CFP: Call for Book Chapters – Beyond the Sum: Experiences, Autonomy, and Complexity in Multiple Disabilities

CALL FOR BOOK CHAPTERS Beyond the Sum: Experiences, Autonomy, and Complexity in Multiple Disabilities

Editor: Prof. Dr. Ana Paula Barbosa-Fohrmann
Institution: Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Brazil

I. Scope and Central Hypothesis

What happens when two or more disabilities coexist in the same person?

This edited volume starts from the understanding that multiple disabilities should not be conceived simply as the sum of two or more separately identifiable disabilities. When different disabilities coexist in the same person, they may interact, modify one another's manifestations, and produce a configuration of experience that cannot be adequately understood by examining each disability in isolation.

The central hypothesis of the volume is that the coexistence of disabilities may produce a qualitatively distinct form of complexity, rather than merely a quantitative increase in limitations or support needs.

This complexity does not necessarily result from the severity of an individual disability. A single disability may involve significant limitations and intensive support needs, while the coexistence of two or more disabilities may generate a complex situation even when each condition, considered separately, is not necessarily severe.

Multiple disabilities may coexist from early stages of life or develop successively over time. The emergence of an additional disability may transform a person's experience of themselves, others, and the world, as well as their possibilities of communication, participation, decision-making, and exercise of rights.

The volume therefore seeks to shift the focus from separately identified disabilities to the person who experiences them together.

Autonomy constitutes a central and transversal concern. It should not be equated with independence, self-sufficiency, or the absence of support. Contributions are invited to examine how autonomy may be expressed and exercised in situations of interdependence, including those involving intensive or permanent support.

The volume welcomes philosophical, theoretical, empirical, and interdisciplinary contributions addressing lived experience, embodiment, perception, communication, cognition, temporality, intersubjectivity, care, vulnerability, recognition, accessibility, support, participation, and the exercise of rights.

II. Thematic Organization of the Volume

Part I — Rethinking Multiple Disabilities

Philosophical, theoretical, and conceptual approaches to multiple disabilities, complexity, lived experience, embodiment, autonomy, interdependence, care, vulnerability, recognition, and models of disability.

Part II — Experiences of Multiple Disabilities

Empirical studies, case studies, and theoretically grounded investigations of specific configurations of coexisting disabilities.

Contributions should examine how different disabilities interact and how this interaction affects the person's experience, rather than merely describing each condition separately.

Part III — Rights, Support, and Institutions in the Context of Multiple Disabilities

Studies addressing education, healthcare, legal capacity, supported decision-making, care, assistive technologies, accessibility, ageing, public policies, family relationships, social participation, institutionalization, and other relevant issues.

Particular attention may be given to whether existing legal frameworks, policies, institutions, and support systems adequately respond to the complexity of multiple disabilities.

III. Conceptual Guidelines

Contributions should engage with the central hypothesis of the volume and offer an original contribution to the understanding of multiple disabilities.

In particular, authors are encouraged to consider the following principles:

1. The person, rather than the diagnosis, should remain at the center of the analysis.

2. Multiple disabilities should not be treated as a simple addition of separate conditions.

3. Severity and multiplicity should not be regarded as equivalent concepts.

4. The interaction between disabilities may transform the person's experience and the effectiveness of available support.

5. The need for support should not be equated with the absence of autonomy.

6. Lived experience and the temporal development of disabilities should receive attention whenever relevant.

7. Each chapter should formulate a clearly defined research problem and present an original theoretical, philosophical, empirical, or interdisciplinary contribution.

A guiding question for all contributions is:

What can we understand about a person and their experience only when we stop examining separately the disabilities that coexist in that person?

IV. Eligibility and Submission Guidelines

1. Eligible Participants

Proposals are welcome from master's students, master's degree holders, doctoral students, PhD holders, postdoctoral researchers, and academic staff working in the fields of Law, Psychology, Education, Health Sciences, and Philosophy.

Researchers may participate regardless of whether they are currently affiliated with a university or research institution.

Individual chapters and co-authored contributions involving up to three authors per chapter are accepted.

2. Submission of Chapter Proposals

Interested contributors must submit an extended abstract of 500–600 words, including references but excluding the title and author identification.

The proposal must contain:

a) Provisional chapter title;

b) Definition of the research problem;

c) Hypothesis or central research question;

d) Research objectives;

e) Methodology or theoretical-methodological approach;

f) Expected contribution to the understanding of multiple disabilities, considering the central hypothesis and conceptual orientation of the volume;

g) Main bibliographical references.

Each author and co-author must provide the following information:

• Full name;

• Academic degree or qualification;

• Institutional affiliation, if applicable;

• Email address;

• ORCID iD (mandatory);

• Link to the Lattes CV (mandatory for Brazilian authors).

Deadline for submission of proposals: December 7, 2026.

3. Evaluation and Announcement of Results

Proposals will be evaluated by the editor according to their thematic relevance, theoretical or methodological consistency, originality, and contribution to the central hypothesis of the volume.

The list of accepted proposals will be published by December 18, 2026, exclusively on the editor's website:

https://apbarbosafohrmann.com/

Applicants are responsible for consulting the website. Individual notifications by email will not be sent.

Acceptance of a proposal does not guarantee acceptance of the full chapter, which will be subject to final editorial evaluation.

4. Submission and Formatting of Full Chapters

Authors whose proposals have been accepted must submit their completed chapters by May 21, 2027.

The following requirements apply:

• Accepted languages: English, Portuguese, or Spanish.

• Length: 15–18 pages, including bibliographical references.

• File format: Microsoft Word (.docx), A4 paper size.

• Main text font: Times New Roman, 12 pt.

• Chapter title: Times New Roman, 14 pt, bold and centered.

• Text alignment: Justified.

• Line spacing: 1.5.

• First-line paragraph indentation: 1.25 cm.

• Margins: 3 cm (top and left); 2 cm (bottom and right).

• Citations: Author–date system, in accordance with ABNT NBR 10520:2023.

• Direct quotations exceeding three lines: Times New Roman, 10 pt, single-spaced, with a 4 cm left indentation and without quotation marks.

• Bibliographical references: In accordance with ABNT NBR 6023:2025, with titles of works consistently highlighted in bold.

Chapters must present an original contribution consistent with the conceptual guidelines of the volume.

Full chapters must also include the identification and academic information of all authors and co-authors, as specified in Section IV.2.

V. Important Dates StageDeadline Submission of extended abstracts December 7, 2026 Announcement of accepted proposals By December 18, 2026 Submission of full chapters May 21, 2027 Expected publication Second half of 2027 VI. Submission Address

Both chapter proposals and, subsequently, completed chapters must be sent to:

[email protected]

Please use the following email subject lines:

For extended abstracts:

Chapter Proposal – Multiple Disabilities Edited Volume

For completed chapters, following acceptance:

Full Chapter – Multiple Disabilities Edited Volume

All submissions must include the identification and academic information of every author and co-author, as specified above.

Further information and announcement of results:

https://apbarbosafohrmann.com/