Personal statement

Stuart is a Reader in Disability Studies and Inclusion Research at Bath Spa University. Stuart is a disabled academic and activist with research interests and experience across the fields of disability studies and inclusion. He is involved in a number of research projects exploring these themes.

As part of Stuart’s disability studies research, Stuart is a co-investigator on the Wellcome Trust-funded ‘We Are The People’ programme, which aims to understand the contemporary issues affecting disabled people in South West England.

He is also a co-investigator for an AHRC Impact Accelerator Award exploring accessibility of cultural heritage for people with learning disabilities. This research extends a previous Bristol and Bath Creative R&D grant that Stuart led, which explored what accessible communication means to people with learning disabilities. Stuart also led prior research exploring disabled people’s experiences of pandemic higher education, funded by the SRHE.

In the field of inclusion, Stuart is co-investigator on a Nuffield Foundation project exploring effective practical work within primary science, led by Professor Sarah Earle. Stuart also regularly collaborates with Dr Anne Parfitt on topics concerning children in care, and inequalities within rural and coastal communities.

Alongside his research, Stuart is Research Centre Lead for the Centre of Research into Equity, Inclusion and Community (CREIC), and co-chair for the School of Education Ethics Panel.

Academic qualifications

  • PhD Psychology - University of Exeter (2015)
  • MSc Psychological Research Methods - University of Exeter (2011)
  • BSc Psychology - University of Exeter (2010)

Areas of expertise

Disability Studies and inclusion, including, but not limited to:

  • Accessibility
  • Activism and advocacy
  • Compassion and empathy
  • Coproduction
  • Identity and intersectionality
  • Inclusive social research methods and ethics
  • Personhood
  • Place and space
  • Special educational needs and disability (SEND)
  • Stigma and discrimination

Research supervision

Stuart welcomes requests to supervise postgraduate and doctoral students interested in studying any areas of disability studies and inclusion.

Research and academic outputs

Go to ResearchSPAce

Book chapters or sections

Can disabled people’s experiences of exclusion in pandemic higher education encourage the promotion of inclusive research practices?
Book chapters or section

Read, S, Parfitt, A and Bush, T (2025) 'Can disabled people’s experiences of exclusion in pandemic higher education encourage the promotion of inclusive research practices?' In: Sati, S, Das, S and Mahanta, B, eds. Narrative universes of disability: global perspectives. Springer, Singapore, pp. 183-197. ISBN 9789819633838

When the webcam is off: disabled and academic identities before and during the Coronavirus pandemic
Book chapters or section

Read, S (2023) 'When the webcam is off: disabled and academic identities before and during the Coronavirus pandemic.' In: Vance, M.L and Harrison, E.G, eds. Disabled faculty & staff: intersecting identities in higher education (volume 2). AHEAD, Huntersville, NC, pp. 91-95. ISBN 9780999608951

Dilemmas of self-identification and provision of disability support
Book chapters or section

Read, S, Miles, C and Merchant, W (2020) 'Dilemmas of self-identification and provision of disability support.' In: Burke, C and Byrne, B, eds. Social research and disability: developing inclusive research spaces for disabled researchers. Routledge, Abingdon, pp. 64-77. ISBN 9781138387652

Articles

What does it mean to be a ‘person’ with profound and multiple learning disabilities? Presenting the views of family members and allies
Article

Simmons, B and Read, S (2025) 'What does it mean to be a ‘person’ with profound and multiple learning disabilities? Presenting the views of family members and allies.' British Journal of Learning Disabilities. ISSN 1354-4187

What does it mean to be a ‘person’ with profound and multiple learning disabilities? Interviews with family members and allies
Article

Simmons, B and Read, S (2024) 'What does it mean to be a ‘person’ with profound and multiple learning disabilities? Interviews with family members and allies.' PMLD Link, 36 (2). pp. 2-4. ISSN 2042-5619

Walking-creating for fostering teachers’ education in peripheral coastal communities
Article

Parfitt, A and Read, S (2024) 'Walking-creating for fostering teachers’ education in peripheral coastal communities.' Journal of Education for Teaching, 50 (2). pp. 329-340. ISSN 0260-7476

Educator views regarding young people’s aspirations in peripheral coastal communities in England: a Q study
Article

Parfitt, A and Read, S (2023) 'Educator views regarding young people’s aspirations in peripheral coastal communities in England: a Q study.' Oxford Review of Education, 49 (6). pp. 764-780. ISSN 0305-4985

Breaks in the chain: using theories of social practice to interrogate professionals’ experiences of administering Pupil Premium Plus to support looked after children
Article

Read, S, Parfitt, A and Macer, M (2023) 'Breaks in the chain: using theories of social practice to interrogate professionals’ experiences of administering Pupil Premium Plus to support looked after children.' Oxford Review of Education, 49 (5). pp. 604-619. ISSN 0305-4985

Misfitting and social practice theory: incorporating disability into the performance and (re)enactment of social practices
Article

Williams, V, Gall, M, Mason-Angelow, V, Read, S and Webb, J (2023) 'Misfitting and social practice theory: incorporating disability into the performance and (re)enactment of social practices.' Disability & Society, 38 (5). pp. 776-797. ISSN 0968-7599

Creating authentic and positive stories about personhood for people with profound and multiple learning disabilities: a call for reader expressions of interest
Article

