Disclosing Disability around the Water Cooler

‘To prove I’m not incapable, I overcompensate’: Disability, ideal workers, the academy

“…The academic’s desire to succeed and the blurred boundaries of work and home are influenced by pressure to cultivate an ideal worker persona that meets output expectations (Sang et al, 2015). The notion of the ideal worker and the ever-increasing productivity demands of the neoliberal academy require the disabled academic to exceed their capacity, regardless of adjustments, to the detriment of their health and wellbeing (Brandão Dolan, 2018; Brown and Leigh, 2018; Dolmage, 2018; Horton and Tucker, 2014; Newton et al, 2018).…”

“…Disability is framed as a risk to a person’s capability to meet the required standards and expectations (Waterfield et al, 2018). This has led to a rise in the underlying belief that disabled academics must justify their ability to fully participate in academia (Waterfield et al, 2018), and they may thus overcompensate, which can further exacerbate disability as well as cause new health problems (Newton et al, 2018; Olsen et al, 2020). For casually employed academics, there is a hesitance to say ‘no’ to unreasonable requests when relying on tenuous income, coupled with the hopes of making an impression as a ‘good’ worker (Mellifont et al, 2019).…”

“…In the university context, managers are key figures in providing workplace adjustments (Emira et al, 2018). Managers may determine what assistance is provided and what is considered reasonable (Corlett and Williams, 2011; Gregly, 2017 in Newton et al, 2018). This may translate to insufficient access to accommodations despite laws and university policies to address barriers.…”

“…Shortfalls in workplace equity are greatly underestimated by non-marginalised groups, including those who dominate management and senior roles (Deem and Morley, 2006; Oud, 2018). Efforts to institute policies may involve non-disabled staff designing policy, assessing disabled staff’s needs and implementing plans (Newton et al, 2018; Olsen et al, 2020). These opinions might be prioritised over those of disabled academics, resulting in the perspective of disabled academics being ignored (Olsen et al, 2020).…”

“…These opinions might be prioritised over those of disabled academics, resulting in the perspective of disabled academics being ignored (Olsen et al, 2020). While human resources (HR) and equity departments tend to have specialised training around policies and procedures, such expert staff can also fall short, proving unhelpful or ill equipped to facilitate access to adjustments (Newton et al, 2018). Failures in implementation can also mean staff must navigate access on their own to determine their rights, entitlements and potential adjustments (Campbell, 2020; Corlett and Williams, 2011).…”