Systemic Workplace Barriers for Academic Librarians with Disabilities

Abstract

Although studies related to diversity within librarianship as a profession are increasing, few have examined librarians with disabilities and none so far have included their voices or perspectives. This qualitative study involved interviews with ten academic librarians with disabilities in Canada. With a grounding in the social model of disability, it examines their workplace experiences and concerns and the barriers they face within the context of cultural assumptions about disability and work, and finds that the major barriers encountered are lack of awareness of disability issues and negative cultural stereotypes of disability.