Thread: #Ableism
It is 'how-to-dress-for-academic-job-talks' season & many have pointed out the race/class/gender dimensions of these standards, but it's worth remembering that these standards need to be examined through the lens of disability, which is a part of 'diversity'...1/

...and if we claim are seriously interested in inclusivity/diversity in academia, we need to think about disability in how we design interviews & assess candidates.
Think about the recommended formal suits.
Uncomfortable, expensive & difficult to pull together on a budget. 2/

But, also, clipping an insulin pump or other medical equipment inside a suit can be a little difficult for some. If a suit appears ill-fitting, maybe we should check/assess our initial judgements. Additionally, many #disabled people also have sensory issues with some fabrics. 3/

Candidates' sartorial choices therefore may be dictated by other reasons. A pant suit/skirt suit might not be as comfortable as a fit-and-flare dress in a formal material for a diabetic candidate with an insulin pump. 4/

Many disabilities restrict mobility / range of motion--this may be something to consider when interviewing someone for not wearing button-up shirts or is wearing shoes without laces, or sneakers. 5/

As Emma Rees' anonymous disabled academic respondent pointed out here, using a crutch was perceived as 'unprofessional' academic presentation. Mobility devices, crutches, prostheses say NOTHING about a candidate's research or teaching chops.
https://www.timeshighereducation.com/features/clothes-do-not-make-woman-what-female-academics-wear-subject-constant-scrutiny 6/

Short-listed candidates go through a rigorous doctoral program, have taught or TA-ed at the very least, given talks about their work & impressed the committee with their potential and abilities for some reason, otherwise they would not have been shortlisted 7/

But when we insist on centering clothing/affect/presentation, it is worth remembering that we might be making academic jobs even more inaccessible in some ways for some candidates. We might even deter candidates from applying.. 8/

I know someone is going to say: 'But are you saying we should have no standards at all?' That would be a deliberate misunderstanding of this thread--all I am asking is that if you are sitting on a job search committee, please consider that #DisabilityIsDiversity....9/

...& that people may have diverse reasons for varying from our mental template of what an 'English professor' or 'History professor' looks like. Without sacrificing standards of professionalism, or our scholarly expectations of candidates, we can make academia #inclusive for..10/

... #disabled candidates.
Implicit ableism in our standards should be acknowledged, interrogated, questioned and called out.
End thread.