Dismantling Ableism Survey: Mental and Emotional Health-Related Results

Introduction

The Dismantling Ableism: Institutional Action and Accountability survey (DAS) was administered in November-December 2023 to University of Manitoba students, faculty, and staff who self-identified as disabled or as having chronic health conditions.1,2 

Disability is not a singular experience, nor are disabled people a homogeneous group. People encounter different barriers and forms of ableism. Moreover, two people with similar impairments will also experience disability differently as personality, circumstance, privilege, and intersectional identities contribute toward their complex identity. 

“Experiences of inequities are particular to the type of chronic health issues [or] disability. When paired with intersectional issues such as race, class, etc., these inequities become more pervasive.” 

This results report is one in a series highlighting student, staff, and faculty experiences of ableism and inaccessibility at UM. It is intended to diversify understandings of ableism in academia through the presentation of disaggregated results that indicate differences among those who may share one or more broad socio-demographic characteristics such as Indigenous, racialized, or disability identities, gender, or sexuality.3 We emphasize disaggregated data to acknowledge intersectional marginalization to decenter Whiteness, colonialism, patriarchy, heteronormativity, and cisnormativity within anti-ableism action. 

Comparing the experiences of intersectionally marginalized groups is not intended to set these groups in competition with one another or to focus only on barriers and the ways in which they are “disadvantaged”, rather than their agency and vast array of achievements and skills. Rather, disaggregated analysis emphasizes experiences and voices that are often overlooked to pinpoint the concrete actions that will have the most widespread positive impacts on the entire UM community.

Language

The DAS used identity-first language (disabled persons) rather than person-first language (persons with disabilities) to acknowledge the disabling effect of social, environmental, and institutional barriers which hinder disabled individuals’ full participation in society, including university life.4

Similarly, the survey also used the term “chronic health conditions”, broadly defined as any condition, including mental health conditions, that is continuing or that occurs again and again over a long period of time, which in interaction with various barriers, may hinder full and effective participation in society on an equal basis with others.5

Positionality

Researchers bring their experiences, identities, and biases to their work. The DAS team members identify with various systemically marginalized identities, including disability and chronic health-related identities. These lived experiences are assets, but we recognize that our personal intersections of privilege also influence our work. Our commitment to research quality includes an openness to concerns and criticisms. Please feel free to send feedback on the DAS results to the Office of Equity Transformation at Equity@umanitoba.ca.

Footnotes

1. The survey was funded by the Robbins-Ollivier Award for Excellence in Equity.
2. The final sample size for the DAS, after data cleaning, is 544.
3. For example, do those who identify with cognitive disabilities feel more or less safe at UM than those identifying with physical or sensory disabilities? Do those who identify as disabled and as either bisexual or pansexual encounter more ableist microaggressions than their heterosexual counterparts?
4. Language choices were explained in the survey introduction; nevertheless, the DAS project team respects that members of disability and chronic health communities have diverse language preferences, including person with a disability, chronically ill, and episodic disability, for example. The team is grateful for all of the feedback we received regarding language and it will inform our work going forward.
5. Adapted from Bernell, S., & Howard, S. W. (2016). Use your words carefully: What is a chronic disease? Frontiers in Public Health, 4, 159. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2016.00159 and the United Nations.

Report content

This summary focuses on some of the experiences of DAS respondents who identify with mental and emotional health-related disabilities or chronic health conditions.

Mental and emotional health

  • Overall, 70% of DAS respondents identified with a mental or emotional health-related disability or chronic health condition6:
    • 77% of student respondents
    • 69% of staff respondents 
    • 50% of faculty respondents
  • Most of those who identify with a mental or emotional health-related disability or health condition (75%+) identify specifically as having a “chronic health condition”, as opposed to “disabled” or “another disability identity.” 
  • Most (75%+) describe their disability or chronic health condition as sometimes, rarely, or not at all noticeable to others.7
  • Many identify with mental or emotional health-related disabilities or health conditions in addition to another type of disability or chronic health condition (e.g., cognitive, physical, or sensory, such as ADHD and anxiety or depression.)8

Footnotes

6. This does not mean they only identified with a mental or emotional health-related disability or chronic health condition. Respondents were invited to select all the types of disabilities and health conditions necessary for them to fully identify, including physical, sensory, and cognitive. As respondents could choose multiple responses, the overall total for this question does not equal 100%.

7. With respect to the overall sample (any type of disabilities or health conditions), 47% describe their disability and health identities as “sometimes noticeable” (52% students, 37% staff, and 12% faculty); and 47% describe their identities as “rarely or not at all noticeable” (47.5% students, 35% staff, and 17.5% faculty). Just 10.5% of the sample describes their identities as “often or always noticeable” (54% students, 32% staff, and 14% faculty).

