A still from an animated video with line drawings including of people, a school and scales of justice, and the title ‘How educational systems respond to diversity, inclusion & social justice’

I love Navin Kikabhai’s animated videos sharing a paper on how educational systems respond to diversity, inclusion and justice - worked with a doodle artist to animate the paper. Public/academic engagement events - questionnaire/interviews rating the video & asking questions from the paper #CDS26

@emmajoyswai.bsky.social You might be able to link Hannah up with some of your forthcoming work on this?

Learning from indigenous knowledge & decolonising methods. “Live sociology” - methods that exist in real time. Could lit reviews be open-ended, living texts using creative methods & e.g. written with people with learning disabilities? Part of a participatory action project #CDS26

Eleanor Smith-Hahn speaking on live literature reviews in PhDs. An expected trajectory to PhDs, starting with a trad lit review - found it prioritised certain forms of knowledge about people with learning disabilities. Lit review is not seen as a political tool & not a lot of scope to critique it 1/

Now hearing from @krysiawally.bsky.social & @keatesresearch.bsky.social on using iDocs (interactive documentaries) in two edited books on neurodivergence & education. Authors shared work interactively. Subjugated & disqualified knowledges (Foucault) - challenging knowledge hierarchies #CDS26

Thank you! You were mentioned as one of many scholars who’ve been encouraging more research for a long time (with Creamer, Imhoff and others). Really great to see such interest in the topic today

Three presenters in front of a screen showing the logo 'Leeds Disability Studies Conference'. Left to right: Krysia Waldock (white, long brown hair, wearing colourful dungarees), Emma Swai (white, dressed all in blue and wearing dark glasses), Brian Irvine (white, has a white beard, wearing a green-patterned shirt and glasses), Naomi Jacobs (shoulder-length red-brown hair, blue glasses, dressed in grey and black, holding a blue walking stick).

Oh and here we all are at the end.

There was a connecting thread about whose bodyminds & lives we value (or don't) in religious institutions/discourses, and what kinds of resistance disabled people are living out in the face of these ideals in their communities. Thanks to everyone who came along for the great discussion. #CDS26 4/4

@krysiawally.bsky.social then talked about their literature review on belonging in religious congregations. We ended with the wonderfully entertaining Brian Irvine on research with neurodivergent clergy (great concept of "neurodiverse glory" as a way of thinking about neurodivergent futures). 3/4

& what our two research projects found about ideals of embodiment for disabled & neurodivergent people in congregations. Then @emmajoyswai.bsky.social's great paper on whether the historical Jesus was disabled & what it tells us about religious ideals of embodiment that this is controversial! 2/4

We had a fantastic symposium on critical research on disability and religions at #CDS26 today, looking at what we've been finding in this 'emerging field', and why it needs to emerge! I presented with @krysiawally.bsky.social on our concept of the 'ideal worshipper' in churches and mosques... 1/4

important work on ableist criminal justice systems incl Leah Burch on disabled women reporting sexual violence to police. @sarasiobhan.bsky.social comments on the complicity of academia, which collects horrific data and repeats research while nothing changes, were appropriately hard hitting #CDS26

Some fantastic presentations today at #CDS26 challenging the violence experienced by disabled people in systems - Charlie Grosset’s critical lens on violent systems of (un)care; @sarasiobhan.bsky.social’s work from her vital book on the social murder of people with learning disabilities; 1/2

The university “as a pathological system where disabled colleagues are often not imagined to be present nor participating” (Goodley 2025) esp in the crisis in UK HE. The power of coproduced creative & participatory mythologies in this context- complex, adaptive & entangled. (Great keynote!) #CDS26

Crip lens on “breathing [as] a social, political & embodied process” & “intersectional conversation about respiratory health in an ongoing pandemic & as we come together to imagine post-pandemic futures.” Cripping Breath: clinical ethnographies centring stories of ppl who use ventilatory tech #CDS26

An opening talk slide with a cartoon image of person at a desk using breathing equipment and the title ‘Take a deep breath: Reimagining the disability research process’

Great start to the Leeds Disability Studies Conference #CDS26 with a packed audience for Kirsty Liddiard’s keynote ‘Reimagining the disability research process: Which way to the future?’ @kirstyliddiard1.bsky.social

PowerPoint open on laptop. Planning slides on display. Presentation title is 'Was the Historical Jesus Disabled? Challenging Embedded Prejudice' Dr Emma Swai. Liverpool Hope University; Westcott House, Cambridge.

And off I go to the Leeds Disability Studies Conference 2026 for a panel on religion with @krysiawally.bsky.social, @naomijacobs.bsky.social and Brian Irvine.

@mbrandonmassey.bsky.social , I am publicising 'Rewriting Jesus: Forgotten Pasts and Possible Futures' as promised!

I hope we both enjoy our very different existences :D

I have broken into the Easter egg. The spouse is making lamb and is very concerned I'm going to ruin my dinner. It's entirely possible :D

Purple and lilac tulips in a glass vase in front of a sunny window

Happy Easter! My church shares our the Sunday flowers for congregants and it was my turn today.

Ooh that sounds fun! Let me know when its on nearer the time so I don’t miss it in the programme :) I am very bad at crafting (grr @ dyspraxia) but I do love the idea of making notebooks - I might manage that!

Depressing what so many universities are managing to find money for but not to extend contracts or make people permanent.

There’s a different nearby chain hotel that seems to have a room so I might grab it - just need to confirm they have a lift! I was dithering with the vague idea of getting a yurt but the prices are beyond me this year. Maybe one day! I did that at a different festival once and it was great :)

Ooh yay, see you there! I’ll need to book offsite accomm for the same reason but I’m quite used to that at GB. Finding a room might be a challenge though - I must book this weekend!

Yay!

I just impulse-bought Greenbelt tickets. Now I just need accommodation (which is looking tricky) and a PA. What have I done :D #GB26

Sarum always have great weekend and one-day courses. I’m looking forward to the Moving into
Menopause course on 27th April with Emma Pavey, who has been researching perimenopause and theology. See you there? www.sarum.ac.uk/short-course...

Half a million strong. Together.

The biggest march against the far-right in British history.

Group of people holding a big TransActual banner in the colours of the trans flag

We’re here at the Together Alliance March Against The Far Right and raring to go. We’re marching to show that unity is stronger than division.

#Together

Wish I could be there today but spoons didn’t allow. Glad for the digital march organised by disabled ppl. Solidarity with the churches marching, Inclusion London, and everyone gathering against the far right and for climate justice. #Together