OU to host conference on disability research

Valuable insights on disability research, will be shared at the OU’s Exploring Equitable Research Careers for Disabled Researchers conference, hosted online on Thursday 21 September.

The conference is led by Professor Lindsay O’ Dell, Academic Director of the Graduate School, and the Next Generation Team. Their work includes addressing barriers in research career development for staff and research students with any or specific disabilities as part of the OU’s Research Plan.

The aim of the conference is to highlight best practice across the university sector, including initiatives within universities, research career development organisations and others- with the aim of supporting action and tangible outcomes, through the following commitments:

• foreground the lived experiences of disabled researchers including those with long term health conditions and/or neurodivergencies
• showcase exemplars of good practice
• support tangible outcomes to promote equitable research careers for disabled researchers.

Confirmed speakers and panellists are from the London South Bank University, University of Kent, Coventry University. University of East Anglia, University College London, as well as authors and consultants in the field and representatives from the National Association of Disabled Staff Networks and Careers Research & Advisory Centre.

Topics include those around fair employment of autistic researchers, ableism in academia, lab access, and the theme of disabled lives do matter.

Professor O’Dell said:

"The Open University's commitment to enabling diverse researchers to thrive in their careers is a reflection of our unique position. We have more students with registered disabilities than the average UK university, and this places us at the forefront of national discussions about disability in research. Our conference is a testament to our dedication and will feature best practices from across the UK. Our aim is to inspire action and tangible outcomes that will drive positive change."

Find out more about the conference

Register for: Exploring equitable research careers for Disabled Researchers