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Tom Shakespeare

My primary research interests are in disability studies, medical sociology, and in social and ethical aspects of genetics. I have had a long involvement with the disabled people’s movement in UK and internationally. In the context of disability arts, I have also been active in arts and culture, and was a member of Arts Council England from 2003-2008. While at Newcastle University, I developed an interest in science communication and public engagement, and helped develop the café scientifique movement in UK and across the world, as well as promoting sci-art projects. During my five years at WHO, I helped produce and launch key reports such as the World Report on Disability (WHO 2011) and International Perspectives on Spinal Cord Injury (WHO 2013), and was responsible for the UN statement on forced, coerced and otherwise involuntary sterilization (WHO 2014). This grew my interest in disability and international development.

My primary focus is qualitative research about the lives of disabled people and the barriers that they face. I have led projects about disability and sexuality, life as a disabled child, quality of life in restricted growth. I am currently working on an ESRC funded project on social relationships in personal assistance, and on an ESRC/DFID funded project on the disability and development gap. In recent years, I have also led several small research projects on aspects of mental health recovery and wellbeing. My secondary interest is social and ethical aspects of genetics and bioethics. I have led projects about how people make ethical decisions, and about the provision of balanced information in antenatal screening. I have written books on disability and sexuality, relational approaches to disability, and genetic politics. In future, I hope to develop further work exploring disability as an international development issue, with particular emphasis on barriers to healthcare.

Disabled people don't want to be your inspiration, but if they are it's no surprise

Sep 15, 2016 15:20 pm UTC| Insights & Views Life

Should we be inspired by Paralympian achievement? Commentator Frances Ryan recently counselled Guardian readers to be careful to think through their reactions to disabled superhuman athletes and academic poster boys like...

Economy

US Eyes Refinery Boost as Trump Seeks Relief From High Gas Prices

U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright said Washington is preparing measures to help refiners increase fuel production as the Trump administration looks for ways to bring down gasoline prices following the U.S.-Israeli war on...

Canada Faces 50% U.S. Tariffs as Trade Tensions Threaten USMCA Talks

Canada is bracing for a new wave of 50% U.S. tariffs this week, raising concerns over job losses, weaker investment and fresh uncertainty surrounding the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA). U.S. President Donald Trump...

Wall Street Falls as Oil Prices Rise, Fed Minutes and Retail Earnings in Focus

Wall Street closed lower Monday as investors stepped back following a record-setting week, while rising oil prices and persistent Middle East tensions weighed on market sentiment. The SP 500 fell 0.5% to 7,748.14, the...

Citadel Warns High Treasury Yields Pose Broader Market Risks

The Federal Reserves monetary policy strategy following the recent inflation surge is helping keep long-term US Treasury yields near multiyear highs, potentially creating wider risks across financial markets, according to...

Oil Prices Rise as U.S.-Iran Tensions Grip Strait of Hormuz

Oil prices extended their gains Monday as escalating U.S.-Iran tensions over the Strait of Hormuz fueled concerns about global energy supplies and shipping disruptions. Brent crude futures for October delivery rose 2.5% to...

Politics

Trump Says Kim Jong Un Responded to Outreach After US Scales Back South Korea Military Drills

U.S. President Donald Trump said Monday that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has responded to his recent outreach, signaling renewed communication between the two leaders as Washington moves to reduce joint military...

Trump Says Iran Should Surrender as Nuclear Deal Talks Stall

U.S. President Donald Trump said Monday that Iran is unlikely to accept the agreement he considers necessary to end the war with the United States, insisting Tehran must surrender and abandon any path toward developing a...

Gérald Darmanin Backs Édouard Philippe for 2027 French Presidential Election

French Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin has thrown his support behind former Prime Minister Édouard Philippe for Frances 2027 presidential election, ruling out a potential bid of his own as the countrys...

Russia-Ukraine Drone Attacks Escalate as Strikes Hit Moscow, Kyiv and Romania

Russia and Ukraine exchanged major missile and drone attacks overnight, leaving several people dead and damaging industrial and commercial facilities as the war continues to intensify. Russian forces struck ArcelorMittal...

US CENTCOM Chief Praises USS Abraham Lincoln Crew Amid Mental Health Concerns

U.S. Central Command chief Admiral Brad Cooper praised the crew of the USS Abraham Lincoln following a recent visit to the aircraft carrier, describing their performance and resilience as awe-inspiring amid growing...

Science

Blue Origin New Glenn Explosion Could Delay Launch Operations Until 2028

Blue Origin is facing a significant setback after a dramatic explosion involving its New Glenn rocket severely damaged a launch pad at Cape Canaveral, Florida. According to NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman, repairs to the...

Blue Origin New Glenn Rocket Explodes During Launch Pad Test, Delaying Space Ambitions

Blue Origin suffered a major setback after its uncrewed New Glenn rocket exploded during a launch pad test in Florida on Thursday, raising new challenges for Jeff Bezos space company as it competes with Elon Musks SpaceX...

SpaceX Delays Starship V3 Launch Ahead of Potential Record IPO

SpaceX on Thursday postponed the highly anticipated launch of its 12th Starship rocket test from Texas after technical issues interrupted the final countdown. The company now plans to attempt the Starship V3 launch again...

Trump Administration Releases New UFO Files and Apollo Mission Records

The U.S. Defense Department has released dozens of previously classified UFO-related files following an order from President Donald Trump, sparking renewed debate over unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP) and government...

China vs. NASA: The New Moon Race and What's at Stake by 2030

The space race is back and this time, its a direct competition between the United States and China for dominance on the lunar surface. NASAs Artemis II mission recently made history when four astronauts flew farther into...

Technology

BofA Sees Micron EPS Topping $230 by 2030, Backs Major Stock Upside

Bank of America expects Micron Technology (NASDAQ: MU) to deliver more than $230 in earnings per share by fiscal 2030, significantly above Wall Streets current peak estimates, as artificial intelligence demand reshapes the...

Anthropic Revenue Run Rate Hits $65 Billion as IPO Plans Accelerate

Anthropics annual revenue run rate surpassed $65 billion by the end of July, highlighting the artificial intelligence startups rapid expansion as it prepares for a potential initial public offering later this year. The...

Google to Buy Spirit Airlines Business Data for $10 Million to Train AI

Google, a subsidiary of Alphabet, has agreed to acquire internal business data from bankrupt Spirit Airlines for $10 million, with plans to use the information for product development and artificial intelligence training....

Alphabet Eyes First Australian Dollar Bond as AI Spending Drives Funding Push

Alphabet, the parent company of Google, is preparing for its first-ever Australian dollar bond issuance as the U.S. technology giant explores new funding sources amid rapidly rising artificial intelligence investment. The...

Alibaba Sells Lingxi Games for Over $1.5 Billion Amid AI Push

Alibaba Group is reportedly selling its gaming subsidiary Lingxi Games in a transaction that could value the Chinese video game studio at more than $1.5 billion, as the technology giant redirects resources toward...