9th October, 2024
My PhD research focuses on the legacies of oppression embedded within participatory practices and their role in perpetuating the subjugation and discrimination of marginalised communities. I argue that a philosophical shift in the understanding of what constitutes “inclusive” practice is necessary to move towards truly equitable research methodologies that actively dismantle systems of oppression rather than merely working within them.
Central to this argument is the disparity between how dominant cultural groups perceive the “labour” they request from their participants and the lived realities of what that labour actually involves for disabled individuals. Therefore, to develop a framework for critiquing these practices, it is vital to define and position myself and my study regarding what constitutes “labour.”
Through this talk, I hope to present my findings so far on the different aspects of “labour” that play a significant role in disabled individuals’ lives and how they impact social, cultural, and physical mobilities. Grounded in principles of disability justice and design justice, my work aligns with the belief that “we would not think of disability as separate from class, age, race, queerness, family, children, violence, but we would understand it as intimately connected” (Mingus, 2010). Thus, while my research explicitly examines the lived experiences of disabled individuals, it is also inherently connected to the struggles of other marginalised groups and those who experience intersecting forms of oppression.
Chantal Spencer is a disabled feminist academic specialising in design justice, disability justice, and mobilities. Currently in her second year of a PhD studentship at the University of Brighton, she also serves as an Associate Lecturer at LCC (UAL) in London. Chantal has worked in health and social care for organisations like the NHS and Brighton and Hove City Council. Since becoming disabled, she has focused on activism within the disabled community. She is a disabled panel member for Brighton and Hove’s Accessible City Strategy, founder of the Disability Culture Research Group (DiscReg), and chair of the the University of Brighton’s Disabled and Carer’s Staff Network.
