What is the Centre for Disability Studies (CDS)?

The Centre for Disability Studies (CDS) at the University of Leeds is a School of Sociology and Social Policy Research Centre, with members from across the University (particularly from Social Sciences, Humanities, and STEM disciplines). Our work is shaped by a shared commitment to research and teaching that progresses equality and social justice for disabled people – in the UK and internationally.

CDS contributes to a wider intellectual environment committed to critical, engaged research and transformative education. This means producing knowledge that matters locally and globally, while creating opportunities for students, researchers, and partners to engage with urgent questions in ways that are rigorous, inclusive, and publicly meaningful.

CDS is internationally recognised for its contributions to the sociology of disability, disability politics and policy, disability law and human rights, inclusive design ‐ including transport systems and assistive technologies ‐ and Deaf Studies. Alongside its research profile, the Centre is also a longstanding site of excellence in teaching, contributing to undergraduate and postgraduate education that supports students to think critically, engage ethically, and make a positive difference in the world. This complements the School and University's emphasis on socially conscious graduates, inclusive learning, and education that equips students to understand and shape the world.

The Centre is directed by Dr Miro Griffiths, based in the School of Sociology and Social Policy. From July to December 2026, the interim Director will be Dr Ieva Eskyte.

 

Research and Teaching Contributions

CDS has a long and influential record of research that is rigorous, engaged, and socially transformative. Our work is grounded in a social interpretation/understanding of disability, recognising disability as a form of oppression and marginalisation produced through the interaction between people with impairments and the social world arrangements that restrict full and equal participation in society.

This approach continues to shape the Centre’s contribution to research and education. In strong alignment with the School’s vision, CDS understands teaching and research as mutually reinforcing activities. Our teaching aims to embed inclusivity and promote intellectually challenging responses to lived experience. Our research is collaborative, socially grounded and directed towards public value. The School’s commitment to dynamic interdisciplinary research, public engagement, inclusive curriculum development, and student partnership provides an important context for this work.

CDS has also been at the forefront of promoting participatory and committed research methods. Where possible, this means sharing control over the production and dissemination of research with research participants and with democratic organisations led by disabled people. This complements our emphasis on research that is bold, collaborative, and committed to social justice, as well as its aspiration to foster meaningful civic and professional contribution through education.

Teaching remains central to the Centre’s mission. CDS members contribute to Disability Studies teaching across a range of undergraduate programmes, while our postgraduate provision has supported many disability activists, policy influencers, and academics from around the world. Our courses draw directly on the experiences, histories, and priorities of the disabled people’s movement.

You can also study with us through our fully online Disability Studies, Rights and Inclusion MSc, a flexible part‐time programme designed for learners worldwide and informed by the expertise of the Centre for Disability Studies.

 

Interdisciplinary Ethos

Interdisciplinarity has been central to CDS from its foundation and remains one of its defining strengths. The Centre brings together colleagues from across the University of Leeds to create a collaborative space in which disability can be examined as a social, political, legal, economic, cultural, and technological question.

This ethos aligns closely with University’s commitment to a dynamic interdisciplinary research culture that is globally visible and locally relevant. CDS contributes to that vision by supporting research and teaching that move across disciplinary boundaries, engage with public issues, and respond to the complexity of contemporary social life.

CDS is also shaped by an international outlook. We actively welcome collaboration with researchers, institutions and networks around the world, and regularly host international visitors who come to Leeds to share research, exchange ideas and contribute to a vibrant academic environment. We advocate for a globally connected academic community that welcomes diverse perspectives, deepens impact across borders, and progresses inclusive pedagogy in international as well as local contexts.

The Leeds Disability Studies Conference is a vital part of the Centre’s international role, bringing together scholars, researchers and activists from across the world every two years to share insights, build connections, and shape the future of disability studies through critical dialogue and collaboration.

 

Historical Development

The origins of CDS is in the Disability Research Unit (DRU), established at Leeds in 1990 within the School of Sociology and Social Policy as a research unit for the British Council of Disabled People, later the United Kingdom Disabled People’s Council. Its earliest work focused on institutional discrimination and on building the case for anti‐discriminatory legislation in Britain.

In 1994, the DRU was formally established within the University under the direction of Colin Barnes, now Emeritus Professor of Disability Studies. The Unit expanded over time, attracting PhD researchers and staff working across a wide range of disability‐related projects. Early research addressed British policy issues, the role of disabled people’s organisations in policy and service development, and the conceptual and methodological development of the social model of disability.

From the outset, research and education were understood as closely connected. DRU colleagues played a major role in establishing Disability Studies as an academic field through undergraduate teaching and dedicated postgraduate study routes. Throughout the 1990s, the DRU became widely recognised as an international leader in the field, supported by global intellectual exchange and important resources such as the disability‐research internet discussion group and the online Disability Archive UK.

By 2000, as Disability Studies had become firmly established as an interdisciplinary field internationally, staff and students launched the broader Centre for Disability Studies within the University. That development continues to resonate strongly with the present vision of the School of Sociology and Social Policy: a future‐facing academic community where critical research, transformative education, collaboration, and public relevance all coalesce.