Policy Press

Lived Experiences of Ableism in Academia

Strategies for Inclusion in Higher Education

Edited by Nicole Brown

Published

May 25, 2021

Page count

352 pages

ISBN

978-1447354116

Dimensions

216 x 138 mm

Imprint

Policy Press

Published

May 25, 2021

Page count

352 pages

ISBN

978-1447354130

Dimensions

216 x 138 mm

Imprint

Policy Press

Published

May 25, 2021

Page count

352 pages

ISBN

978-1447354130

Dimensions

216 x 138 mm

Imprint

Policy Press
Lived Experiences of Ableism in Academia

Demands for excellence and efficiency have created an ableist culture in academia. What impact do these expectations have on disabled, chronically ill and neurodivergent colleagues?

This important and eye-opening collection explores ableism in academia from the viewpoint of academics' personal and professional experiences and scholarship. Through the theoretical lenses of autobiography, autoethnography, embodiment, body work and emotional labour, contributors from the UK, Canada and the US present insightful, critical, analytical and rigorous explorations of being ‘othered’ in academia.

Deeply embedded in personal experiences, this perceptive book provides examples for universities to develop inclusive practices, accessible working and learning conditions and a less ableist environment.

Nicole Brown is Director of Social Research & Practice and Education Ltd and Lecturer in Education in the Department of Culture, Communication and Media at the UCL Institute of Education.

Introduction: Being ‘different’ in academia ~ Nicole Brown

PART I: Ways of knowing

A leg to stand on: irony, autoethnography and ableism in the academy ~ Laura L. Ellingson

“There’s no place for emotions in academia”: experiences of the neoliberal academy as a disabled scholar ~ Angharad Butler-Rees

Embodiment and authenticity: how embodied research might shed light on experiences of disability and chronic illness ~ Jennifer Leigh

What’s in a word? Rephrasing and reframing disability ~ Sharon Smith

Intermezzo

PART II: Lived experiences

Colour blindness in academia: the challenges of an invisible impairment ~ Oliver Daddow

Stammering in academia: voice in the management of self and others ~ Robert H. Mann and Bryan C. Clift

Losing my voice (physically and metaphorically) ~ Jeanne Barczewska

Deafness and hearing loss in higher education ~ Nicole Brown

Living with collagenous colitis as a busy academic: chronic illness and the intersection of age and gender inequality ~ Rosalind Janssen

Three cheers for Access to Work partnership: two cheers for Two Ticks and one question about a university-wide self-disclosure scheme ~ Chris Mounsey and Stan Booth

“I’m not saying this to be petty”: reflections on making disability visible while teaching ~ Emma Sheppard

#AutisticsInAcademia ~ Chloe Farahar and Annette Foster

“I’ve always wanted to be a nurse …”: challenging academic ableist assumptions ~ Jo Sullivan

Ableism in music academicism ~ Ben Lunn

Teaching with and supporting teachers with dyslexia in higher education ~ Jennifer Hiscock and Jennifer Leigh

Depressed academics: building a group blog community ~ Mikael Vejdemo- Johansson and Ian P. Gent

Cancer, bereavement and work ~ Nicola Martin

Invisible disabilities and (re)negotiating identity: life after major traumatic injury ~ Clare Lewis

Conclusion: Disability imaginary of the future ~ Nicole Brown