Navigating Open scholarship for neurodivergent researchers

Abstract

Who we are and why is this important?

In academia, there has been much discussion about how open scholarship can benefit marginalised voices (e.g. Robertson, 2020; Pownall et al., 2020). However, neurodivergent individuals (e.g. dyslexic, autistic, ADHD) have received little attention. According to the Higher Education Statistics Agency, only 2.2% in 2003/04, 3.9% in 2012/13 to 5.5% in 2019/2020 of staff at universities in the UK disclosed having a physical or neurological disability. However, the true figures are likely to be higher. Despite increased coverage and interest regarding disability issues in academia, concerns regarding negative perceptions of disability disclosure remain. More open discussions are taking place about the lived experiences of disabilities and chronic illnesses, as people with disability are becoming less stigmatised, leading to more disclosures being discussed. However, there is still a question being asked: ‘where are the disabled academics?’ (We are here but you don’t see us!).