DISABILITY STUDIES ASSOCIATION MONTHLY e-NEWSLETTER
ENGLAND, WALES, IRELAND, SCOTLAND
Dear comrades
Please find below the first e-newsletter from a newly established but expandable
network. Our aims are to provide informal, off-the-press and informative
monthly details of disability research activities which might be of interest to
audiences including disability activists, organisations of disabled people,
students, researchers, policy makers, families, practitioners and local
authorities.
The idea for this newsletter emerged from discussions between the Research
Institute for Health and Social Change, Manchester Metropolitan University
(http://www.rihsc.mmu.ac.uk/) and Breakthrough UK Ltd - a social enterprise
which draws upon social model ideas to promote employment advocacy, advice,
support and training to disabled people (http://www.breakthrough-uk.com/). They
encouraged us to share regular information from disability research which might
inform their work. This sharing and networking also links into the aims of the
Disability Studies Association and, we hope, will have broader appeal
(http://www.disabilitystudies.net/).
For this first issue, as way of trial run, we have kept the focus to the
activities of research of some Universities in the North of England. We are,
though, interested in encompassing activities from England, Wales and Scotland.
Thanks to the Disability Studies Association we are now in a position to expand
the next issue (May) to encompass other institutions in and outside of the
North of England. We have funding for a year for the admin to support this
initiative. We should also say that we are interested in working with including
colleagues from the North and South of Ireland too.
This network relies, obviously, on regular monthly input. What we would like
from you, if you are interested
The details of your institution and one contact person and their email
address
Monthly commitment to provide us with BRIEF information (inc. related
weblinks) about disability research activities you and your colleagues are
involved through emails each month me (you will be reminded by email). This
could be no more than a few lines and no attachments as we want to keep it
workable, informal and relatively easy to read.
To provide details on such things as news on forthcoming publications;
conferences/seminars you are attending or hosting; funding opportunities of
interest to disability researchers; news from local and national government;
international disability issues; stories from research; ideas for research that
you would like to explore with interested others; disability studies teaching
materials and resources; links to new policy and user consultation, etc
To provide in your email information categorised in terms of your institution
e.g. News from the Research Institute of Health and Social Change, Manchester
Metropolitan University; Activities of the
disability studies team at University of Northumbria.
To make the email simple text without loads of formatting for ease of putting
together
To posit other ideas for developing the e-newsletter - perhaps a section on
'possible future research / funding priorities' which readers might be able to
link into for funding bids.
We hope you are interested. In due course, we will find consistent admin support
for this project, but at least for the next couple of issues (May, June) please
contact me.
Very best wishes,
Dan Goodley, Coordinator of e-newsletter
[log in to unmask]
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Disability Studies Association e-Newsletter
Issue 1: April 2007
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News from the Research Institute for Health and Social Change, Manchester
Metropolitan University (http://www.rihsc.mmu.ac.uk/)
(1) Disability, discourse and community psychology seminar â 6th July 2007 at
Research Institute of Health and Social Change (RIHSC), Manchester Metropolitan
University
This collaboration between Manchester Metropolitan University and University of
East London invites papers from colleagues who are interested in bringing
together critical ideas associated with psychology and discourse in relation to
disability studies. This one day seminar, which follows on from the RIHSC
conference (see below), will allow for a timely bringing together of ideas from
forms of radical and transformative psychology and disability studies. We
envisage papers being around 15 minutes long that promote debate, consideration
and flag up opportunities for further discussion and deliberation for future
collaboration, whether that be through research proposals, community
psychological work and / or publication. We welcome submissions from activists,
practitioners, students, academics, practitioners and researchers â and
combinations of the above â who are interested in furthering the radical
potential of disability studies. We welcome intersections of work and activism
associated with, amongst others, areas of disability politics, learning
difficulties and mental health.
If you are interested, please send a brief abstract (150 words maximum) to Dan
Goodley ([log in to unmask]) and Mark Rapley ([log in to unmask]) by May 1st
2007.
