Legitimizing AIDS as a Disability: The AIDS and Disability Action Project in British Columbia, 1987–1991

In 1987, the British Columbia Coalition of the Disabled launched the AIDS and Disability Action Project. This article studies phase one of the project, undertaken from 1987 through 1991, to trace how the Coalition educated the disability community about HIV/AIDS, advocated for HIV/AIDS to be recognized as a disability, and pushed for cooperation between the HIV/AIDS and disability movements. Accordingly, it analyzes the research reports, educational materials, and conference presentations produced by and for the Coalition during this time. A critical evaluation of these materials demonstrates how the gay rights and disability rights movements were repeatedly juxtaposed to uncover strategies that could benefit HIV/AIDS activism, which inadvertently overlooked barriers that prevented the communities from cooperating. By contextualizing the efforts of the Coalition, however, this article highlights how they identified and challenged barriers that inhibited members of both communities from accessing services and support systems needed to fully integrate and participate in society.