Sibling Brokerage: Recasting Sibling Roles as Systemic Labour Across Disability Service Systems

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: The study examines sibling brokerage as a form of cultural, linguistic and institutional labour performed by siblings of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities from historically marginalised communities. METHODS: Ten adult sibling brokers were recruited and completed open-ended questionnaires. Data were analysed thematically, guided by conceptual frameworks of epistemic injustice. RESULTS: Findings reveal that sibling brokers serve as system navigators, translating institutional logics, advocating for services and rearticulating family knowledge. Their labour often began in childhood, was shaped by hegemonic expectations to fit into the system and was frequently unacknowledged or co-opted by professionals. CONCLUSION: Sibling brokerage is not ancillary but structurally embedded labour that compensates for systemic gaps in accessibility and inclusion. Future research should examine how such roles are institutionally produced and sustained and envision justice-oriented systems that recognise the expertise of sibling brokers.