ABSTRACT
Self-identification in reference to disability means the process that people go through in defining themselves according to their experience of disability. Theories of social practice argue that ‘social practices’, or the everyday activities people complete, such as going shopping, driving a car, or even attending university, shape, and are shaped by, how things get ‘done’ in society. This chapter focuses on the university context, which incorporated collaborative narrative inquiry methodology, centred on understanding how disabled students and staff experience academia. Provisions of support are typically granted by universities or other support providers, but only after an extensive assessment process, where an individual’s impairment and need for support is documented and scrutinised. While the Equality Act 2010 is in place to support disabled academics, our problems in accessing reasonable adjustments highlight that universities may not be implementing this policy effectively. From a social practice argument, such problems arise when practices are created and shaped without awareness of disabled people’s needs.
