Rethinking disability through the political model of disability: an autoethnographic study of the Tembo Mvura people in Zimbabwe

Abstract This article critiques traditional Western disability models, such as the medical, social and biopsychosocial models, by introducing a political model of disability based on the lived experiences of the Indigenous Tembo Mvura people in Zimbabwe. Displaced from their ancestral lands and marginalised by national and global political forces, this community faces unique disabling conditions shaped by systemic political decisions rather than individual impairments or societal barriers. Utilising an autoethnographic approach, this article highlights how land dispossession, restrictive environmental policies, and political exclusion have impoverished the Tembo Mvura people and created disabling conditions. The article argues for a shift from resilience to resistance, emphasising political agency as key to addressing these challenges. By presenting a political model of disability, this article provides a comprehensive framework for understanding disability in postcolonial contexts and advocates for the inclusion of marginalised voices in disability discourse and policy reforms. Points of interest This article shares the real-life stories and voices of the Indigenous Tembo Mvura people of Zimbabwe. It clearly highlights how disabilities can be made worse when people are forced off their lands or left out of help from the government-initiated projects. It articulates how unfair political rules and governance decisions create and sustain disabilities. The article shows how the Tembo Mvura people are not just coping with problems, but how they are also standing up to unfair treatment. This article brings new stories to the global disability discourse, showing why it is important to listen closely to what people in Indigenous communities like Tembo Mvura say about their own lives.