ERIC Number: EJ1439317
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2024
Pages: 9
Abstractor: ERIC
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0009-1383
EISSN: EISSN-1939-9146
On (Trying to) Work with a Nonapparent Disability in the Academic Workplace: Toward a True Inclusivity for Disabled Workers in Higher Education
Change: The Magazine of Higher Learning, v56 n5 p4-12 2024
Aspects of academic life and work that some may consider "normal," such as extensive meetings, brightly lit spaces, constant reading, and demands for continuous productivity, can be additionally debilitating for people with non-apparent disabilities like traumatic brain injury (TBI). These concerns affect the 28.3 percent of the academic workforce who report either a visible or nonapparent disability (e.g., fibromyalgia, diabetes, long COVID, TBI). Research suggests that 17 percent of all staff feel dissatisfied with their campuses' climate for disabled persons; the self-advocacy and effort required to get needed accommodations, which sometimes takes years, adds even more burden to people with disabilities. A key to creating an inclusive climate for disabled staff is to dispel preconceived notions about disabled staff and sufficient accommodations, and to instead listen and learn about what their lives and unique situations are really like, which should then inform the identification of appropriate accommodations. To foster true inclusivity for disabled persons, departments and campus units should ensure accessible language and office spaces, proactively identify accommodations for various titles, and, when feasible, work to disrupt workaholic cultural norms.
Descriptors: Disabilities, Faculty, College Faculty, Accessibility (for Disabled), Higher Education, Civil Rights Legislation, Federal Legislation, Self Advocacy, Attitudes toward Disabilities, Self Disclosure (Individuals)
Routledge. Available from: Taylor & Francis, Ltd. 530 Walnut Street Suite 850, Philadelphia, PA 19106. Tel: 800-354-1420; Tel: 215-625-8900; Fax: 215-207-0050; Web site: http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Laws, Policies, & Programs: Americans with Disabilities Act 1990
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A