Bringing Visibility to Disability: Fostering Accessible Paths Toward Scholarship and Service

Disability justice is an emerging area of scholarship and activism centered on the holistic, intersectional experiences of those navigating conditions on the spectrum of disability. Professionals in the social sciences are particularly well-positioned to implement the principles of disability justice within their applied work and scholarship. While some academics and practitioners endeavor to integrate accessibility into their practices, there is less advocacy around disability-related concerns within the profession itself. Research, while sparse, demonstrates that academics are significantly less likely to disclose their chronic illness to their supervisors, precluding them from resources that may aid their career experiences and advancement. Indeed, issues involving accessibility create profound barriers in professional settings - especially within academic institutions that uphold stringent definitions of "success" and already pervasive issues of academic guilt, imposter syndrome, and burnout. When both educational and career advancement opportunities rely on notions of efficiency in time, resources, and output, individuals with disability and/or chronic illness may be systematically excluded from participating in these opportunities. Minimal representation and consideration for chronically-ill/disabled students, colleagues, and mentors is not only a disservice to their effort and personhood, but a disservice to the social sciences as a whole.

The purpose of this roundtable is to uplift the voices of individuals from across career stages with lived experience navigating academic and professional occupations in Social Work and/or Psychology simultaneously with chronic illness and/or disability. Broadly, themes will include availability and accessibility of resources, professional and career development, personal and professional sustainability, disclosure and representation, and discussion around the larger metacommunications of academic culture that impact chronically-ill/disabled scholar-practitioners. Panelists consist of two undergraduate students (one working toward a dual-degree in Social Work and Psychology; one working towards a dual-degree in Social Work and Gender and Women's Studies) and one graduate student (working towards their PhD in Clinical-Community Psychology) from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, as well as one Post-Doctoral Research Fellow at the Center for Disability Health and Wellness at the University of Michigan. Panelists will speak to the challenges and processes involved in early-career training and opportunities, discussing both barriers to learning and supportive measures for equitable educational experiences. Topics may also include reflections on hiring practices and recruitment, accommodations in the workplace, the implications of tenure and other promotional processes, and considerations for long-term career growth and sustainability. Woven into this conversation is an emphasis on interdependence, mutual support, and collective well-being within the disciplines of Social Work and Psychology. The panelists' experiences represent personal growth as a product of community support and commitment. The goal of this roundtable is to engage critical dialogue and reflection on current practices within our community, following the second and tenth principles of disability justice: Leadership of those most impacted and collective liberation.