Naomi Fair, PhD

Dr. Naomi Fair’s work draws on the fields of critical disability studies, critical pedagogy, and her own experiences is a former K-12 educator. Through participatory research methods aligned with the movement principles of disability justice, she engages critical inquiry collectives to explore ableism, racism, adult supremacy, and intersecting systems of oppression across a variety of contexts. In these co-designed critical and creative inquiry spaces, collaborators work to understand and recognize injustice and cultivate collective resistance in solidarity with disabled and multiply marginalized children.

Dr. Fair’s scholarship has been published in the Journal of Interdisciplinary Teacher Leadership, Professional Development in Education, Inclusive Practices, American Quarterly, and the Handbook of Research on Special Education Teacher Preparation.

Education

• PhD in Special Education and Graduate Certificate in Disability Studies from University of Washington, Seattle, WA
• MS in Special Education from Hunter College, NY, NY
• BA in Urban Studies from Vassar College, Poughkeepsie, NY
• Elementary Education Certification Program from Vassar College, Poughkeepsie, NY

See the syllabi for Dr. Fair’s courses below:

• Introduction to Childhood Studies (Undergraduate)
• Critical Disability Studies (Graduate)

View Dr. Fair’s full CV here

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Recent Publications:

 Leon Guerrero, R.M., Nowak Constantouros, C., Fair, N., Martin, C. (Forthcoming). Principles and Practices: An inquiry-based approach to building and sustaining inclusive schools. Inclusive Practices. 

Fair, N. (2025). ‘I can lean on all of you’: Teacher Leaders Cultivating Pedagogical Resistance. Professional Development in Education, 1–20. https://doi.org/10.1080/19415257.2025.2590664