Unhousing the Norm: Disability, Pets, and the Politics of Home

Society for Companion Animal Studies (SCAS)

Presenter: Anita Franklin, PhD Candidate, Flinders University

Abstract:This presentation explores how home design and accessibility shape the lived experiences and relational dynamics of disabled people and their companion animals. Drawing on crip theory, critical animal studies, and the sociology of home, I interrogate how ableism and speciesism intersect within domestic space. While much housing research remains anthropocentric, my work situates the home as a multispecies site where power, care, and belonging are negotiated daily. I present key findings from my literature review and outline the theoretical and methodological framework guiding my PhD research, which critically centres the agency of companion animals and people with disabilities. I offer reflections on inclusive research practices and the potential for domestic space to be reimagined through interdependence, access, and justice.Speaker:Anita Franklin is an Accredited Mental Health Social Worker, Clinical Play Therapist, and PhD Candidate based in regional South Australia. Her work is grounded in critical disability studies, critical animal studies, and the sociology of home, and informed by her lived experience as a disabled person with multiple pets. Through her PhD research, she explores how home design and accessibility shape the experiences and relational dynamics of people with disabilities and their pets in shared domestic spaces. Her methodology centres both human and nonhuman participants, recognising the agency of companion animals and the value of interdependent ways of living. Anita also runs Side by Side Therapy and Intertwined Consulting, which support inclusive, ethical, and creative care across species and systems.

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Unhousing the Norm: Disability, Pets, and the Politics of Home

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Unhousing the Norm: Disability, Pets, and the Politics of Home

More events from Society for Companion Animal Studies (SCAS)

Discover more events from Society for Companion Animal Studies (SCAS), from Science & Tech to other experiences you might love.

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