The Diary of a Disabled PhD Student: Sharing Lived Experience of Chronic Illness and Disability using Digital Media and Journalism

Introduction This practice-based PhD explores the lived experiences of chronic illness and disability, considering intersections with class, gender, and age through digital media and journalism. A Diary examines the challenges of completing a PhD with disabilities, offering insights into navigating higher education.

Aims The research employs autoethnography to examine how intersectionality – particularly class, gender, disability, and comorbidities – affects PhD students. It also investigates how creative practice can help individuals from working-class backgrounds with disabilities pursue higher education and gain recognition in the media industry.

Methods The researcher maintained an online Facebook ‘Diary of a Disabled PhD Student’, hosted on a research website (www.linktr.ee/disabledphdstudent), which is integrated into the thesis through critical reflection chapters.

Results The study highlights the value of digital media and journalism in fostering disability inclusion, demonstrating how creative writing, and digital platforms can enhance engagement among diverse audiences and create contributions to research dissemination.

Impact Despite limitations, the research illustrates the positive role of digital media and journalism in raising awareness of disability and chronic illness, increasing visibility, and amplifying marginalised voices.

Future Directions The project offers creative extracts to guide future researchers, showcasing how digital platforms can document and share lived experiences in academic settings.

Conclusion This research underscores the value of combining autoethnography, digital media, and journalism to promote disability awareness. It calls for diversifying the PhD thesis language and layouts (structure) to enhance inclusivity in higher education. The research offers new knowledge contributions regarding ‘graphy’ and the holistic factors affecting PhD completion for individuals with disabilities, emphasising the need for diverse representation.