Negotiating Identity Reconstruction through Consumption: An Analysis of the Experiences of Consumers with Acquired Sensory Impairments

This paper aims at revealing the process of identity reconstruction for individuals who have acquired sensory disabilities, as well as the contribution of consumption to this process.

The data was collected through both interviews conducted in France and autobiographical accounts.

When disability occurs, individuals go through a rite of passage that shapes their identity reconstruction process. Two forms of liminality appear: acute and sustained liminality. These phases can foster or hamper individuals’ identity reconstruction.

The mechanisms leading from one stage of the identity reconstruction process to another should be deepened through further research.

Given the fluctuating behaviors of consumers with disabilities, especially in view of their identity reconstruction process, this research encourages retailers and public policy actors not to consider them as a homogeneous consumer segment.

While scholars dealing with consumers with disabilities have mainly focused on the accessibility of the marketplace, this research disentangles their identity issues.