The ableism elephant in the academy: a study examining academia as informed by Australian scholars with lived experience

Mellifont, Damian; Smith‐Merry, Jennifer; Dickinson, Helen; Llewellyn, Gwynnyth; Clifton, Shane; Ragen, Jo; Raffaele, Martin; Williamson, P.

doi:10.1080/09687599.2019.1602510

Cited by 47 publications

(52 citation statements)

References 23 publications

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“…Nevertheless, if there is a will to change, then we need to know how to recognise, analyse and change interconnected practices which are shaped, often unwittingly, by the demands of the institution. Disability is formulated and experienced differently in particular contexts and circumstances (Mellifont et al 2019) and so, as argued by relative interactionists (Gustavsson 2004), an analysis of social practices must also be sensitive to the 'complexities of the body's constant and transformative interaction with the social' (Taylor and Shallish 2019, p. 4).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The insider view: tackling disabling practices in higher education institutions

Merchant¹,

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D'Evelyn

et al. 2019

High Educ

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This paper reports on research about the experiences of disabled staff members in UK universities, drawing on eleven semi-structured interviews with disabled staff in one university, alongside a group auto ethnography conducted by the first four authors, all of whom identified as disabled academics. Disability is generally considered to be predominantly an issue for students, both in practice and in the literature. By contrast, taking a social practice approach, we focused on the barriers faced by disabled employees, both overt and hidden. We found that disability was still viewed as a medical problem, and that disabled members of staff faced considerable extra labour in organising their own supports. We were often made to feel that we were unwanted and that we were 'misfits' in the institution. This paper contributes to theory by showing how social practices can become exclusionary, and how interconnections between practices matter. We discuss ways in which ableism, based on the ideal of 'individual' excellence, creates barriers for disabled staff. In the global context of Higher Education, the increasing marketization of universities in higher income countries creates a difficult climate for the values of inclusion.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The insider view: tackling disabling practices in higher education institutions

Merchant¹,

Read

D'Evelyn

et al. 2019

High Educ

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“…Scholarly reporting highlights the abilities of researchers with disability. For example, Mellifont et al (2019) raise the prospect of accommodated neurodiversity (e.g., anxiety) driving rather than limiting academic performance. Moreover, the literature indicates that scholars with lived experience have capacity to participate across all stages of research (Biringer et al, 2016;Mitchell et al, 2017), even though particular abilities are not always immediately recognised.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Seven out of the 10 articles from this group revealed the attribute of lived experience knowledge. Mellifont et al (2019) spoke of how lived experience with a neurological disability can offer vast knowledge. Furthermore, lived experience with disability can inform questions that might not be apparent to academic researchers without disability (Strnadová et al, 2014, p.19).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Banas, Magasi, The and Victorson (2019) caution that there is an overall shortage of people with disability operating in the research establishment. Mellifont et al (2019) also note that lived experience expertise has not received the authority that it warrants. Notable barriers challenge ambitions to conduct more lived experience led and co-produced research: even highly qualified disabled persons may find it difficult to obtain academic positions that would allow them to conduct research (Kirkham, Webster, Chen & Vines, 2016; harsh rejection criteria might exclude persons with complicated disabilities from joining study teams (Banas et al, 2019); mobility of prospective disabled researchers is complicated by transport and building inaccessibility; participation of persons with emotional, social or cognitive impairments can be impeded by crowds and noise (Banas et al, 2019); and "research skills training still remains mostly ignored in inclusive disability research literature" (Strnadová et al, 2014, p.14).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This investigation explores the ways in which scholarly articles report about research attributes in relation to researchers with and without disability. Collectively these attributes of researchers, as derived from the literature, include: researcher abilities to conduct studies; knowledge stemming from lived experiences with disability; empathy for disability; capacity to support disability activism; and the contribution of research rigor (Birken & Harper, 2017;Callus, 2019;Mellifont et al, 2019;Strnadová et al, 2014). I investigate possible differences between the median research attribute reporting scores as recorded for two groups of articles (the first group primarily focusing on researchers with disability and the second on nondisabled researchers).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

Non-disabled Space Invaders! A Study Critically Exploring the Scholarly Reporting of Research Attributes for Persons With and Without Disability

Mellifont¹

2020

SSJ

Self Cite

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Social justice requires that the “nothing about us without us” disability inclusion mantra not be rejected or watered down in knowledge production activities. Appreciating the need for a greater representation of disability in these activities, this investigative study aims to (a) determine if there is a statistically significant difference in the median research attribute reporting scores between articles whose content refers to the term “researchers with lived experience” and articles whose content refers to “non-disabled researchers,” and (b) to critically discuss how the scholarly literature reports on the attributes of researchers with and without disability. Enabling this exploration, this study has applied the Mann-Whitney U test and thematic analysis to a purposive sample of 20 articles that were retrieved from a Scopus database search. Findings reveal that the median score of reported research attributes was statistically significantly higher in the group of articles whose content referred to the term researchers with lived experience than in the articles that referred to non-disabled researchers. Results also highlight attributes of empathy, ability, rigor and activism that are reportedly shared across the two groups of articles. Crucially, attention is given to a theme reported as unique to the researchers with disability group. This is the attribute of having firsthand knowledge of disability (i.e., lived experience). The study concludes by recognising that lived experience, when incorporated throughout the research process, can help to redress deficiencies that might otherwise be present.

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Resistance from the margin: An autoethnographic account of academic ableism

Kwon

2023

Human Resource Dev Quarterly

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Ableism—which refers to a socially‐sanctioned preference for normative bodies and minds, and which presumes one's abilities—is prevalent in any social system, including academia. However, despite an evolving disciplinary identity that seeks to improve work systems by addressing critical social issues, human resource development (HRD) as a field has done little to understand or advocate for the experiences of academics with disabilities. To challenge directly prevailing ableist assumptions and practices in academia, the present autoethnographic study was undertaken to reflect upon and detail my own experience of becoming an academic with a disability, specifically in the field of HRD. The story presented in this article presents evidence of unique challenges and opportunities facing an academic with a disability and seeks to stimulate meaningful dialogue around how to create a welcoming and inclusive academic culture for all. This article also advances autoethnography as a viable research methodology that allows for the authentic voices of members from marginalized communities and mobilizes change.

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The ableism elephant in the academy: a study examining academia as informed by Australian scholars with lived experience

Cited by 47 publications

References 23 publications

The insider view: tackling disabling practices in higher education institutions

The insider view: tackling disabling practices in higher education institutions

Non-disabled Space Invaders! A Study Critically Exploring the Scholarly Reporting of Research Attributes for Persons With and Without Disability

Resistance from the margin: An autoethnographic account of academic ableism

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