Anti-ableist Environments
Experimenting with new ideas for inclusive recruitment and employment
University researchers: Kirsty Liddiard and Armineh Soorenian
Project partners: Pathfinders Neuromuscular Alliance and National Association of Disabled Staff Networks
This Priority Area of WAARC explores two key areas.
Recruitment
Problem: The under-recruitment of disabled researchers and research support staff due to systemic barriers.
Strategic plan: A work stream promoting the inclusive recruitment of disabled researchers that will review job description, specification, marketing and publicity, essential/desirable criteria, training materials for panel members and involvement of disability organisations in the recruitment process. We will work closely with our Project Partners to ensure that our proposals respond to current policy and legislation as well as adhering to key matters of disability justice.
Workplan: We will explore a maximum of 10 Recruitment Case Studies of previous, current and future research posts. Each Recruitment Case Study will allow us to review job description, specification, marketing and publicity, essential/desirable criteria, training materials for panel members and involvement of disability organisations in the recruitment process. We anticipate using up to four semi-structured qualitative interviews with each disabled researcher staggered over the lifetime of the project in line with the action research cycle (n = 40). We will also conduct interviews or focus groups with colleagues involved in recruitment processes (n = 20) and work closely with our Project Partners to ensure that we respond to current policy and legislation and disability justice.
Progress on deliverables:
Inclusive recruitment as a key element of supporting disabled researchers paper presented by Dan Goodley and Rebecca Lawthom presented at Disabled Researchers Network Celebration Event, 24th September 2025, Liverpool John Moores University: which picks up on inclusive recruitment a key process in building more positive research cultures.
Employment
Problem: Lack of imagination about how research positions can be configured in ways that attract and retain disabled researchers.
Strategic plan: A work package promoting equitable and inclusive forms of employment for disabled researchers including job profiling, flexible working, responsive institutional responses to reasonable adjustments, relationships with University HR, Contracts, Finance, Occupational Health, and Access to Work arrangements. We will also explore the payment and consultation arrangements with disabled non-academic research partners.
Progress on deliverables: Members of the WAARC team are working in collaboration with National Association of Disabled Staff Networks to realise their aspirations in relation to two wider community projects that seek to enhance the work experiences of disabled academics and professional services colleagues:
RIDE Higher (Realising the Inclusion of Disabled Staff) is an initiative established by and for disabled staff in Higher Education - which feeds directly upon the activities of Priority Area 1 and the Cross-cutting themes of WAARC.
Access to Work Users Sub-Group - led by Armineh Soorenian - This NADSN subgroup is for Disabled staff who receive Access to Work (AtW) support, such as Support Workers, equipment, or assistive tech. It offers monthly peer support meetings and will contribute to NADSN’s response to the UK Government’s AtW consultation. This work has come directly out of Armineh and Kirsty Liddiard's work on WAARC's Priority Area 1: Environments.
Liz Dew and Armineh Soorenian were invited by the University of Leeds to present a keynote address - Reimagining Research Culture, Together - at the Research Culture Community of Practice Event 2025 (Leeds, 14th July 2025). In this paper the significant contributions of professional services colleagues to the promotion of positive research culture is highlighted and these contributions are taken further in this paper by Liz in collaboration with colleagues Rhea and Lucy Dunning in their popular recent paper presented as part of of the Disability Matters Online Symposia Series
The outputs will include a suite of new policies, processes and guidance resources and the development of an evaluation framework to enable longer-term monitoring of the recruitment, progression and reported experiences and satisfaction of disabled researchers and support staff aligned with new KPIs.
iHuman
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