Pieced together. Writing invisible (dis)abilities in academia

Abstract

Besides physical disabilities, there are also cognitive disabilities and neurological disabilities. Impairments, symptoms, or sensations may be variable and dynamic. However, all of these impairments and disabilities carry stigma and as such impact working lives of those who deal with the physical, cognitive, neurological, as well as the social consequences of their condition. The authors illustrate how the presumption of linear working lives also has consequences of exclusion for those dealing with disabilities and chronic illnesses. Indeed, authors experiences of the effects of chrononormativity emerge at the intersection of (dis)ability and gender. For people with chronic illnesses and disabilities, however, the dynamic between illness/disability and productivity is often the object of a more ongoing negotiation. Invisible chronic illnesses and/or disabilities may be considered invisible social identities, and as such align with identities related to, for example, sexual orientation, religious affiliation, and mixed-race heritage.