Doing Difference Differently: Identity (Re)Constructions of Adults With Acquired Disabilities

Purpose/Objective: The acquisition of a disability impacts one's corporeality and has been found to destabilize one's sense of personal and social identity. The article explores the psychological and behavioral adaptation strategies that are employed in response to resisting, incorporating, and/or integrating disability into one's identity. We refer to a study that considered factors that facilitate and/or impede disability identification, aiming to investigate the trajectory that the process of identity (re)construction takes. Research Method/Design: Seven individual, in person, semistructured interviews were conducted with adults with acquired physical and sensory disabilities. Data underwent thematic analysis. To encapsulate the intrapersonal as well as interpersonal dynamics inherent in identity (re)construction, the analysis was guided by an interpretative phenomenological lens and social identity theory (SIT). Results: Disability identification is a complex and contradictory phenomenon, with strategies of resistance, incorporation, and/or integration fluctuating by setting and circumstance. These findings represent a significant departure from SIT literature-participants rather made use of more collectivist as opposed to individualistic adaptation strategies. Arguably, progress is being made with regard to disability pride, opening up a space for more positive and affirming disabled identities. Furthermore, disability identification is largely facilitated by greater opportunities for political advocacy and social support-online and in the disabled community. However, stigma-internalized and external-is still a major inhibitory factor to disability identification. Conclusions/Implications: Recommendations for rehabilitation programs and psychological professionals working with acquired physical and sensory disability are proposed.