September 2005 - August 2006
August 2006
New findings are available from international research on disabled people's access to the built environment.
A new paper is available from the British Journal of Social Work based on ESRC-funded research on Direct payments and disabled people in the UK.
July 2006
Congratulations to all of our students who graduated this month.
Leeds law graduate Gillian Quinn has begun work as the UK researcher for the International Disability Rights Monitor (IDRM) project Regional Report on Europe, run by the Centre for International Rehabilitation in Chicago.
June 2006
A new book on Disability and Social Change: a South African Agenda was published arising from relationships established during a previously funded international collaboration with the University of Cape Town and Disabled People of South Africa.
Welcome to Natalia Marska (University of Szczecin, Poland) who joins the Centre as a visiting research fellow funded by the British Council as part of their British-Polish Young Scientists Programme. Natalia is researching comparisons of direct payments provision for disabled people in Poland and the UK.
May 2006
Colin Barnes and Geof Mercer published a new book on the history and future of user-led support services drawing on original research on the significance and collective agency of disabled people and their organisations in supporting independent living.
Armineh Sorrenian was named as regional winner in the British Council International Student Awards at a national event in London.
April 2006
Prof Steve Male (Civil Engineering) and Prof Colin Barnes (Sociology and Social Policy) opened an international seminar for policy makers and researchers as part of the European project on Reasonable Access to the Built Environment, a collaborative project with the University of Malta.
A new research project on disability and public transport, funded by the Disability Rights Commission, will run for six months and focus on the secondary analysis of existing large datasets. The research team includes Debbie Jolly and Mark Priestley (Sociology and Social Policy) and Bryan Matthews (Transport Studies).
Visitors to the Centre this month included an annual study visit by postgraduate students and staff from the disability studies programme at Halmstaad University (Sweden)
March 2006
More than one hundred participants from local government, disabled people's organisations, universities and the voluntary sector attended a knowledge transfer seminar arising from the ESRC funded project on UK direct payments policy.
Welcome to Angelo Marra from the University of Reggio Calabria (Italy) who joins us for a three month study visit to investigate law and policy relating to the social integration of disabled people.
February 2006
Neil Crowther (Head of Policy at the Disability Rights Commission) presented a seminar examining DRC strategy, entitled 'A Future Without Disability'.
Prof. Len Barton (Institute of Education) presented a seminar entitled 'Inclusive Education: Observations and Questions'.
Mark Priestley travelled to Dublin (Ireland) to speak on new policy initiatives for Ageing and Disability by the National Disability Authority and the National Council on Ageing and Older People,
January 2006
A happy and peaceful new year to all our friends and students.
Visitors to the Centre included Séverine Colinet (Universite Paris 5-Sorbonne).
December 2005
Congratulations to those of our students who graduated this month, and particularly to Dr Bill Armer who recieved his PhD for research on the bioethical and policy implications of the new genetics for disabled people.
New book published... by Alan Roulstone and Colin Barnes, Working Futures: Disabled People, Policy and Social Inclusion (Policy Press)
November 2005
Jurgen de Wispeleare (University College Dublin) presented a seminar entitled 'A Rights Based Approach to Disability Services'.
Mark Priestley presented an invited paper at Exeter University on 'Understanding Disabled Childhoods'.
October 2005
Colin Barnes travelled to University of Southern Denmark (Odense) and presented invited lectures entitled ‘Disability: a Choice of Models’.
Welcome to Israel Biel Portero (Universitat Jaume I, Spain) who joins us as a visiting fellow for a one month study visit.
Michael Zander (Free University, Berlin) presented a seminar on 'Disabled Studies and Politics in Germany'.
Oliver Lewis (legal director of the Mental Disability Advocacy Centre, Budapest) presented a seminar on 'Disability and Human Rights in Central and Eastern Europe'.
September 2005
Welcome to all our new students (there are currently 60 people registered on Masters programmes in Disability Studies at Leeds!)
Mark Priestley chaired a disability stream at the European Social Policy Analyis Network conference in Fribourg (Switzerland). Simon Prideaux presented a paper summarising initial findings from the European project on 'reasonable access' in the built environment.
Visitors to the Centre this month included a delegation from the Norwegian Association of the Disabled.