(2) Research Institute for Health & Social Change 2007 Annual Conference
Wednesday 4th and Thursday 5th July 2007
John Dalton Building
Chester Street, Manchester M1 5GD
Health & Social Change:
Challenges & Controversy
Visit http://www.mmu.ac.uk/rihsc for details
(3) Research idea from Paul Duckett ([log in to unmask])
I am presently working with the Seroxat User Group to develop a funding bid
(details below). Interest from other disability studies researcher welcomed:
The Seroxat User Group is a UK patients group which provides support and
advice to people who use or have used Seroxat (a prescription drug
anti-depressant). Seroxat is commonly prescribed for people who have been
given the diagnostic label of depression, anxiety and sexual dysfunction. In
recent years, it has been shown that a significant number of people who have
taken Seroxat have experienced severe problems in their attempts to withdraw
from the drug and, whilst taking the drug, problems with suicidal and
homicidal ideations. GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) are presently subject to a number
of class action law suits in the UK, USA and elsewhere in relation to the
company's alleged non-disclosure and distortion of the results of their
clinical research trials on the efficacy and safety of Seroxat.The Seroxat User
Group are a
not-for-profit organisation that has so far relied on individual donations
(surviving for four years on only ?800). In
spite of the lack of funding, the Group has continued to operate a website
resource for people concerned about the drug and have been lobbying
government to ensure public safety is not being jeopardised in relation to
the commercial activities of GSK.
This proposed research, being developed in consultation with the Seroxat
User Group (SUG), will:
++ engage in a piece of participatory action research with SUG to set up and
evaluate four self-help support groups, operated via general practitioner
surgeries.
++ Research the relationship GSK following the attempts of SUG to file class
action lawsuits against
GSK.
If you are interested in exploring this research idea please contact Paul
Duckett directly
(4) Dan Goodley has taken up a new post at Manchester Metropolitan University.
Details of recently completed research projects can be found at:
http://www.shef.ac.uk/disabledbabies/
http://www.shef.ac.uk/jobsnotcharity/
http://www.shef.ac.uk/applieddisabilitystudies/
(5) News from colleagues - The HDCA Thematic Group on Health and Disability has
put together a list of publications on the capability approach to disability
and health. For more information on the HDCA thematic groups, see
www.hd-ca.org/thematic_groups.php. If you want to join this Thematic Group,
contact its coordinator: Jennifer Prah Ruger, e-mail: [log in to unmask]
(6) The Greater Manchester learning disability research group â We are an
informal research group co-ordinated by Duncan Mitchell from Manchester
Metropolitan University. Made up of interested individuals from universities in
Greater Manchester our aim is to encourage collaborative learning disability
research and share research methods and findings with each other, people with
learning disabilities and practitioners. We have had three seminars this year
and will be holding one more on the 8th May at the University of Salford
(Speaker Dr David Race). Further seminars will be planned for the next academic
year. Contact â Duncan Mitchell â [log in to unmask] who will be pleased
to put you on the mailing list
(7) Visiting researcher - Pedro M. Teixeira is a doctorate student, financed by
the Portuguese Science Foundation, developing a project on the Portuguese
Rehabilitation field with a concern for: Policy, Organizational and
Family/Individual analysis. He worked for some years as a psychologist in
rehabilitation and has been involved in some research projects with a
particular interest in the Political and Community Psychology domains at the
Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences in University of Porto. He has
been on an exchange visit program at the Research Institute for Health and
Social Change in the Manchester Metropolitan University from February until
April. For more details contact Pedro on [log in to unmask]
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University of Lancaster Dept. of Applied Social Science, Lancaster University.
Message from Bob Sapey ([log in to unmask])
Last summer the Department of Applied Social Science hosted the third biennial
disability studies conference to be held at Lancaster University on the topic
of Disability Studies: Research and Learning. The conference attracted 191
people from 22 countries in four continents.The conference was held over 3 days
from 18-20 September. Delegates attended sessions at which nearly 100 papers
were presented concerned with research about every aspect of disabled people's
lives and predicaments. Those attending ranged from budding postgraduate
students, established international academics, politicians and government
representatives to activist campaigners in disability rights. Debate in the
plenary sessions was intense and challenging. The feedback on the academic
quality of the event was very positive. Although it was originally intended
that the conference would only be held at Lancaster for one year, it has proved
to be a popular venue - hence the next conference has already been booked for
the 2-4th September, 2008. There was a very strong support from people in the
Nordic countries, in part because of the agreement between Lancaster and the
Nordic Network for Disability Research (NNDR) to hold their conferences
biennially and in alternate years. The next NNDR conference will be in May 2007
at GĂśteborg, and we shall be there.
Message from Carol Thomas
DISABILITY STUDIES â STUDY ONLINE FOR A POSTGRADUATE DEGREE WITH A DISABILITY
STUDIES PATHWAY
The Institute for Health Research at Lancaster Unimbines learning in social
research methods and disability studies. The programme leads to a Masters in
Research (MRes)(or alternatively a PG Certificate or PG Diploma)and has generic
modules in research methods and a specialist module entitled: Disability
Studies and the Research Agenda. The pathway is convened by Carol Thomas
(PhD), well known for her publications in disability studies, and in the
sociology of health and illness. The pathway is designed to develop and deepen
understanding of social interpretations of disability and disablism. Students
can explore the implications of ideas in disability studies for research,
theory, policy, and practice. This online postgraduate degree programme will
appeal to:
⢠Professionals in health and social care services - especially services for
disabled people.
⢠Disabled people who wish to learn more about disability studies and its
research practices.
⢠Anyone else who seeks to learn about perspectives in disability studies,
through a research focus.
There are four other pathways in this postgraduate programme that may also be of
interest: Intellectual Disability; Health Research; End of Life Care; Public
Health. For further information â visit:
http://www.lancs.ac.uk/fass/ihr/courses/ or contact:
Sheryl Coultas Postgraduate Programme Secretary
Tel: +44 (0)1524 592127 Fax: +44 (0)1524 592401
Email: [log in to unmask]
Institute for Health Research, Lancaster University, Lancaster, LA1 4YT
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University of Leeds, Centre of Disability Studies
CDS is supporting CHANGE a national organisation controlled and run by
people with 'learning difficulties' who are conducting a user led action
project. Using various data collection tools including drama, the study
aims to find out from young people with learning difficulties what their
knowledge, hopes and dreams are in relation to sexuality and personal
relationships. This is a three project which started in February 2007;
Dr Ruth Garbutt is the researcher for this project.
Seminars:
April 18th: Professor Dan Goodley, Manchester Metropolitan University,
'Making connections between disability studies and psychology'
April 25: A group of four visiting postgraduate students from Halmstaad
University, Sweden. will do short presentations on their research
projects.
A Post Graduate Research Seminar for post graduate research students is
currently being organised by CDS post graduates for May 12th. Further
details will be announced shortly on the Disability- Discussion List:
[log in to unmask]
Visitors:
A visiting research fellow, Bruno Daniel Gomes Sena Martins from the
University of Coimbra, Portugal, will be studying at Leeds for a two
month period beginning 20th April
For further details of CDS past and present activities and publications visit:
http://www.leeds.ac.uk/disability-studies/
For the Disability Archive UK see:
http://www.leeds.ac.uk/disability-studies/archiveuk/index.html
For the Disability Research Discussion List visit:
http://www.leeds.ac.uk/disability-studies/discuss.htm
For Disability Press publications see:
http://www.leeds.ac.uk/disability-studies/publish.htm
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University of Sunderland â Message from Alan Roulstone
[log in to unmask]
âAm currently completing an evaluation of the modernisation of day
services for disabled people in a 'Northern city'-exploring the notion
of choices and voices in new services, the status and role of day
centres in the future (if at all). I also aim to do some spin off work
on collective versus individual identities in new service
environments-as I think there are risks of individualism being seen as
the formula for independence and I'm not saged with the disabled peoples
movement.
Have a UNESCO funded student from University of Warsaw doing work around new
technologies and enabling/disabling impact in higher education in
the North of England-happy to provide details.
