September 1998 - August 1999
August 1999
Good luck to Tom Shakespeare, who will be leaving the Disability Research Unit to take up a new post as Research Development Officer at the new Genetics Policy and Ethics Research Institute (PERI). This is a collaborative project between the University of Newcastle, University of Durham, and the International Centre for Life.
Congratulations to Mark Priestley, who gained promotion to Senior Research Fellow this month.
Visitors this month included Devva Kasnitz and Russell Shuttleworth from the World Institute on Disability (Oakland, USA).
July 1999
A warm welcome to Vic Finkelstein, who became the newest member of the Disability Research Unit, following his appointment as Senior Visiting Lecturer at the University of Leeds.
Colin Barnes and Geof Mercer hosted a two-day seminar on the future of disability studies in UK higher education. Contributors included Sally French, Mairian Corker, Judy Hunt, Mike Oliver and Len Barton. The outcome will be the establishment of a new UK Disability Studies Association (more details later in the year).
Visitors to the DRU this month included Dr E. Pupulin from the World Health Organisation's disability and rehabilitation programme; Matti Laitinen and Susanna Haapala from the Open University, Helsinki (Finland); and Mitsuko Kojima, professor of social welfare at Aomori University (Japan).
June 1999
Congratulations to Majid Turmusani, who successfully defended his PhD thesis on the economic needs and priorities of disabled people in Jordan.
This year's research grants from the National Lottery Charities Board were announced and we were doubly successful! Colin Barnes and Geof Mercer will co-ordinate a two-year project for the British Council of Disabled People on the role of centres for integrated living. Mark Priestley will lead a one-year project with First Key on good practice with young disabled people leaving care. More details on our research page.
Visitors to the DRU this month included Helen Meekosha and Leanne Dowse from the University of New South Wales (Australia), and Gill Bricher from the Women and Children's Hospital, Adelaide (Australia).
May 1999
The DRU web site was named as an award winner by Links2Go this month. The award is based on the number of links recorded from other pages. Our site was ranked 27 amongst all 'studies' sites worldwide. Thanks to everyone who made connections with us.
On 12 May, the DRU combined forces with the Centre for Research in Primary Care for a local work-in-progress seminar on 'Disability and Childhood'. Twenty representatives from local government, social services, health authorities, voluntary bodies and disabled people's organisations attended the day.
Marian Crowley and Mark Priestley, travelled to the Society for Disability Studies meeting in Washington DC (USA) at the end of the month. Marian presented a paper on health care professionals' attitudes to disability and Mark presented a paper on disability, social policy and the lifecourse.
April 1999
Colin Barnes, Geof Mercer and Tom Shakespeare have published a new disability studies textbook, called Exploring Disability: a sociological introduction.
Mark Priestley joined John Davis and Nick Watson (University of Edinburgh) at the British Sociological Association conference in Scotland, to present a joint paper on some of the lessons learned from our collaborative research with disabled children.
March 1999
Congratulations to Colin Barnes and Geof Mercer on the award of a two-year Joseph Rowntree Foundation research grant (in collaboration with City University, London). The project will involve people with aphasia.
A brief welcome back to Emma Stone, who has been working with us this month to edit her forthcoming book on disability and development issues. More details here later in the year.
February 1999
Congratulations to Mark Priestley on the award of a three year personal research fellowship from the UK Economic and Social Research Council. Mark will work on a programme of research under the title 'Disability, Social Policy and the Lifecourse'. More details on these pages in the summer.
We were pleased to welcome Staffan Sandan, from the Swedish Wigforss Institute, who joined us for five weeks in the course of his research on Disability and Citizenship in Sweden and the UK.
January 1999
Happy New Year to all friends and colleagues!
We are pleased to welcome Mahnaz Sen as the newest member of the DRU. She will be starting work towards her PhD thesis on disability policy issues in India.
Colin Barnes travelled to Sweden this month to give a series of lectures on disability issues from a UK perspective.
December 1998
Alison Sheldon and Mark Priestley travelled to Edinburgh for the Disability Studies Seminar on International Day of Disabled People. Alison presented a paper on the potential impact of teleshopping technologies and Mark presented a paper on disability, social policy and the lifecourse.
Fieldwork on the 'Life as a Disabled Child' project is nearing completion and the team will begin writing up in the new year.
November 1998
Welcome to Dr Fran Branfield, who will be working with us on a short-term research project for the Royal National Institute for the Blind (RNIB).
Many congratulations to Ayesha Vernon and Emma Stone, who both successfully defended their PhD theses.
October 1998
Mark Priestley's new book Disability Politics and Community Care, due to be published this month by Jessica Kingsley will now be available on 11 November.
Fifteen students began our first distance learning MA/Diploma course by attending a residential study weekend in Leeds.
Visitors to the DRU this month included: Dona Avery (US), Shelley Tremain (Canada), Martin Sullivan (New Zealand) and Arthur Vreed (Netherlands)
September 1998
Congratualtions to Leigh Fiorentino on her White Rose Scholarship award. She will begin work on her PhD this month, jointly supervised by Leeds and Sheffield Universities.
This month we welcomed a further four new PhD students to the Disability Research Unit. More details about their work will appear on these pages in the coming months.