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

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. JEL codes: Z13

Unequal? Investigating Employers’ Recruitment Practice Towards Wheelchair Users

“…The employers' demands did not match the ability of the individual. Instead of viewing obstacles as a structural barrier to employment, the study shows that they were viewed as an individual barrier and adjustments at the workplace were impossible (Humphrys et al, 2022).…”

“…Applicants with disabilities thus risk being employed in job functions for which they are overqualified (Gustafsson et al, 2013;Jones & Sloane, 2010;Mousa, 2022) and missing out on job advancement opportunities (Lefcoe et al, 2023;van Beukering et al, 2022). Humphrys et al (2022) also demonstrate that some people with disabilities in Australia found it difficult to meet the ideal worker norm as an academic worker. The employers' demands did not match the ability of the individual.…”