A reminder that all participants need to register in order to participate in the fall seminar series. The link to the registration is here: https://osu.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJwqc-6hqj8pHNNLvJoQiEIkYeLs8tuoakuR
Dr. Debby Carr, Boston University, Professor and Department Chair of Sociology
Title: Interpersonal and Institutional Discrimination among U.S. Adults with Disability
Abstract: More than one in four U.S. adults reports at least some difficulty with vision, cognition, mobility, self-care, or independent living. Rates of impairment among working-age adults have increased in recent years, raising concerns about the short- and long-term consequences for their social integration, psychological well-being, and economic security. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), enacted 30 years ago, has been instrumental in expanding opportunities for and fighting institutional discrimination against persons with impairment. However, less is known about the more subtle yet pernicious forms of stigmatization and microaggressions experienced by persons with impairment. Using data from the Midlife in the United States (MIDUS), a national sample of U.S. adults, I examine whether persons with impairment are at a heightened risk of multiple forms of interpersonal and institutional discrimination, and the extent to which these experiences are a mechanism linking disability status with mental health symptoms. Drawing on stigma, life course, and double jeopardy perspectives, I also show how the psychosocial consequences associated with disability status differ on the basis of age/life course stage, gender, and occupational status. The results demonstrate that impairment does not operate as a “master status” and its interpersonal consequences vary by one’s social location. I discuss the implications for theory, research and practice.