8. With respect to the overall sample (any type of disabilities or health conditions), 68% of students who identified as disabled further identified as having multiple disabilities (vs. 63% of faculty and 58% of staff). Similarly, 71% of students with chronic health conditions have 2+ conditions (vs. 66% staff and 63% faculty).

Experiences at UM

Compared to those who identify with physical, sensory, and cognitive disabilities and chronic health conditions, DAS respondents that identify with mental and emotional health-related disabilities or health conditions: 

  • Are more satisfied with their current participation at UM9 
  • Feel UM is more engaged with efforts to dismantle ableism10; and 
  • Perceive UM to be safer for those with disabilities and chronic health conditions, overall11. 

However, these respondents indicate their experiences at UM would be improved by the following: 

  • Greater overall inclusion (i.e., recognize and de-stigmatize mental and emotional health related disabilities and health conditions across UM) 
    • Those with mental or emotional health-related disabilities and conditions are the least comfortable with sharing their disability and chronic health identities at UM12. 
  • Greater inclusion regarding accommodations, specifically: 
    • Clarify and communicate formal and informal accommodations options for mental and emotional health-related disabilities and chronic health conditions 
    • Students13 and faculty and staff14 that identify with mental or emotional health-related disabilities and conditions are less likely to be receiving needed accommodations than their counterparts who identify with cognitive, physical, or sensory disabilities and chronic health conditions 
  • Review of student and employee policies 
    • Understand the impact that classroom attendance, assignment and test deadlines, and employee leave and absence policies have on those with mental and emotional health-related disabilities and chronic health conditions 
  • Expanded employee benefits (e.g., provide designated mental health days and more coverage for a wider range of mental health care and support services)

Footnotes

9. F (2, 526) = 8.76, p =<.001, η2 = 0.03
10. F (2, 503) = 5.8, p =<.01, η2 = 0.02
11. F (2, 486) = 4.1, p =<.05, η2 = 0.02
12. F (2, 517) = 4.9, p =<.01, η2 = 0.02
13. X2 (4, 221) = 11.1, p =<.05, V = 0.16
14. X2 (4, 188) = 12.8, p =<.05, V = 0.19. Faculty and staff were combined into one group for this statistical test.

Noticeability matters

Most DAS respondents who identified with mental or emotional health-related disabilities and conditions indicated these identities were only sometimes, rarely, or not at all noticeable to others15. Related to this, many actively “mask” their identities – only choosing to share them with a few trusted individuals at UM, if they share them at all. 

“Mental illness is invisible. Most people mastered the art of hiding it.” 

Respondents also described unique barriers associated with relatively less noticeable disabilities and chronic health conditions16, including: 

  • Feeling less “legitimately” disabled vs. more noticeable disabilities and chronic health conditions17; 
  • Not being believed when they say they have a disability or chronic health condition or need accommodations; 
  • Having to “prove” to others that they have a disability or chronic health condition. 

The qualitative data suggests such attitudinal barriers particularly affect students who need accommodations for less noticeable and mental or emotional health-related disabilities and conditions, as illustrated by the following quotes: 

“What are the requirements [for registering with Student Accessibility Services]? Embarrassed. Feel like I should be sicker or more disabled, that it is only for the visibly disabled.” 

“It takes so long to process and mental health is not enough reason for them to give me accommodations.” 

“I am just embarrassed because ‘depression isn't an excuse’ you know?”

“I am scared to apply, because my disabilities are not apparent, I may be denied.”

Footnotes

15. DAS respondents used terms such as “hidden” and “invisible” to describe their disabilities and chronic health conditions. The survey specifically asked respondents if their disabilities or chronic health conditions were more or less “noticeable to others”, which is why we use that particular language.
16. Any type of less noticeable disability or chronic health condition, including but not limited to mental and emotional health.
17. This feeling is related to respondents’ belief that UM generally thinks of disabilities and chronic health conditions as noticeable to others, physical, and continuous, rather than “hidden”, “invisible”, or episodic.

Desire for expanded mental and emotional health supports

When asked what types of accommodations and supports they would like to have, DAS respondents18 strongly emphasized the need for more robust mental health support options, services, and benefits, noting that current services do not meet the existing demand for mental health care19. Respondents need: 

  • Greater access to high-quality doctors, counsellors, and counselling services (especially expanded access to one-on-one mental health care) 
  • More mental health supports, including a culture of greater respect where mental health care needs receive as much recognition as physical health care needs
    • Expand insurance and health benefits to better cover chronic health condition care and mental health care
    • Provide designated mental health days, in addition to sick and vacation days

Footnotes

18. All respondents, not limited to those who identified with mental or emotional health-related disabilities and chronic health conditions.
19. The DAS was administered prior to the relatively recent increase in mental health care coverage for UM employees announced in early 2024.

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