Identity Management

The ongoing process of controlling how one presents aspects of their identity—including disability, health conditions, gender, sexuality, occupation, and other characteristics—across different social contexts and to different stakeholders. In accessibility and disability contexts, identity management is a critical access strategy that involves decisions about what to disclose, when, to whom, and how. Effective identity management requires cognitive effort and social skill, and the stakes are particularly high for people with intersecting marginalized identities where disclosure in one domain can have cascading consequences across others.