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‘To prove I’m not incapable, I overcompensate’: Disability, ideal workers, the academy

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 January 2023

Elizabeth Humphrys Open the ORCID record for Elizabeth Humphrys [Opens in a new window] ,
Jess Rodgers Open the ORCID record for Jess Rodgers [Opens in a new window] ,
Nicole L Asquith ,
Sally Anne Yaghi ,
Ashleigh Foulstone ,
Ryan Thorneycroft  and
Peta S Cook Open the ORCID record for Peta S Cook [Opens in a new window]
Elizabeth Humphrys
Affiliation:
University of Technology Sydney, Australia
Jess Rodgers*
Affiliation:
University of Tasmania, Australia
Nicole L Asquith
Affiliation:
University of Tasmania, Australia
Sally Anne Yaghi
Affiliation:
Private practice, Australia
Ashleigh Foulstone
Affiliation:
Private practice, Australia
Ryan Thorneycroft
Affiliation:
Western Sydney University, Australia
Peta S Cook
Affiliation:
University of Tasmania, Australia
*
Jess Rodgers, Tasmanian Institute of Law Enforcement Studies, University of Tasmania, Private Bag 22, Hobart, TAS 7001, Australia. Email: jess.rodgers@utas.edu.au
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Abstract

The experiences of academics with disability have received modest but growing attention internationally, but virtually none in the Australian context. This article outlines research findings from a study examining their experiences at a large Australian university. The article uses a materialist framework to demonstrate how capitalist social relations shape and demarcate an ‘ideal university worker’, how disabled workers find it difficult to meet this norm, and the limited assistance to do so provided by managers and labour relations policy frameworks. The research findings point to a profound policy gap between employer and government disability policy inclusion frameworks and the workplace experience of academics. This breach requires further investigation and, potentially, the development of alternate strategies for workplace management of disabilities if there are to be inroads towards equity.

Keywords

Z13Australiadisabilitydiscriminationlabouruniversities
Type
Original Articles
Information
The Economic and Labour Relations Review , Volume 33 , Issue 4 , December 2022 , pp. 698 - 714
Copyright
© The Author(s) 2022

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