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Welcome to first newsletter of the Disability
Scholars Society (QLD)
The
inaugural meeting of the society was held on Thursday 14th December
2000, at North Point TAFE, City Campus.
Minutes:
Denise
Alexander
Apologies:
John
Tomlinson, Lisa Bridle; Shannon Edwards, Christine Tilley, Laurie Buys, Peta
Fry, Peter Gregory, David Massey, Bob Harriman, Tracy Sleigh.
Present:
Jayne
Clapton, Fiona Campbell, Denise Alexander, Mark Sherry, Lesley Chenoweth, Rea
Dennis, David Turnbull, Nigel Webb, Marie Knox.
Business:
1.
Welcome:
Fiona
Campbell welcomed those in attendance to the inaugural meeting of the Society.
Fiona spoke briefly about the background for coming together and indicated that
there is already an active interest of approximately 25 people.
2.
Introductions:
All
in attendance provided a brief introduction to themselves and their research
interests. Fiona also informed the group of the research interests of others not
in attendance but who had submitted a summary to her prior to the meeting.
Details as provided by individuals appear later under the heading ‘Research
Interests’.
3.
Setting
up the Society:
·
Philosophical
Orientation and membership
Discussions
were held around the issues of ‘membership’, research paradigms and academic
disciplines. After lengthy consideration it was decided that a draft
philosophical statement be prepared and circulated to all participants for
comment.
·
co-ordinating
structure
A
number of options for the co-ordination of the group were identified but due to
time constraints no decisions were made. This item is to be discussed further at
the February meeting.
4.
Planning
for 2001
· Meeting schedule
It
was determined that meetings would be held every two months and alternate
between a Thursday and Friday. The location and responsibility for co-ordinating
the meeting is to be rotated. At this stage only the next meeting has been
organised (see further details below). Details for future meetings will be
determined at the February meeting.
·
Meeting structure
Discussions
were held about the ‘best use’ of meeting times. Ideas that were suggested
include using the time for round table discussions on specified topics and as a
place for support and discussion on papers and publications.
·
Themes/topics
A
number of potential themes/topics for discussion were raised. The following were
set as items for the February meeting:
How we operate as a group and our guiding
principles;
explorations of the notion of
‘scholar’;
5 minute wraps following the Sydney
conference;
the potential for developing a publication
syndicate;
naming – language usage &
explanations.
Role of ‘disabled’/’non-disabled’
researchers.
5.
Outreach/Promotion
of the Society:
Brief
discussions were held as to how to ‘spread the word’. It was suggested that
at this stage any additional names for e-list be forwarded to Fiona Campbell at f.campbell@qut.edu.au.
(names might be of people involved in policy development, community
organisations, universities or other areas relevant to disability research. The
possibility of creating a web page for the group will be investigated.
Research Interests
Denise
is a teacher in Community & Human Services, North Point TAFE, specialising
in Disability Studies. She is interested in psycho-therapeutic constructions of
disability, human rights issues as well as deconstructing sexual assault
‘survivor’ discourses.
Laurie
is Course Coordinator
Fiona
is a PhD candidate and sessional lecturer at the School of Humanities
(sociology) at QUT. She previously taught in community development at Victoria
University. Her research interests include philosophical and legal productions
of disability, theologies of disability and
Sri Lankan social and cultural matters.
Lesley
is a Senior Lecturer in the School of Social Work & Social Policy at The
University of Queensland. Her research interests include violence in the lives
of people with disabilities, deinstitutionalisation and community living,
families and disability and issues for services and supports in rural and remote
areas.
Jayne
Clapton is a lecturer in disability studies in the School of Human Services at
Logan Campus, Griffith University. Her research interests include ethics and
disability, bioethics, theology and feminist studies. Jane’s doctoral thesis,
entitled ‘A Transformatory Ethic of Inclusion: Rupturing ‘disability’
and ‘inclusion’ for Integrality’, explored the ethical significance of
the notion of ‘inclusion’ within a Western Judeo-Christian context.
Gerard lectures in Media Studies, in the School of Humanities, Media
and Cultural Studies, Southern Cross University, Lismore, NSW. He has published
on telecommunications and disability. His current research project with
Christopher Newell, University of Tasmania, is a book on disability and new
media, provisionally entitled Digital Disability. Gerard and Christopher
are also researching media representations of disability (with a recent article
published in Media International Australia).
Involved
in the disability field for some 20 years. During this time have carried out a
variety of roles, including teaching, research, service management and advocacy.
Marie
is Senior Lecturer (Course Coordinator), School of Human Services, Queensland
University of Technology. Her research interests are wide and include:-
q
Collaborative
research models involving people with disabilities, particularly those
considered as having “high support needs”;
q
social
relationships of people with disabilities, particularly the relationship of
friendship;
q
family
support and empowerment; particularly the role of the family in the lives of
adults with an intellectual disability.
Christine
Tilley
The aim of my PhD
research is to firstly, develop a conceptual framework for community networking,
which forms a systematic theory [the outcome of the research using 'grounded
theory'] as the methodology; and then, on the basis of this theory, propose
strategies for implementing a community network - virtual community model based
on user needs for Queenslanders with physical disabilities. Currently I'm
employed at QUT in the School of Information Systems (Gardens Point).
My main interest
is in relation to rights and particularly the right to a basic income. I am also
interested in disability activism. John is a lecturer in the School of Human
Services at QUT Carseldine campus.
David
Turnbull
David
is a bioethics advocacy worker at Queensland Advocacy Inc (QAI). His research
interests are in the areas of bioethics and biotechnology.
Is your profile not here? Why not send in a brief spiel to be included in the next newsletter!
Disability with Attitude Conference,
16-17 February 2001, Parramatta NSW Ph (02) 93851870
Parish Disability Network
(An ecumenical network of people in and around parishes leading church to insight and inclusive practices). For more information contact Trish Murdoch (07) 3840 0525, or t.murdoch@bne.catholic.edu.au
3rd
National Conference on ‘Spirituality & Disability’ Melbourne, October
18 – 20, 2001. YWCA, Melbourne. Contact
Rev. Andy Calder UnitingCare Victoria, andy.calder@vic.uca.org.au
Date:
Friday 9th February
Time:
12:00 – 2:00pm
Venue:
To be held at University of Queensland, St Lucia Campus. Room details will be
circulated via email when available.
Attendees are requested
to bring some food to share
Draft
Philosophical Statement
The
Disability Scholars Society (QLD) is a Queensland based organisation that
promotes the exploration of disability through research, artistic production,
teaching and policy development. Disability Scholars Society (QLD) explores and
encourages perspectives that place disability in social, cultural, ethical,
legal and political contexts. Through our work we seek to augment understandings
of disability in all cultures and historical periods, to promote greater
awareness of the experiences of people with disabilities and to contribute to
social change. The Disability Scholars Society (QLD) is open to scholars,
researchers, post-graduate students, honours students and other researchers and
policy practitioners.