Neurodiversity, chronic illness, and disability

Nightingale, Chris, Blundell, Julie and Henry, Karen (2025) Neurodiversity, chronic illness, and disability. In: Exploring Women’s Experiences in Higher Education. Routledge, London, England. ISBN 9781003486497

Full text not available from this repository.

Abstract

This chapter explores the experiences of three nursing and midwifery academics living with unseen impairments, including neurodiversity, chronic illness, and disability, within higher education. Through personal narratives, the authors examine the intersection of gender, disability, and professional identity, highlighting how systemic structures and societal expectations shape their lived experiences. Drawing on feminist materialist disability theory, the chapter challenges deficit-based models of disability and argues for a reframing of impairment as difference rather than deficiency. The authors discuss the complexities of disclosure, reasonable adjustments, and the cultural barriers that contribute to ableism in academia. They critique the resilience discourse that often places undue burden on individuals rather than addressing institutional change. By foregrounding lived experience and autoethnographic reflections, this chapter contributes to the ongoing dialogue on inclusivity, advocating for structural transformation in nursing and midwifery education to better support disabled academics and students.

Item Type: Book Section
Uncontrolled Keywords: nursing and midwifery academics, unseen impairments, neurodiversity, chronic illness, disability, higher education.
Subjects: R Medicine > R Medicine (General)
Divisions: The School of Business, Arts, Social Sciences and Technology
Depositing User: David Upson-Dale
Date Deposited: 02 Oct 2025 15:53
Last Modified: 02 Oct 2025 15:53
URI: https://oars.uos.ac.uk/id/eprint/5161

Downloads

Downloads per month over past year

Origin of downloads

Actions (login required)

View Item
View Item