The Disabling Marketplace

This book highlights the pressing issue of marketplace accessibility for over a billion people worldwide living with disabilities―a number that is expected to grow due to aging demographics. Despite this significant population, our societies and marketplaces remain predominantly designed for the non-disabled.

This volume brings together a collection of studies from leading scholars that critically examine the barriers to accessibility in marketplaces. It explores the pervasive forces of ableism embedded in marketplace practices and environments that often exclude, stigmatize, and disempower individuals with disabilities. By interrogating these barriers and ableist practices, the book aims to inspire scholars and practitioners to take responsibility for creating transformative, inclusive markets. Ultimately, it advocates for a future where marketplaces are ‘enabling’ rather than ‘disabling.’

This book will be beneficial for students, researchers and practitioners in marketing, disability studies, and social policy. This book will also appeal to those interested in social justice and inclusive design. It contributes to the broad subject areas of marketing, accessibility, and equity, offering valuable insights for fostering inclusive and empowering marketplaces.

The chapters in this book were originally published as a special issue of Journal of Marketing Management.

Leighanne Higgins is Professor in Marketing at Dublin City University. She began studying marketplace accessibility for consumers with disabilities in 2016. She is Chair of the Academy of Marketing’s Special Interest Group on Marketplace Access and has published in leading journals such as the Journal of Consumer Research, Annals of Tourism Research, Marketing Theory, and Journal of Marketing Management.

Katharina C. Husemann is a Reader in Marketing at Kings College London. Her research lies in consumer culture theory, and explores consumer experiences of, or responses to, a globalized, accelerated, and digitalized consumer culture. She is published in outlets such as Journal of Consumer Research, Harvard Business Review, Psychology & Marketing, Journal of Business Research, and Journal of Marketing Management.

Anica Zeyen is a Professor in Entrepreneurship and Sustainability at Royal Holloway University of London. She researches disability inclusion in work and leisure using lived experience- based qualitative methods. Her work and advocacy aim to create a society where everyone can participate. She publishes widely and engages in public scholarship through exhibitions, podcasts, and documentaries.