Tag: Unit 2

Research Portfolio-Edward

The question guiding my research is disclosing invisible disabilities. Invisible disabilities are disabilities not immediately apparent to others.  Although not apparent to others, due to their unrecognizable traits, invisible disabilities are ever present for the impacted individuals. Examples of invisible disabilities include ADHD, epilepsy, chronic pain, hearing impairment, cerebral palsy, and diabetes. This is just a small list of diagnoses that impact many individual’s lives. These examples have a variety of symptoms that are worthwhile to study because having an invisible disability compels an individual to weigh the risks of sharing or concealing their diagnosis. Why my interest? I have an invisible disability, so it is a personal interest of mine.

I have personal connections in the world of disabilities. People often make assumptions about people living with disabilities, which can be isolating at times and negatively impact relationships. Having a disability and needing an IEP in school was somewhat stigmatizing. Therefore, to avoid this stigma, avoiding disclosing is self-protection. So, the professional question will always be…do you disclose…when do you disclose, and I suppose how do you disclose? This research I’m doing may always be with me well into the world beyond this course.

As we moved into Unit 2, I expanded my research from strictly pre-employment interest of disclosure to after employment disclosure. Both areas present somewhat similar issues of concern.

I also found another area of interest in my research searches, individuals with visible disabilities that became invisible due to COVID and working virtually. They now face the same quandary as far as disclosure to employers. That’s an issue I didn’t expect.

Frankly, I’m trying to keep all the pieces of this research portfolio organized. At this rate, I may need to increase computer storage :).

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Discussion Questions Week 7/26

1. An individual can feel shame for being laughed at for having a disability (Gray, Pakinson, & Dunbar, 2015).

Reference:

Gray, A. W., Parkinson, B., & Dunbar, R. I. (2015). Laughter’s influence on the intimacy of self-disclosure. Human Nature: An Interdisciplinary Biosocial Perspective, 26(1), 28-43.

It is suggested by current research theory that laughter works to build relationships between people. Therefore, laughter should be connected to interpersonal connection important to the development of relationships. To develop close social bonds, disclosing behaviors are seen as a way to help this process. It is thought that the act of laughing could momentarily reduce a laugher’s reluctance to disclose personal information. In this experiment, characteristics of self-disclosing statements produced by those who had watched previously one of three video clips differed in the extent to which they elicited laughter and positive affect. The results show that disclosure intimacy is significantly higher after laughter than in the control group. This suggests that this effect may be due, in part, to laughter itself. On the other hand, the research further indicates that an individual can feel shame for being laughed at for a disability.

This will support my project as far as the stigma of having a disability. If individuals have a disability (whether it is invisible or not) and have been the subject of laughter or bullying this can have a long-term impact on their willingness to disclose this to others. The concept of feeling shame regarding a potential flaw in their ability to perform a job could make an individual silent on any disability related issues even if they could assist them in job performance. This supports the previous research that suggests individuals with invisible disabilities are concerned about the stigma of revelation.

2. Brigitte D. had some differing thoughts on the ideas in the original article “The subtle sexism of your open office plan”. While she initially agreed that there is a level of self-consciousness in the open plan, there was a sense that this was a temporary situation. Brigitte herself was able to develop the ability to ignore the situation. However, it was the sensory overload that was problematic due to the open office plans. It was so severe that it got to a point where she could barely function and concentrate. As we consider individuals with sensory processing difficulties (either small or more significant), they can have a substantial impact on an employee’s success. For instance, many autistic adults are unable to concentrate in an open-plan office because of the background noise? Brigitte used numerous examples such as a man who drummed erratically on his desk, while another one whistled. At another place the sound of the dinging microwave and opening of the refrigerator combined with another employee who utilized too much perfume every morning.

Sensitivity to noise at work can be very erratic, especially if you work in an environment where certain times of the day are busy and other times are quiet. Without a place to support employees with auditory sensitivities, this type of work environment is challenging at best.

Although Brigitte spoke up at work, it appears the situation was not resolved. That speaks volumes for the state of how employees are handled with valid concerns. The fact that she transferred from position to position with various organizations is troubling. Would it have made a difference if a man had a problem with the same situation? At the end of her post is the final comment, “In all my career I saw two setups that promoted productivity, both were in having an individual office space temporarily, during construction of a new cubicle setup”…and there you have it.

Research Plan-Ed

What question is guiding your research? (what do you want to use your research to understand?)

The question that I planned on guiding my research was disclosing invisible disabilities. Invisible disabilities are disabilities not immediately apparent to others.  Although not apparent to others, due to their unrecognizable traits, invisible disabilities are ever present for the impacted individuals. Examples of invisible disabilities include ADHD, epilepsy, chronic pain, hearing impairment, cerebral palsy, and diabetes. This is just a small list of diagnoses that impact many individual’s lives. These examples have a variety of symptoms that are worthwhile to study because having an invisible disability compels an individual to weigh the risks of sharing or concealing their diagnosis.

My initial guiding research question was to only consider disclosing an invisible disability in an interview but as I’ve started my research, I may include disclosing throughout a career as well. I’ve found some interesting research on that as well.

• Why this question? (help us to understand how it connects to your career/personal interests)

Why? I have an invisible disability, so it is a personal interest of mine.

• How will your professional/internship/organizational/course work inform your inquiry? (what connections can you see with the work that you’re part of in the world beyond our course?)

I have personal connections in the world of disabilities. People often make assumptions about people living with disabilities, which can be isolating at times and negatively impact relationships. As a student with an IEP growing up and being paraded at times to the Special Education room, I often felt that stigma. Yes, one of “those” students. An individual can feel shame for being laughed at for having a disability (Gray, Pakinson, & Dunbar, 2015). Therefore, to avoid this stigma, avoiding disclosing is self-protection. So, the professional question will always be…do you disclose…when do you disclose, and I suppose how do you disclose? This research I’m doing may always be with me well into the world beyond this course.

• What fields (academic and professional) matter most to your inquiry? (where are you going to be looking for source material?)

I will be looking into the fields of professional journals as well as individuals who work in the field of disability services. If at all possible, I’d like to interview some employers although I’m not sure if I’d get an honest response or a politically correct one. I’ll also try to find some first-hand accounts as well in my research which may present some valuable insights.

References:

Gray, A. W., Parkinson, B., & Dunbar, R. I. (2015). Laughter’s influence on the intimacy of self-disclosure. Human Nature: An Interdisciplinary Biosocial Perspective, 26(1), 28-43.