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Disability studies is a dynamic, hotly debated and evolving research body. Traustadóttir and Kristiansen (2004) assert it is a discipline with strong roots in Britain, Australia, New Zealand and the United States and is now gaining momentum in Europe and the Nordic countries. This paper will address the potential of combining feminist scholarship and disability scholarship consistent with recent developments in disability research. Feminists who work in the field of disability studies have increasingly written about the importance of ideas in feminist theory being applied within disability theory, analysis and politics (eg Morris, 1991, Thomas, 1999; 2004, Wendell, 1996). Furthermore, Thomas (1999) argues that disability studies can learn a great deal from the work of feminist authors. Narratives within this context have broken through ‘giving voice’to disabled women in scholarly writing.

The theoretical bridge between feminist and disability scholarship will be discussed in relation to its application within disability sport research and the exploration of women’s experiences within this domain. The specific focus of these deliberations are disabled female athletes. Heavy scrutiny has been directed towards the attentiveness of scholars concerning gender and women’s narratives within this body of work. For instance, Schell and Rodriquez (2001) have pointed out a general neglect of gender aspects in current disability sport research. They have stressed that gender is a key factor that should be considered when examining disability sport. Female bodies, like ‘broken bodies’ are believed to be restrictive and incapable of meaningful corporality, including …