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

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

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

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

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

Our panel on “Global Developmental Research” was a success thanks to our wonderful speakers (Flo, Jenny, Allison, and Abby) and audience questions!

We talked about unique practical and ethical challenges of cross-cultural research and some actionable strategies.

#CDS26 #CDS2026

Want to present at the 2026 Leeds Disability Studies Conference?

✅ Submissions are open for papers that engage with, challenge or provoke the principles & practice of Disability Studies - within or beyond the discipline.

‼️Abstract deadline: 12 Nov.

More info: https://ow.ly/OQ8Q50X5yKR

#CDS26