Hosting a regional seminar in Sunderland-on-sea (!)reflecting on the
Life Chances report-presenters include Jenny Morris, Tom Shakespeare and
Alanâ
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Northumbria University - message from Toby Brandon
([log in to unmask])
Northumbria University at its Coach Lane campus currently offers a BA
Joint Honours Degree in Disability Studies and postgraduate supervision.
In research Professor John Swain is working with Percy Hedley School on
an ongoing development of their education provision. He has also
recently completed his role as the UK Researcher for the EDAMAT project
an EU Commission funded international project. In addition he has
recently finished some independent evaluation work with Dr Sally French
and Carole Thirlaway working with the Leonard Cheshire Disabled People's
Forum'. Dr. Toby Brandon is currently conducting a needs assessment of
people with MS living in Gateshead and has recently completed a
consultancy on mental health assertive outreach with the University of
Durham. In terms of publications Professor Swain has in press work
entitled:
French S. and Swain J. (in press) Service User Perspective. In Clutton
S. and Grisbrooke J. (eds.) An Introduction to Occupational Therapy in
Housing. Whurr Publishers Ltd. London.
French S. and Swain J. (in press) Overview - Culture and Context for
Promoting Health. In Scriven A. (ed.) Health Promoting Practice: The
contribution of nurses and allied health professions.
French S. and Swain J. (in press) Braille. In Albrecht G.A. (ed.)
Encyclopaedia of Disability. Sage. London.
French, S. and Swain, J. (in press) Service User Involvement. In Jones,
R. and Jenkins, F. (eds) Management, Leadership and Development in the
Allied Health Professions: an introduction, Radcliffe Publications.
Abingdon.
Swain, J. and French, S. (in press) Cultural Issues and Management. In
Jones, R. and Jenkins, F. (eds) Management, Leadership and Development
in the Allied Health Professions: an introduction, Radcliffe
Publications. Abingdon.
Dr. Toby Brandon has a Chapter entitled 'The Art of Affirming Identity'
for a Sage book due to be published in 2007 entitled 'Disability on
equal terms: understanding and valuing difference in health and social
care'. Dr. Toby Brandon is currently organising a seminar series on
'Inclusion' to start in the autumn with Professor Peter Beresford,
Professor Dan Goodley, plus others. He is also involved in the
'Partners for Inclusion' conference in Northumbria which aims to promote
collaborative working and the ethos of Every Child Matters around
'special educational needs'. It will take place in June with Richard
Rieser as the key note speaker.
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Disability Research Forum: Sheffield Hallam University and University of
Sheffield - message from Rebecca Mallett ([log in to unmask]), Katherine
Runswick-Cole ([log in to unmask]) and Tabby Collingbourne
([log in to unmask]).
The Disability Research Forum (DRF) was established in 2004 to provide a space
of support for postgraduate students involved in disability-related research.
It has since grown into a dynamic pan-institutional forum which provides rare
opportunities for disability researchers to come together and present work in a
friendly and encouraging environment.
The 'disability' seminars we have coming up in the next month or so are as
follows:
(1) DRF Meeting: April
11th April 2007 (Wednesday), 10.30am - 12.30pm in Heart of the Campus, Room
HO34, Sheffield Hallam University.
1. "Experiences and identities of UK university students with Asperger Syndrome"
~ Manuel Madriaga (Research Fellow, Disabled Studenld).
(2) 'The United Nations Disability Rights Convention' ~ Kate McCleery (Seminar
hosted by the DRF)
18th April 2007 (Wednesday), 1.30pm-3.00pm in The Pod, ICOSS (Informatics
Collaboratory of the Social Sciences), University of Sheffield.
(3) DRF Meeting: May
4th May 2007 (Friday), 10am-12pm in Heart of the Campus, Room HO16, Sheffield
Hallam University.
1. "Ways of Being Me: Reflections on a Working Lifecourse" ~ Diane Roberts (PhD
Student and Research Assistant, Research Institute for Life Course Studies,
Keele University)
2. "Title TBC" ~ Irene Rose (PhD Student, University of Manchester and Lecturer
in Cultural Studies, Liverpool John Moores University)
For more information on any of the above please email Rebecca Mallett
([log in to unmask]).
