Academic work is challenging and relentless, but how is it experienced by disabled scholars ? How does structural ableism impact working lives of disabled academics? Universities are often seen as pillars of knowledge and social progress, but do they also pose significant risks to the psychosocial wellbeing of staff, particularly those on the margins?
This collaborative autoethnography, written by a team of disabled academics including myself, delves into the challenges faced by us in academia. Through personal stories, we highlight the ableism and cruel optimism that label disabled bodies as ‘misfits’ within higher education. Frustrated by silence, we share our experiences to provoke critical reflection and collective action to unsettle the existing conditions that regulate the toxicities of academia for everyone. Our goal is to spark a broader conversation about change for all academics.
‘Disabled and academic: a collaborative autoethnography on ableism and cruel optimism within Australian higher education’ has been published this month in Journal of Further and Higher Education, by Peta S Cook, Ryan Thorneycroft, Elizabeth Humphrys, Nicole L ASquith, Lisa Stafford, Melanie J Thomson, Karen Soldatić and Randos Jackalas Korobacz.
