We have agreed to provide within the journal a list of completed theses in the field of Disability Studies. This will be an important resource for readers to follow through as well as to provide the names of colleagues who are new entrants to the discipline.
This is an open invitation for theses completed from 2014 which fit with the Aims and Scope of Disability & Society.
Please provide the following information:
Name of the author
Thesis title
University awarding degree
Degree awarded and year
A 100-word synopsis of the thesis
Email address
Please forward this information to Helen Oliver, Disability & Society Editorial Office. Email: [email protected]
We will include this call for Doctoral Announcements in forthcoming issues of the journal.
Executive Editors
Name of the author: George Alexander Low
Thesis title: Where Are All the Disabled Musicians?: An Exploration of the Attitudinal and Physical Barriers that Impact on the Identities and Lived Experiences of Musicians with a Physical Impairment
University awarding degree: The University of Edinburgh, UK
Degree awarded and year: PhD, 2018
Much of the research that relates to disabled people and music focuses on music therapy. Consequently, there is a deficit in research exploring disability and music from the perspective of disabled musicians themselves. To help address this deficit, this thesis describes the barriers disabled musicians encounter as they attempt to engage in music making, or journey towards a qualification in music. Findings affirm that most of these barriers occur during performance, or while disabled musicians work towards a qualification in music. The thesis argues that the barriers described are the result of negative attitudes, discrimination and imbued misconceptions.
Email: [email protected]
Name of the author: Declan Reilly
Thesis title: Are We Levelling the Playing Field? Exploring if Reasonable Accommodations Provided for Students with Disabilities in Higher Education Remove Barriers and Impact on the Student Experience
University awarding degree: Trinity College Dublin, Ireland
Degree awarded and year: PhD, 2017
This mixed-methods study explores the experiences of students with disabilities in Trinity College Dublin between 2007 and 2013. While quantitative data demonstrate that more students with disabilities are entering and progressing through Trinity, the qualitative data, based on semi-structured interviews with 37 students with disabilities, provide a more fine-grained understanding of the factors that shape student experiences. Actor network theory was used to interpret the findings and demonstrated a complexity of factors involved in supporting students. This research shows that the attempt to level the playing field is ongoing because the barriers are constantly being assembled.
Email: [email protected]