Resisting ableism in deliberately developmental organizations: A discursive analysis of the identity work of employees with disabilities

Abstract

AbstractPeople with disabilities, an understudied population in human resource development, are often constructed as deficient and unproductive in the workplace. Such a phenomenon can largely be attributed to ableism, which is intensified by the widespread organizational emphasis on productivity. With the recognition of people with disabilities as political agents, this study examined the discursive practices of employees with disabilities in Deliberately Developmental Organizations (DDOs). DDOs as a research site were purposefully selected given their commitment to employees' continuous learning, growth, and development distinct from productivity as the main organizing principle. The critical discourse analysis of seven employees with disabilities in DDOs revealed two ways in which the participants countered the negative stereotypes associated with them: (a) the participants resisted ableism by openly communicating the scope of their ability, and (b) the participants resisted ableism by stepping outside the category of people with disabilities. These two radical ways in which the participants challenged ableism by drawing upon the empowering discursive resources in DDOs did not have ableism's reproducing effects and therefore illuminates the potential of continuing to research DDOs as a promising alternative organizational space for inclusion. This study expands our knowledge of disability identity in the workplace by highlighting that a DDO culture provides a unique context under which the distinct identity work of employees with disabilities can be observed and theorized.