Intersection of discriminations: Experiences of women with disabilities with advanced degrees in professional sector in the United States.

Abstract

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVE: Women with disabilities are typically expected to work in underpaid positions and earn much less when compared with men with disabilities or women without disabilities. In this study, we interviewed women who are at the other end of this spectrum-women with disabilities who were engaged in a high-skilled professional sector. We report their lived experiences and how the intersections of their identities impact, contradict, and collide with the aforementioned assumption. We use feminist disability theory and Crenshaw's theory of intersectionality to inform our research. Research Method/Design: In-depth semistructured qualitative interviews adopting a phenomenological framework were conducted with 37 women with disabilities who hold advanced degrees and work in higher-paying professions. RESULTS: Some of the themes generated from our analysis of the interviews included isolation and hopelessness, a sense of tokenism or de-legitimization, limitations of provided accommodations, the intersection of gender and disability, and how multiple layers of identity fuel marginalization. CONCLUSIONS/IMPLICATIONS: Despite their success in placement, women with disabilities in the United States still experience numerous barriers in professional sectors. It is imperative to better understand the implications of intersectionality and how discrimination and marginalization can also impact those with successful employment. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

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