Disability and marketing: a bibliometric analysis and systematic literature review

Abstract

The needs of people with disabilities have been largely overlooked in the marketplace and in the development and promotion of products and services. As the marketing system has the potential to drive changes in the education system, industry, market, and society, a more grounded and comprehensive understanding of the scholarly debate on disability is essential for advancing academic knowledge and marketing practice. Therefore, this paper provides a bibliometric analysis and systematic literature review on disability and marketing, based on 68 articles published between 1985 and 2022. After identifying the most prominent journals, authors, countries, and research methods employed, a qualitative content analysis is used to thematically map this domain of research. Descriptive data provide evidence of a recent surge in marketing studies addressing disability, which has received increased attention since 2020. Existing research has been primarily driven by studies on tourism, services, and social marketing, while other fields remain largely unexplored. In recent years, there has been growing scholarly interest in marketing communications and the representation of disability; however, the focus on barriers and accessibility has hindered the advancement of the knowledge base regarding the social inclusion of people with disabilities from a marketing perspective. Based on its main results, the paper identifies possible avenues for further research, which may also offer valuable insights for policymakers and marketing practitioners interested in the inclusion of people with disabilities in society and the market.