Learning disabled colleagues take part in international research seminar
03 May 2013
The University's Learning Disability Studies Partnership Steering Group (PSG), which includes learning disabled adults, has co-hosted and co-chaired the second international event of an ESRC Seminar Series.
Established to guide the University's BA in Learning Disability Studies, the PSG draws expert input from its learning disabled members, who serve alongside course tutors, student representatives and alumni.
"Our learning disabled members are drawn from the local area and Cumbria, and have all been involved at some point in the self-advocacy movement - although this is not an essential requirement,” explained seminar organiser, Dr Rohhss Chapman from the School of Education.
“Some take part in the degree programme as paid visiting lecturers, talking about advocacy, support issues, partnership research, history of institutions, learning disabled women's issues etc: this role is a first for academia."
On 23 April, all the PSG members took part in the opening presentation at a seminar entitled 'Involving Learning Disabled People in Data Analysis’, which examined the tensions between creating new, robust academic knowledge whilst keeping it accessible to the people it involves.
Sixty participants discussed topics presented by contributors from universities and research networks in Iceland, Sweden, Ireland and the UK.
Summing up the seminar, Malcolm Eardley, a PSG member from Cumbria, reported: “We all had things to do, everybody took part - the day was excellent.”
Further information
This was the second event in an ESRC Seminar Series called 'Pushing the Boundaries of Participatory Research with People with Learning Disabilities'.
If you would like to receive more information about the seminar on 23 April or the remaining seminars in the series, please contact: