Delayed PhD completion: an autoethnographic account of academic ableism

Abstract

Although equity, diversity, and inclusion have become increasingly important to Canadian higher education institutions, research on experiences of disability in post-secondary institutions is limited. What's more, the perspectives of disabilities from non-disabled academics far exceed that of those with disabilities. In the existing literature, disabled faculty and graduate students have outlined their experiences with academic ableism and the various barriers it has caused them. Applying a disability rights perspective, I use autoethnography to outline the ways academic ableism has manifested in my PhD program. More specifically, I develop a narrative that considers the relationship(s) that exist between dis/ability and chronic pain on one hand, and the ableist notion of "time to completion" on the other.