++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Disability Research Network e-Newsletter: October 2008 - 17th Edition ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++   Editor’s Comments: Welcome to the 17th edition of the Disability Research Network e-newsletter (in association with the Research Institute of Health and Social Change, Manchester Metropolitan University and Breakthrough UK Ltd). I would like to take this opportunity to thank those who sent me some contributions, hence we have this edition. Please; remember to submit contributions for the next edition by latest 5th November 2008. To all our international readers, please keep on informing us of your news as this is a very good platform for networking. I am looking forward to receiving news from all the continents as has always been the case. When submitting, please remember to use simple text version for easy accessibility, and avoid sending PDF files. Once again, thank you for your support.   Best Wishes Tsitsi Chataika +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Coordinator’s Comments:  Please find below the 17th e-newsletter from this 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. This sharing and networking links into the aims of the Disability Studies Association (http://www.disabilitystudies.net/). This network relies, obviously, on regular monthly input. When contributing, please include the following:   * Funding priorities' which readers might be able to link into for funding bids. 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   Very best wishes   Dan Goodley d.goodley@mmu.ac.uk   +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  Contents: 1.    News from Manchester Metropolitan University, Research & Social Change 2. News from Leeds University, Depart. of Sociology & Social Policy 3. News from the Government Office for Disability Issues 4. News from Northumbria University 5. News from University of Birmingham, Autism Centre for Education & Research ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 1. News from Manchester Metropolitan University (MMU) Research Institute for Health & Social Change (a) Prof Dan Goodley presented a keynote lecture at the University of Portsmouth's Intellectual disabilities conference, a Conference to celebrate 20 years of Intellectual Disability Studies at the University of Portsmouth, Empowering people with intellectual disabilities, their families and supporters: Reflections on research and practice on Friday 12th & Saturday 13th September 2008, in Park Building, University of Portsmouth (b)   Update: PMI2 Project: Towards a culturally sensitive disability studies: Interconnections of disability studies in and across Malaysia and the UK’ http://www.rihsc.mmu.ac.uk/malaysiaukdisability/ The above collaboration research is directed by Professor Dan Goodley and Dr Rebecca Lawthom (MMU) and Dr Ling How Kee, Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS). This develops links between MMU’s Social Change and Well Being Research Centre (RIHSC) has kick started with bang. In August, 2008, the UK research team comprised of Prof Dan Goodley, Dr Rebecca Lawthom, Dr Tsitsi Chataika, Anne Kellock and Shaun Grech left for Malaysia, Sarawak State to engage in fieldwork and seminar presentations. The first of the two visits was very fruitful as the research team managed to do the following: Public lectures were delivered (Goodley & Lawthom in Kuching) and the end of project dissemination events were planned (2010, Kuching and Manchester) Postgraduate / staff development – research training and development workshops/seminars offered in August/September by MMU (Goodley, Lawthom and Chataika), raising interest about possible postgraduate provision.  The Project’s Aims * develop understandings of the barriers facing disabled people in and across the UK and Malaysia; * explore these different national perspectives on disability and to see how they can be applied in the other’s country; * develop our international perspectives through the sharing of theory, research findings, practice and policy in relation to the promotion of disabled people in mainstream society; * establish effective and sustainable partnerships that provide the foundation for future collaboration including submission of research bids between the UK and Malaysia. We aim to implement research that responds to the needs and ambitions of disabled people in each of the two countries by working closely with disabled people and colleagues in the two countries. Psychologists, sociologists and social workers are represented in the UK and Malaysian research teams and these different professional and disciplinary perspectives will help us to identify the pressing needs of disabled people. Crucially, we want to learn from one another so that we can develop theories, practices and policies that enable rather than disabled people, in ways that are appropriate to our own contexts. Activities UK and Malaysian colleagues will carry out research, deliver public lectures, direct workshops, and consult with disabled people and other colleagues in each other’s countries. Researchers and doctoral students will explore each other’s contexts, supported by senior academics, and throughout we will ensure that our findings are debated and explored across the teams. An aspect of these activities is to work alongside disabled people – particularly political organisations of disabled people – to ensure that the research is useful and applicable. Anticipated outcomes  In addition to this project developing real and sustainable research relationships across the two countries, we will produce a number of outputs of use to disabled people, families, communities, professionals, policy makers and academics that will develop further our understandings of disabling and inclusive forms of society. These will include an end of project conference, web updates, submission of papers to academic, delivery of public and University lectures, seminars, workshops and practitioner documents, production of reports in English and Bahasa Malay. Project Plan: UK team visits to Malaysia (August 2008 – August 2009) Research management and supervision: Senior staff, Goodley and Lawthom - 2 x 2 week trips (Aug 2008; July/Aug 2009). The first trip has already been fulfilled. Project area 1: Two Doctoral students, Grech and