‘…but if you tell anyone, I’ll deny we ever met:’ the experiences of academics with invisible disabilities in the neoliberal university

Abstract

In the contemporary academy, scholars are expected to deliver highly measurable outcomes in order to build positive reputations for themselves and their institutions. The disclosure of any form of disability, within academe’s predominantly ableist culture, risks raising concerns about a faculty member’s professional competence to achieve expected results. This article is derived from a doctoral study based on qualitative interviews with 16 professors who self-identify as being invisibly disabled. The findings point to a pervasive culture of ableism and disability avoidance in the neoliberal academy. Participants discuss the often-negative impact of disability in their professional lives, which can be exacerbated by intersecting dimensions of differentness attached to their self-identities. The results of this study suggest that for faculty members who disclose an impairment, hoping to have their needs accommodated, the social response within the academy may be inimical, regardless of what policy or employment law requires of institutional administrators. This is clearly the reason why many participants say they only disclose if it seems absolutely necessary, even though they provide ample evidence that their differentness need not hamper their performance or their contribution to overall productivity.