of "History and Philosophy of the Social Sciences, Care for Disabled" as well as "Social Theory."

Keywords for Disability study

Campbell focuses on long time social oppression and discrimination appearance of disabled people and tried to stand for their rights. Unconsciously, some words used in disability studies have negative connotations. Campbell tried to change and redefine some of the key concepts. Some of the key concepts includes:

Honors & Awards

Some of the recognitions that honor Campbell’s work and writings includes, the D. M. Myers University Medal in 1998 by La Trobe University, the Deans' Medal (Faculty of Law & Management), the Jean Martin Prize in Sociology and the Blake, as well as the Dawson Waldron - 4th year Legal Studies Prize.

Professional Membership

Campbell is also affiliated to the following professional organization:

YouTube Series

Fiona Kumari Campbell has a series of conferences and discussions filmed and posted to her YouTube Channel. YouTube is an outlet for advocating ableism. The current videos discuss her book Contours of Ableism and specific problems the public has with disabilities.

Ableism has been studied for several decades. Campbell fights for the idea of able-ness to grow and become more widespread. She defines who is a disabled person. Disability activism needs to include more individuals who are disabled. However, most disabled individuals stray away from disability activism because in people who see are not disabled see disability as a personal tragedy, harmful and not normal, and may view activism as the cry out for people’s pain and suffering. The encounter with society one may feel rejection, and it’s the social interaction that causes the spotlight on disabilities. It is not common it does not mean abnormality; diversity is something that should be embraced not looked down on.

Campbell is very passionate about advocating with disabilities because she has a disability herself. She refers to herself as a disability studies scholar. She explains that people with disabilities live precarious lives. The capacity to move in a flourishing way is compromised. She continues to explain that, "Ableism closes off possibility and imagination, ontologically killing people”.

Fiona Campbell believes that the way we think of disabilities has to change. She questions why we have discomfort with people with disabilities. We exaggerate the idea of disabilities within individuals. There has to be a shift in thinking for disabilities studies. She shares her concept of “normative shadows." Campbell explains that we are all disabled in some sense.