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Title
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"Not wishing to be the white rhino in the crowd" : disability-disclosure at university
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Author
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Abstract
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| This article reports on a qualitative study identifying the drivers for and boundaries to disability-disclosure in interability interactions as experienced by 13 students with physical impairments at five Belgian higher education institutions. Through surveys and in-depth interviews, the study explored whether the students experience, prefer, and expect differences in communication about their impairments with temporarily able-bodied peers, instructors, and staff. Interviews provided insight into the nuances of disclosure and topic avoidance decisions that differ by disclosure target: disability-disclosure is mainly a balancing act between fulfilling physical needs and maintaining a normal, positive identity. The visibility of impairments seems to play a minor role in the students' initial orientation toward disclosing. The functions of disability-disclosure as posited by the Communication Predicament of Disability Model and the CARE-keys to effective interability communication (i.e., Contact, Ask, Respect, Empathy) are discussed as well as the implications of the findings for Communication Accommodation Theory. |
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Language
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English
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Source (journal)
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Journal of language and social psychology. - Clevedon, 1982, currens
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Publication
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Clevedon
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2015
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ISSN
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0261-927X
[print]
1552-6526
[online]
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DOI
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10.1177/0261927X14548071
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Volume/pages
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34
:2
(2015)
, p. 158-180
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ISI
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000349319800003
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Full text (Publisher's DOI)
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Full text (publisher's version - intranet only)
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