(4) Disability and Ethics: A Seminar Day (Keynote speaker Jackie Leech Scully,
plus paper presentations).
9th May 2007 (Friday), 10am-4pm in Abbeydale Room, University House, University
of Sheffield.
This workshop is aimed at postgrad/doc researchers, is hosted by the Disability
Research Forum and is funded by a Skills Training Development Grant,
administered by the Graduate Research Office, University of Sheffield.
For more information and/or to book a FREE place please email Tabby
Collingbourne ([log in to unmask]).
Message from Nick Hodge at Sheffield Hallam University
I am delighted to welcome two new members of staff to Sheffield Hallam: Rebecca
Mallett who is leading the disability studies modules and Katherine
Runswick-Cole who is teaching on the Early Years programme. Rebecca's recent
research has been concerned with cultural representations of disability while
Katherine has been investigating parents' experiences of special needs
tribunals. Many of you will be familiar with their work in Sheffield through
the Postgraduate Disability Research Forum. Sheffield Hallam is very keen to
progress a disability agenda for the university and these two appointments will
help us tremendously.
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University of Manchester â Learning disability studies team â contact
[log in to unmask]
Current Research Being Undertaken by the Learning Disability Studies Team
(1) Ed.D Research Currently Being Undertaken by a Member of the Learning
Disability Studies Team Through exploring the experiences of disabled gay men,
who either spend time or who have attempted to spend time within Manchesterâs
commercial âgay sceneâ, the project aims to explore some of the
complexities associated with the intersection between disability, sexuality and
community. The project has recruited a number of disabled gay men, who through
the telling of their own âstoriesâ are providing insights into this
interesting and so far under-explored and under-theorised area.
(2) Internally Funded Project Focusing on the Complexities of Methodological
Approaches to Research â This project seeks to explore some of the
methodological complexities that are associated with the researcher/participant
relationship. There has been, in recent years, much debate amongst academics
and disabled peopleâs groups as to who should or indeed can carry out
research into the lives of disabled people. This project seeks to explore how
the declared identities of researchers influence the research process. The
project will involve interviewing a number of disabled gay men who have
previously been interviewed by an openly gay researcher. These interviews will
explore how the participants believed that the researchers declared identity
impacted on the research experiences. The project will conclude with a number
of focus groups whereby the participants can discuss emergent themes with each
other.
(3) Project Funded by the Nuffield Foundation (Recently Completed) - This
project which was undertaken in partnership with people who have learning
difficulties, explored ways in which people with learning difficulties can be
enabled to develop and sustain esearch was to determine the nature of support
that people with learning difficulties themselves feel they need. Data has
been gathered via a combination of focus groups and individual interviews and
was analysed jointly by the research team and their partners with learning
difficulties. The findings are too numerous to record with this forum; the
following is a brief summary of the recommendations. It is clear that the
âproblemâ in this area lies firmly on the doorstep of society at large,
including some of the people who are paid to support people with learning
difficulties. Many of the issues emerging out of this research are directly
linked to individualsâ perception of people with learning difficulties as
human beings and members of society; in addition, it appears that there is a
serious lack of awareness (amongst support staff) of key legislation such as
the Human Rights Act (1998) and the incoming Mental Capacity Act (2005). The
attitudinal barriers that exist within society can and should be challenged;
however, although such a strategy can be both ongoing and long-term, it is also
necessary that the following are considered with immediate effect:
⢠All people with learning difficulties, particularly those living in
residential care, should have access to a citizen advocate;
⢠All people with learning difficulties should have access to education,
training and awareness-raising in areas such personal and social development
and sex education;
⢠Support in sensitive areas should be provided by gender-appropriate staff,
where this not possible, alternatives should be considered, e.g. the use of an
advocate;
⢠Organisations providing services for people with learning difficulties need
to ensure that all of their staff are suitably trained, particularly in
relation to ensuring that they understand the implications of imposing their
own moral or religious stance on service users;
⢠Accurate HIV-related information needs to be available and accessible to all
people with learning difficulties, particularly those who are considering
engaging in sexual activities;
⢠Support staff need to be made more aware of what constitutes ambiguous,
confusing behaviour, e.g. kissing service users and telling them that they are
their âfriendâ.
