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Disability Research Network e-Newsletter: June 2007
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Editor’s Comments: 

Welcome to the third edition of the Disability Research Network e-newsletter.  Let me take this opportunity to thank all those who emailed me exciting and informative contributions that have allowed me to put together this edition, which is proving to be very popular and attracting readership globally. Networking in Disability Research brings along a common understanding through a shared vision. We aim to engage in inclusive practices and all your contributions help us to achieve this goal. Inclusion is a journey and we need to walk together on this journey by embracing diversity. If we do not embrace diversity, we are impoverishing the human race.  Therefore, keep on emailing me your contributions so that we are aware of what is happening in disability studies circles. Please remember to submit contributions for the next edition by latest 28th June 2007 for me to put together the newsletter and email it to you on time. Once again, thank you for the wonderful support and I wish you the best in whatever you are doing in disability research.

Best Wishes
Tsitsi Chataika

 
Coordinator’s Comments: 

Please find below the third e-newsletter from this 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 that 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 links into the aims of the Disability Studies Association and, we hope, will have broader appeal (http://www.disabilitystudies.net/). 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 web links) 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. 
 
Very best wishes,
 
Dan Goodley
d.goodley@mmu.ac.uk 

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1. News From Manchester Metropolitan University, Research Institute of Health and Social Change
Contact - Dan Goodley (d.goodley@mmu.ac.uk)

(a) Extension of Deadline - Call for Papers
"Disability, discourse and community psychology seminar" 
6th July 2007 at  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 
discussion about different 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 and combinations of 
the above 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 (d.goodley@mmu.ac.uk) and Mark Rapley 
(m.rapley@uel.ac.uk) by May 1st 2007.

(b) The Discourse Unit - message from Dan Goodley
Disability studies colleagues will, I am sure, be interested to learn 
of The Discourse Unit, which is a trans-institutional collaborative 
centre, currently located at Manchester Metropolitan University, which 
supports a variety of qualitative and theoretical research projects 
contributing to the development of radical theory and practice. The term 
'discourse' is used primarily in critical hermeneutic and structuralist 
senses to include inquiries influenced by feminism and psychoanalysis. The 
centre functions: (i) as a teaching resource base for qualitative and 
feminist work; (ii) as a support unit for the (re)production of radical 
academic theory; (iii) as a networking centre for the development of 
critical perspectives in action research.  Visit: 
http://www.discourseunit.com/

Do visit http://www.discourseunit.com/publications_pages/ for some 
excellent downloads

(c) Self-Advocacy in Malaysia
Colleagues from RIHSC will be continuing work to support the 
development of the self-advocacy movement in Malaysia. For information of the visit: http://www.unitedvoice.com.my/
 
(d) Dan Goodley is currently writing a book with Janice McLaughlin 
(University of Newcastle) on parents, professionals and disabled
babies. If you have any current, forthcoming or in press publications 
in this area then please email Dan on d.goodley@mmu.ac.uk

(e) For those pomo' disability researchers out there - see these Deleuze 
references and conference details at Manchester
Metropolitan University http://www.eri.mmu.ac.uk/deleuze/
 
2. News from Lancaster University

Donna Reeve, Hannah Morgan, Bob Sapey and John Stewart all attended the Nordic Network on Disability Research conference in Göteborg, Sweden. 
Donna and Hannah  presented papers based on their ongoing PhD work:
Donna Reeve 'Homo sacer and zones of exception: Metaphors for the 
contemporary experience of disablism'
Hannah Morgan 'Career, Mobility and Motility: the experiences of 
disabled academics and researchers'

Flyers are now available for the 2008 Disability Studies Conference and 
details are available at www.disabilitystudies.net. Please contact 
Hannah Morgan (h.morgan@lancaster.ac.uk) for copies.

Sociologies of Disability and Illness by Carol Thomas was published by 
Palgrave Macmillan this month. The book critically reviews and compares 
the conflicting perspectives on disability and chronic illness found in 
disability studies and medical sociology.
 
3. News from the New Zealand Spinal Trust (NZST)
 
Contact: Bernadette Cassidy PhD (Information & Design Team Manager)
Email: bernadettec@burwood.org.nz
Website: www.nzspinaltrust.org.nz
 
NZST provides resources and information for people with spinal cord injury, brain injury, strokes, orthopaedic conditions etc. Our philosophy is that 'rehabilitation is a process of learning, not a medical one'. Our primary focus is the patient and their families providing educational resources and support
in order for them to live independent lives.

The NZST has two publications which may be of interest to readers -
firstly the 'Back on Track' handbook: which is a basic introduction to
spinal cord injury and secondly: the 'Back on Track' interactive CD-ROM
which is presented in an easy to understand format, there is no medical
jargon or confusing terms and includes great graphics, animations &
video clips of current and past patients with SCI. I have attached an
order form (on the website).
 
