Evidence of Reversal of Ableism among High Performing Students with Disability in a Business School

Abstract

Educational policies and school level interventions are often targeted at average students and inclusive policies meant for students with disability are no exception. How do gifted or high performing students with disability overcome their disability hurdles in the absence of targeted inclusive policies and academically perform on par or even better than their peers? We address this research question through in-depth interviews of eight multi-talented high performing students with disability from birth currently enrolled in a top ranked business school in India. These students had achieved a reversal of ableism in their context by showing remarkable agency to develop a positive identity among their business school peers. Common factors found salient across our interviews were: (a) key early incidents in life that showed the student as an exception to the habitus of disability, (b) active parental support that countered any negativity from others regarding the student’s disability, and (c) motivation from role models in the family and among tutors during critical phases of the student’s academic journey. Some students crafted innovative ways early in life to become self-dependent and had learnt new skills that were hard to learn due to their disability. Some students had developed a larger social circle and become a source of inspiration to their peers. We provide a positive narrative of an under-represented social group in the business school context and identify new factors relevant to the inclusion and encouragement of high performing students with disability to enable them to reach their true human potential.