Disabling atmospheres : How consumers with disabilities experience affects of abnormalcy and ableism in the marketplace

O'Leary, Killian and Higgins, Leighanne (2026) Disabling atmospheres : How consumers with disabilities experience affects of abnormalcy and ableism in the marketplace. Marketing Theory. ISSN 1470-5931

Abstract

To date, understanding of atmospheres in marketing theory has concentrated primarily on how those who are able-bodied navigate, consume and experience marketplace settings. To address this, we conduct a conceptual review of marketplace accessibility literature that turns atmospheric focus to an oft negated group, consumers with disabilities (CwD). In doing so, we conceptualise disabling atmospheres by reframing a conceptualisation of consumer normalcy, examining how CwD experience ‘affects of abnormalcy’ in marketplace settings, namely: invisibility, devalue, incompetence and unwelcome. We reveal that these affects are outcomes of disabling atmospheres that are predicated on ableist tenets of Independence, Regulation and Contortion. We offer the following contributions. Firstly, we provide a much-needed additional perspective in how atmospheres are studied and thought of, moving research to consider more macro-social and macro-systemic failings of atmospheres and how they may disable, exclude and disenfranchise minority groups. Secondly, we advance marketplace accessibility literature by bringing together a theorisation of disabling atmospheres, which has been implied but never explicitly addressed. Finally, through our theorisation, we offer a provocation to future scholars and practitioners; how can we ‘disable’ the disabling atmospheres permeating our marketplaces.