Ableism and exclusion: Challenging Academic Cultural Norms in Research Communication to Effect Changes in Practice

Higher Education has seen drastic changes over the last decades, with increasing emphasis on equality and inclusion. Athena Swan, the Race Equality Charter, and #BlackLivesMatter have led to more awareness of exclusionary practices. Statistics on disability highlight serious issues around disclosure rates for staff: 16% of working age public disclose a disability, neurodivergence or chronic illness, compared to less than 4% of academics working in HE (Brown and Leigh, 2018). We know staff report being stigmatised, challenged and questioned, with some saying they have been told not to pursue a career in academia as they would fail anyway. In this environment how can research managers and administrators be agents of change, raise awareness, and empower academics to ask for and gain adjustments to support their work?

Dr Jennifer Leigh will discuss why research on ableism and academia is important, sharing findings and the challenges this work brings. Josie Caplehorne will share current work at Kent. We will then consider practical changes that address and challenge this culture through raising expectations, placing inclusivity and accessibility at the heart of research communication, and encouraging, equipping and challenging the academic community to embed these practices in the dissemination of their research.