Transforming EDI through disability

Leads: Christina Lee and Dan Goodley (University of Sheffield)

Throughout all six years of the programme we will generate knowledge exchange that informs policy, strategy and practice of health research and research culture. We will capture and disseminate EDI in relation to inclusive scholarship, disabled people’s health priorities, participatory research methodologies, positive research cultures, affirmative disability representation and early career researcher development.

We ask the questions:

• What transformative knowledge pertaining to equity, diversity and inclusion can be generated through a focus on anti-ableist and anti-disablist practice?
• In what ways might Disability Matters inform health, research, science and university sectors?
• What kinds, formats and types of knowledge might we embrace to ensure that disability is front and centre of health, research and science? 

We will host annual Online Townhalls aimed at science and health funders, policy makers and researchers based across universities, NGOs and DPOs supplemented by a series of Knowledge Exchange Workshops with EDI teams. We will increase international reach of knowledge through a series of International Satellite events - led by the PI and NADSN - aimed at similar audiences in Singapore, Toronto, Delhi, Sydney and London. And, we will share emergent policy and strategy findings at six International Conferences addressing Medicine, Medical Humanities, Medical Sociology, Higher Education, Science and Technology Studies.

Knowledge Exchange Workshops

We recognise that there is a lot of research being done around disability and many organisations are interested in disability inclusion as part of their EDI work. The Knowledge Exchange workshops will bring together people with shared values across sectors to reimagine an inclusive future of health research and serve as springboards for ideas and further actions for expanding disability inclusion in EDI.  By centring disability and disabled knowledge, we want to disrupt conventionally exclusionary practices of knowledge exchange and production.

The main aims of the Knowledge Exchange workshops are:

1. Capacity building

• Many organisations are experiencing pressure from austerity and funding cuts. The workshops will support stakeholders in building capacity by pooling resources and expertise from across organisations. 

2. Knowledge sharing 

• Disabled people’s knowledge of disability and health remain under-utilised and under-valued. The workshops aim to change this by placing disabled knowledge and inclusive knowledge production at the forefront.

3. Relationship building

• We believe that relationships of trust are key to sustainable change and long-term positive impact. The workshops will support networking and foster connections across different organisations that can potentially lead to future partnerships and funding opportunities.

The Knowledge Exchange workshops will offer a space for extended discussions with stakeholders about centring disability and disabled people in EDI and research. 

Each workshop will focus on a specific theme relating to disability and feature short presentations from speakers. We will engage Disabled People’s Organisations, universities, researchers, charities/third sector organisations, health organisations, policymakers and funders.  We will also invite equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) teams from universities and organisations to share their stories and learnings. We will collate and co-produce a booklet of resources from the workshops which will be shared publicly on our website.