Lives and Experiences of Employees with Disabilities in Post-Secondary Institutions

Abstract

Exploring motivation and sense of self amongst ability-diverse employees while dissecting current disability policy using an ableist as well as hegemonic lens through the eyes of the employees and managers themselves is necessary within post-secondary institutions. The focus was on creating a unified voice, improving future policies, and strengthening organizational leadership as well as a positive sense of self amongst the ability-diverse population. This is in many ways an extension of a previous study completed by this researcher with post-secondary student participants (some interview questions varied) meant not only to strengthen the rights of this population even further, but also to note any differences in thought between employees and students identifying from this vast minority group. Ten participants self-identifying as disabled were recruited from Sault College in Sault Sainte Marie, Ontario, Canada. From the interviews, there were five major reoccurring themes voiced by all participants; thoughts on the connotation of the word disability in today’s world, feelings about perception by the College community and the community at large on disability and those employees who are disabled, why it is challenging or there is fear to disclose diagnoses to colleagues in a professional setting, the importance of having passionate leaders (both in position and attitude) with the desire to be a vehicle for positive change, how well supported they feel (in their personal lives and at the College), and overall recommendations from the participants about what needs to change to better their lives and experiences as well as the lives and experiences of future ability-diverse employees across the PSE system.

Keywords: Ability-Diverse, Disability, Post-Secondary Education (PSE), Policy, Person with disability