‘What`s in a name?’ Assessing dynamic tension between Critical Theory ambitions and Neoliberal pragmatism in Higher Education Disability service provision

Abstract

The study examines the experience of a Higher Education Disability service provider as it battles the conflicting imperatives symbolised by a proposed name change for the service. One of the key dilemmas involved in the reflection of the practitioners involved is whether or not to include the word ‘Disability’ in the designation and the branding of the unit. Beyond the reflection of the name change itself, the data collected by the unit reveals the wider coexistence, within practices of service provision, of two distinct sets of values and imperatives. The paper analyses the thought process which took place on this campus for several months in 2013 and argues that what transpires in the analysis of the qualitative data surrounding this episode, is the growing dynamic interaction between a Critical Theory heritage and increasingly present Neoliberal imperatives. The outcomes section examines how this tension might be addressed in the future by Disability service providers but also campuses at large.