Navigating Love and Ableism: A Qualitative Narrative Study of Romantic Experiences Among Persons With Disabilities in Kashmir

Abstract

This study examines how persons with disabilities in Kashmir experience and negotiate romantic relationships within a socio-cultural context structured by patriarchy, collectivism, and ableism. Despite growing scholarship on disability in South Asia, the intimate and affective dimensions of disabled lives remain underexplored, particularly in conflict-affected regions. Semi-structured interviews (n = 15) and written narratives (n = 5) resulted in the analysis of data from 20 participants with physical, sensory, intellectual, and psychosocial disabilities. Reflexive thematic analysis identified five central themes: Yearning and the Right to Love; Love Found, Love Fought; Rejection, Pity, and Prejudice; Self-Image and Internalized Ableism; and Hope, Healing, and Collective Agency. Findings indicate that disabled individuals’ desires are frequently dismissed, surveilled, or framed as burdensome, yet participants also reclaimed intimacy through creative expression, digital communities, and collective support. These narratives reveal how romantic longing, often regarded as illegitimate for persons with disabilities, can itself constitute resistance to ableist cultural scripts. The study contributes to disability scholarship by situating romantic life within a politically sensitive and culturally conservative setting, underscoring the need for rights-based approaches that recognize emotional and relational inclusion as integral to policy and practice.

Keywords

disability romantic agency intersectionality Kashmir familial honour

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