Notre Dame de Namur University Assistant Professor Victoria Liou-Johnson, PhD, contributes to Systemic Ableism: Critical Perspectives on Disability, Equity, and Access, exploring ableism in medical practice and its connections to social and disability justice.
Notre Dame de Namur University’s School of Psychology is proud to highlight the recent scholarly work of Victoria Liou-Johnson, PhD, Assistant Professor and Director of Professional Education in the Clinical Psychology Department of the School of Psychology, whose chapter, “Beyond the Visible: Addressing Ableism in Medical Practice,” appears in the recently published book Systemic Ableism: Critical Perspectives on Disability, Equity, and Access.
Published in March 2026 and edited by clinical psychologist Charles M. Lepkowsky, PhD, Systemic Ableism brings together perspectives examining how ableism can affect individuals and communities across a wide range of settings and experiences.
Examining Systemic Ableism Across Communities
Ableism is an emerging area of study and concern that extends across numerous populations and institutions. Systemic Ableism: Critical Perspectives on Disability, Equity, and Access examines the concept from multiple perspectives and considers how ableism can appear in areas including healthcare, higher education, employment, and information technology.
The book addresses developmental disabilities, autism spectrum disorders, physical disabilities, invisible disabilities such as traumatic brain injury, HIV, serious mental illness, pathological demand avoidance, multiple sclerosis, and aging. It also considers how these experiences can intersect with race, gender, aging, and gender identity.
Contributors to the book include academic experts and healthcare professionals from a variety of backgrounds, including authors with direct experience of the forms of ableism discussed in their work. Together, the chapters consider opportunities for continued research, assessment, treatment, education, and greater awareness of systemic barriers.
Learn more about Systemic Ableism from Nova Science Publishers
“Beyond the Visible: Addressing Ableism in Medical Practice”
Dr. Liou-Johnson’s chapter, “Beyond the Visible: Addressing Ableism in Medical Practice,” contributes to the book’s broader examination of disability, equity, and access by focusing specifically on ableism within medical practice.
The work also reflects Dr. Liou-Johnson’s broader academic interests in social justice and disability justice—topics she incorporates into her teaching at NDNU, including the Clinical Psychology Department’s Lifespan Development and Cross Cultural Issues courses.
Her scholarship has extended beyond the publication itself. In June 2026, Dr. Liou-Johnson also used the chapter as a foundation for a presentation on disability for APA Division 35, Section 5, providing another opportunity to engage with issues surrounding disability and justice.
Connecting Scholarship and the Classroom at NDNU
Dr. Liou-Johnson’s work reflects an important aspect of the educational experience within NDNU’s School of Psychology: faculty scholarship and professional expertise can directly inform what students encounter in the classroom.
Examining issues such as ableism requires looking beyond individual experiences to consider the larger social, cultural, healthcare, and institutional systems that can shape people's lives. That perspective connects naturally with the School of Psychology’s emphasis on understanding human behavior within the broader contexts in which people live and work.
By bringing her work in social justice and disability justice into courses such as Cross Cultural Issues, Dr. Liou-Johnson provides students with opportunities to engage with contemporary issues while considering their relevance to psychology and professional practice.
Her contribution to Systemic Ableism also demonstrates how faculty scholarship can extend beyond the university—contributing to conversations taking place across psychology, healthcare, education, and other fields.
At Notre Dame de Namur University’s School of Psychology, students learn from faculty members whose scholarship, clinical and professional experiences, and areas of expertise help connect psychological concepts with contemporary challenges and real-world practice.
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