4. News from Tsitsi Chataika
Contact: t.chataika@sheffield.acuk or t.chataika@yahoo.co.uk
 
For the past three years, I have been doing a PhD at The University of Sheffield (UK) and I am now nearing completion, with only a bit of editing and then submitting it in less than a month's time. The PhD title is, Inclusion of Disabled Students in Higher Education in Zimbabwe - the Social Ecosystem Framework: from Realism to Reality. Below is the abstract:
 



Abstract
Working towards inclusion of disabled students in the higher education sector has been gathering momentum for some time in various countries, although until recently it has not been under the spotlight. The major object of this research study was to investigate the support and provision for disabled students in higher education in Zimbabwe. It is deeply rooted in the grounded theory, illustrative of the narrative approach (five disabled students’ personal life stories), and ethnographic snapshots (focus group discussions [10 participants] and documentary analysis), methodologies that characterised it. It also inevitably took into cognisance, the researcher’s vast personal and professional experience on one hand, and, extensive and diverse views from other scholars through a comprehensive literature review, on the other. Significant findings emerged from the research. The study established that attitudes and disability awareness could be either a catalyst or an obstacle to inclusion. Institutional barriers that include physical access, inappropriate application and admission procedures and teaching methods, were also identified as obstacles to full participation. The study also reaffirmed that there are inadequate support services and resources, as well as absence of legislation and political will concerning the provision of disabled students in higher education in Zimbabwe. Lack of coordinated disability activism among disabled people’s organisations was also apparent in this study, which made some disabled people opt to become self-advocates. It was from these research outcomes that the researcher constructed the social ecosystem framework, which embodied the theoretical resources, namely, the social model of disability, postcolonial theory and globalisation. More importantly, the researcher identified critical determinants in the applicability, and effective use of the social ecosystem framework in the promotion of inclusion of disabled students in higher education in Zimbabwe and beyond. These include enabling socio-cultural beliefs, genuine family and community support, a stable political and economic climate, appropriate legislation and political will, appropriate/accessible information and technology, self-belief, proactive disability activism, and sustainable partnerships. Conclusions were drawn, and practical recommendations were made to various stakeholders involved in the education of disabled students in higher education. Finally, the research study also signposted areas for further research.
 
5. Second Appeal from Armineh Soorenian: Calling All Disabled International Students (Editor's Comment- Please if you know any disabled international student, provide them with the information below to enable Armineh carry out her research).
      
Are you an international student with an impairment/disability, long-term health condition and/or learning difficulty?; Would you like to talk about your life experiences in an English University?; Would you like to contribute to the disability debate in English universities? I am a disabled international student, currently studying for a PhD at the University of Leeds and I am researching disabled international students’ experiences in English universities. I am interested to hear about your experiences and your ideas on the services provided in your university, and any difficulties you have encountered during your education, with the hope of working towards a more inclusive university system in the UK.  Although I am looking at four particular universities, I am interested to hear from students from other English/UK universities, to give wider insights into international disabled students' experiences and the services that you receive at university. Your involvement in the project will include taking part in a small focus group of six to eight people of around 1 ½ hours in length, and / or an individual interview of approximately an hour’s duration.  Participation is voluntary and all participants will be given pseudonyms to safeguard their identity. To contribute to this particularly important study please contact me at the following address: {HYPERLINK "mailto:spl3a2s@leeds.ac.uk”} spl3a2s@leeds.ac.uk
 
6. News from Colin Cameron (PhD Research Student) Queen   Margaret University, Edinburgh (CCameron@qmu.ac.uk)
 
Inclusion Scotland, Scotland's leading campaigning organisation of disabled people, has recently published its 2007 Manifesto for Inclusion: Policy into Practice. Disabled people from all over Scotland through the innovative Contact 100 Project wrote this document and it is an invaluable resource reflecting current thinking. Copies of the Manifesto were sent out to all candidates standing at the recent elections for the Scottish Parliament.
 
The Manifesto for Inclusion: Policy into Practice can be downloaded at http://www.inclusionscotland.org/manifesto/index.asp 
 
Hard copies can be obtained from:
 
Bill Campbell, Project Manager, Inclusion Scotland, 5a Sir James Clark Building, Abbey Mill Business Centre, Paisley, PA1 1TJ
 
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NB: A copy of this Newsletter is available at: 

http://www.breakthrough-uk.com/DRN.shtml

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             END OF NEWSLETTER

For any further contributions and information, email to: 
t.chataika@yahoo.co.uk 

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Tsitsi Chataika
PhD Student
University of Sheffield
School of Education
Tel/Fax: 0044(0)113 293 8749
Mobile:  0044 (0)79 03859902



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