Disability, burnout, and survival in academia: A researcher’s note

Burnout in academia is often framed as an outcome of excessive productivity or as an individual failure. This essay argues that such narratives obscure the structural conditions that shape burnout for disabled scholars. Drawing on the perspective of a visually impaired feminist researcher working in an Indian public university, the essay examines how ableist institutional structures create a distinctive form of exhaustion. Within feminist spaces, this burden is intensified because of expectations that disabled scholars represent disability, educate others about inclusion, and provide emotional support, often without recognition or compensation. The essay calls for a rethinking of academic productivity, collective care, and institutional responsibility to make feminist academia accessible and inclusive for everyone.