(4) Project Funded by the Higher Education Academy (ESCalate) This project seeks
to explore the ways in which people with learning difficulties can be involved
in and influence the delivery of higher education. For the past five years a
group of people who have learning difficulties have participated in the
delivery of the Learning Disability Studies degree programme at the University
of Manchester; this has included teaching across all three years of the
programme, acting as consultants and advising on the delivery of the programme.
This project will focus upon developing and disseminating this good practice
by sharing our experience with partners in other further and higher education
institutions.
(5) Ph D Research Currently Being Undertaken by a Member of the Learning
Disability Studies Team
Whilst the primary focus of this research is an exploration of the contribution
that people with learning difficulties can make to knowledge production, a
fundamental component is the methodology; the entire research process is being
undertaken in full partnership with a person who has been labelled as having a
learning difficulty. These issues are being explored via a focus (service
responses to HIV-related issues encountered by people with learning
difficulties) chosen by the research partner as a result of his frustration
over existing research in this area being conducted by âprofessionalsâ,
with little or no input from people with learning difficulties themselves.
(6) Upcoming Conference Paper: 24th May 2007, Iain Carson & Craig Blyth,
Place-Based Sex/Sexualities and Relationship Education Conference, Institute of
Education, University of London âNo Place to Go: the invisibility of disabled
childrenâ In recent years, there has been an increasing rejection of the
dominant medical and deficit based discourses surrounding both disability and
sexuality. Many academics in the fields of sexuality and disability studies
now propose a model of âthinkingâ about disability and sexuality that
recognises that concepts such as âdisabilityâ and âsexualityâ are
socially constructed and are based largely upon the tenets and canons of
western heteronormative society, as opposed to any essentialist biological
origins (Weeks, 2000; Sedgwick, 1990; Herdt, 1997; Oliver, 1996). Through the
analysis of narratives collected from disabled children and young people we
will seek to explore how a pervasive disablist heteronormative assumption
within society results in the sex and relationship needs of disabled young
people not only being left unmet but actively denied. The paper will focus on
data resulting from observations and interviews undertaken in special and
mainstream schools, interviews with parents and a number of focus groups
involving young disabled men who had recently left school. Findings indicate
that the experiences of disabled young people are at odds with what is laid
down in the National Curriculum (KS3 and KS4) in terms of learning about sex,
sexuality, emotions, relationships, sexual health and ourselves (NCB, 2003).
As a result of objectification by teachers, youth workers and even their own
parents, many of these young people were denied access to developmental
opportunities that would enhance their feeling of self in the context of sex
and sexuality. In relation to the contextualisation of place, particularly
institutional and media places, stark differences emerged compared with the
experiences of non-disabled young people. We have analysed what is (or is not)
happening in these places and have identified that as a result of the (social)
barriers imposed upon disabled young people, their feelings and experiences of
a sexual self are either denied or debased.
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END OF NEWSLETTER
CONTACT [log in to unmask] for further information
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Professor Dan Goodley
Manchester Metropolitan University
Research Institute for Health and Social Change
Division of Psychology and Social Change
Elizabeth Gaskell Campus
Hathersage Road
Manchester
M13 0JA
Tel: (+44) 0161 247 2000
Fax: (+44) 0161 247 6842
E-mail: [log in to unmask]
For details of recently completed research projects and related research
activities, please visit:
http://www.shef.ac.uk/disabledbabies/
http://www.shef.ac.uk/jobsnotcharity/
http://www.shef.ac.uk/applieddisabilitystudies/
Before acting on this email or opening any attachments you
should read the Manchester Metropolitan University's email
disclaimer available on its website
http://www.mmu.ac.uk/emaildisclaimer
________________End of message______________________
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