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Indirectly Disabled yet Empowered by Revealing Vulnerability

Author

Listed:
  • Sophie Hennekam

    (Audencia Business School, France)

  • Mukta Kulkarni

    (Indian Institute of Management, India)

  • Laura*

    (*Laura is a pseudonym)

Abstract

Laura is the mother of a child with autism. She is also a university professor and a disability researcher. She reflects, alongside other disability researchers, on how she cares for her disabled child and simultaneously navigates academia. Laura initially complied with ableist norms by making her struggles invisible and trialled taking on a managerial role in which she failed. During this journey, she felt indirectly disabled through her child. Over time, Laura has begun to reveal her vulnerability at work, paving the way for others towards more openness about and acceptance of challenging personal situations that influence all areas of life. We point to the permanent nature of informal caregiving for disabled family members, highlight the hidden burdens employees may carry as they comply with ableist norms and identify exposure of one’s vulnerability as a powerful tool that allows individuals to bring their whole selves to work.

Suggested Citation

  • Sophie Hennekam & Mukta Kulkarni & Laura*, 2025. "Indirectly Disabled yet Empowered by Revealing Vulnerability," Work, Employment & Society, British Sociological Association, vol. 39(4), pages 1022-1031, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:woemps:v:39:y:2025:i:4:p:1022-1031
    DOI: 10.1177/09500170251336941
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Sally Lindsay & Kristina Fuentes, 2022. "It Is Time to Address Ableism in Academia: A Systematic Review of the Experiences and Impact of Ableism among Faculty and Staff," Disabilities, MDPI, vol. 2(2), pages 1-26, April.
    2. Christina N Marsack-Topolewski & Preethy Sarah Samuel & Wassim Tarraf, 2021. "Empirical evaluation of the association between daily living skills of adults with autism and parental caregiver burden," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 16(1), pages 1-18, January.
    3. Gabriel, Allison S. & Allen, Tammy D. & Devers, Cynthia E. & Eby, Lillian T. & Gilson, Lucy L. & Hebl, Mikki & Kehoe, Rebecca R. & King, Eden B. & Ladge, Jamie J. & Little, Laura M. & Ou, Amy Yi & Sch, 2023. "A call to action: Taking the untenable out of women professors’ pregnancy, postpartum, and caregiving demands," Industrial and Organizational Psychology, Cambridge University Press, vol. 16(2), pages 187-210, June.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

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