Conceptualising the everyday harm experienced by people with cognitive disability: A scoping review of microaggression and emotional and psychological abuse

Background: Many people with disability experience harm in everyday interactions that can leave them feeling insulted, degraded, silenced, or rejected. We adopt the term “everyday harm” to describe this underexplored form of harm. 

Method: The purpose of this scoping review was to assess how the literature on microaggression and emotional and psychological abuse contributes to an understanding of everyday harm and misrecognition. 

Results: Microaggression and emotional and psychological abuse occur at an interpersonal level and are influenced by organisational structures and attitudes, underpinned by ableist attitudes and stigma. Actions and omissions are both intentional and unintentional and the effects are subjective and cumulative. 

Conclusion: Insights from microaggression and emotional and psychological abuse can inform the concept of everyday harm. Little is known about how people with disability understand and respond to their harmful experiences and everyday harm can offer a language to name and prevent this form of harm.