Kellock – ‘development and disability analyses in Malaysia’ - 2 x 2 week trips (Aug 2008; Aug 2009). The 2008 visit took place in August, and the researchers visited schools and talked to various disabled people in Malaysia in rural Bau. Project area 2: Postdoctoral research fellow, Chataika – Social model and postcolonial analyses of disability in Malaysia - 2 x 2 month trips (Aug - Oct 2008; Aug/Sept 2009) The 2008 trip was a resounding success. The research fellow managed to visit a wide range of None Governmental Organisations of/for disabled people- organisations run by the Sarawak State welfare department; visitations to welfare offices that deal with disability issues. Special schools were also visited and massive empirical evidence was gathered in the process. Of interest, were issues raised by disabled people during interviews and focus groups. Areas covered during the field work were Kuching and Samarahan. Malaysia team visits to UK (August 2008 – August 2010) Research management and supervision: Senior staff, Ling and Dolly – 2 x 2 week trips (April 2009/ March 2009). Project area 1: Two Doctoral students, Yeo/Kuno and Choo – Understanding disability policy, practice and provision in the UK. 2 x 2 week trips (April 2009; June 2009). Project area 2: Doctoral research fellow, Chan – Indigenous Malaysian analyses of disability in UK 2 x 2 month trips (April-May 2009; Jan-March 2009). For more information about this project, visit www.rihsc.mmu.ac.uk/malaysiaukdisability or Contact Principal Investigators: Prof Dan Goodley (d.goodley@mmu.ac.uk) or Dr Rebecca Lawthorn (r.lawthom@mmu.ac.uk) 2. Research from the Social Policy Research Unit, University of York (a) Evaluation of specialist mental health services for deaf children and their families The Social Policy Research Unit at the University of York has recently completed an evaluation of the three specialist mental health services for deaf children and their families currently operating in England. The research, which was funded by the Department of Health, highlights the difficulties deaf children and their families experience accessing appropriate mental health services and the need for specialist services which are able to meet the children’s communication needs and are expert in mental health and deafness. User and referrer reports of the service, alongside changes in scores on outcome measures, show that the specialist mental health services are achieving positive outcomes for their users. A summary of the research findings can be accessed via the SPRU website at: http://php.york.ac.uk/inst/spru/pubs/child.php (b) The Social Policy Research Unit and the Social Work Research and Development Unit are pleased to announce the merging of their two research units in order to combine their mutual research strengths. Please see this webpage for further details: www.york.ac.uk/spru/merger.html Contact: Rachel Pitman, Information Officer Email: rp17@york.ac.uk 3. News from The Ohio State University's Columbus Campus (a) Ninth Annual Multiple Perspectives on Access, Inclusion & Disability: Change, Challenge, & Collaboration - April 28 and 29, 2009 The Ohio State University's Columbus Campus Important Dates Session Proposals Are Due November 1, 2008 - Student Posters Due March 30, 2009 The Ninth Annual Multiple Perspectives conference continues the university's efforts to bring together a diverse audience to explore disability as both an individual experience and social reality that cuts across typical divisions of education & employment; scholarship & service; business & government; race, gender & ethnicity. This year's theme "Change, Challenge & Collaboration" reflects the critical place in history we occupy. Between the last conference and this call for papers the United Nations has adopted the Convention on Disability, Congress passed a new GI bill benefiting veterans with disabilities, the Higher Education Opportunity Act which includes new disability funding and requirements, and redefined disability in the ADA Amendments Act of 2009; the U.S. Access Board is proposing changes in Section 508; and the Department of Justice is in the final stages of a comprehensive review and update of the regulations for the ADA. - How does disability intersect with your work, program and your students - How does the changing role of disability impact society and culture? - How does evolving technology change the conception of disability? For more information on the conference and details about paper submission, please visit Http://ada.osu.edu/conferences/2009Conf/callforpapers09.html Words of Wisdom: "Disability Studies should serve as an access ramp between the disability community and research universities".  - Paul K. Longmore "For every complex problem, there is a solution that is simple, neat, and wrong".  - H.L.  Mencken "Congress acknowledged that society's accumulated myths and fears about disability and disease are as handicapping as are the physical limitations that flow from actual impairment".  - Justice William J. Brennan "Continue to surprise those who would put you in a neat demographic. Be insistently curious" - Gordon Gee 4. News from Malta University “Meeting Point” is the Electronic Newsletter issued by the Department of Youth and Community Studies, Faculty of Education, University of Malta. Every edition includes contributions by lecturers, visiting lecturers, collaborators, guest contributors, current students and alumni. This newsletter includes news updates, images, forthcoming events, testimonials and scholarly articles. Every edition focuses on a particular theme relevant to the youth agenda....this time around it's social and youth policy. It can be accessed at: http://www.um.edu.mt/educ/youth/meeting_point Contact: Dr Andrew Azzopardi, Lecturer Department of Youth and Community Studies Faculty of Education, University of Malta – MSD 06 Telephone (00356) 23402918 Email: andrew.azzopardi@um.edu.mt ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ NB: A copy of this Newsletter is available at: http://www.breakthrough-uk.com/DRN.shtml   ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ END OF NEWSLETTER For any further contributions and information contact:   Dr Tsitsi Chataika Email: t.chataika@yahoo.co.uk Tel/Fax: +44113 293 8749 or +4479 03859902 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++