Shining a spotlight on disabled scientists

Throughout my scientific career, I have encountered disability discrimination. I have been banned from mentioning my diagnosis, faced accusations of special treatment, and, at times, been excluded from the workplace altogether. I am not alone. There are many more stories like mine, which, perhaps, explains why disabled individuals are almost twice as likely to be unemployed as non-disabled individuals.

While the social model reframes disability as a form of exclusion rather than an individual deficit, research indicates that negative attitudes towards disability persist. Findings by Scope indicate that in addition to 32% of survey respondents believing disabled people are ‘in general not as productive as non-disabled people’, 13% admit to perceiving the disabled as different. Even well-intentioned efforts to address discrimination through awareness campaigns could inadvertently contribute to the problem. Awareness is synonymous with knowledge and understanding, but also apprehension – beware, disabled people are among you!