Read, S, Simmons, B and Parfitt, A (2023) 'Creating authentic and positive stories about personhood for people with profound and multiple learning disabilities: a call for reader expressions of interest.' PMLD Link, 35.1 (104). pp. 37-38. ISSN 2042-5619

Disabled people’s experiences of the Coronavirus pandemic: a call to action for social change
Article

Read, S, Parfitt, A, Bush, T, Simmons, B and Levinson, M.P (2023) 'Disabled people’s experiences of the Coronavirus pandemic: a call to action for social change.' Social Inclusion, 11 (1). pp. 38-47. ISSN 2183-2803

What constitutes 'ethical' research for people with PMLD? A call for reader responses
Article

Simmons, B, Read, S, Parfitt, A and Bush, T (2022) 'What constitutes 'ethical' research for people with PMLD? A call for reader responses.' PMLD Link, 34.3 (103). pp. 38-40. ISSN 2042-5619

A call to action for conducting research with people with profound and multiple learning disabilities
Article

Read, S, Simmons, B, Levinson, M.P and Bush, T (2021) 'A call to action for conducting research with people with profound and multiple learning disabilities.' PMLD Link, 33.3 (100). pp. 6-7. ISSN 2042-5619

Can compassion provide a lifeline for navigating Coronavirus (COVID-19) in higher education?
Article

Parfitt, A, Read, S and Bush, T (2021) 'Can compassion provide a lifeline for navigating Coronavirus (COVID-19) in higher education?' Pastoral Care in Education, 39 (3). pp. 178-191. ISSN 0264-3944

The insider view: tackling disabling practices in higher education institutions
Article

Merchant, W, Read, S, D’Evelyn, S, Miles, C and Williams, V (2020) 'The insider view: tackling disabling practices in higher education institutions.' Higher Education, 80 (2). pp. 273-287. ISSN 0018-1560

Implementing reasonable adjustments for disabled people in healthcare services
Article

Heslop, P, Turner, S, Read, S, Tucker, J, Seaton, S and Evans, B (2019) 'Implementing reasonable adjustments for disabled people in healthcare services.' Nursing Standard. ISSN 0029-6570

Disabled people's experiences of accessing reasonable adjustments in hospitals: a qualitative study
Article

Read, S, Heslop, P, Turner, S, Mason-Angelow, V, Tilbury, N, Miles, C and Hatton, C (2018) 'Disabled people's experiences of accessing reasonable adjustments in hospitals: a qualitative study.' BMC Health Services Research, 18 (931). ISSN 1472-6963

The hospital provision of reasonable adjustments for people with learning disabilities: findings from Freedom of Information requests
Article

Heslop, P, Read, S and Dunwoodie Stirton, F (2018) 'The hospital provision of reasonable adjustments for people with learning disabilities: findings from Freedom of Information requests.' British Journal of Learning Disabilities, 46 (4). pp. 258-267. ISSN 13544187

Being a disabled patient: negotiating the social practices of hospitals in England
Article

Read, S, Williams, V, Heslop, P, Mason-Angelow, V and Miles, C (2018) 'Being a disabled patient: negotiating the social practices of hospitals in England.' Social Inclusion, 6 (2). pp. 74-82. ISSN 2183-2803

Negotiating identity: a qualitative analysis of stigma and support seeking for individuals with cerebral palsy
Article

Read, S, Morton, T.A and Ryan, M.K (2015) 'Negotiating identity: a qualitative analysis of stigma and support seeking for individuals with cerebral palsy.' Disability and Rehabilitation, 37 (13). pp. 1162-1169. ISSN 0963-8288

Commissioned reports

We are everywhere
Commissioned report

Howard, A, Crouch, K and Read, S (2024) We are everywhere. Bath Spa University, Bath.

Activism and protest research report
Commissioned report

Crouch, K, Read, S and Howard, A (2024) Activism and protest research report. We Are The People and Wellcome Trust, Bath.

Disabled people’s experiences of higher education during the time of the Coronavirus pandemic: pasts, presents, and futures. Research report
Commissioned report

Read, S (2023) Disabled people’s experiences of higher education during the time of the Coronavirus pandemic: pasts, presents, and futures. Research report. Society for Research into Higher Education, London.

Effective use of Pupil Premium Plus to improve educational outcomes for looked after children
Commissioned report

Read, S, Macer, M and Parfitt, A (2020) Effective use of Pupil Premium Plus to improve educational outcomes for looked after children. Bath Spa University, Bath, UK.

Getting things changed - final report
Commissioned report

Williams, V, Webb, J, Dowling, S, Read, S, Miles, C, Heslop, P, Gall, M, Tarleton, B, Merchant, W, Mason-Angelow, V, Steel, M, Turney, D, Tilbury, N, D’Evelyn, S, Trahar, S, Porter, S, Sass, B and Denham, A (2018) Getting things changed - final report. University of Bristol, Bristol.

Getting things changed - final report: reasonably adjusting hospital services
Commissioned report

Read, S, Heslop, P, Turner, S, Miles, C, Mason-Angelow, V and Hatton, C (2018) Getting things changed - final report: reasonably adjusting hospital services. University of Bristol, Bristol.

Hospitals should consistently provide ‘reasonable adjustments’ for disabled patients. Policy report 28
Commissioned report

Read, S, Heslop, P, Miles, C, Mason-Angelow, V, Turner, S and Hatton, C (2018) Hospitals should consistently provide ‘reasonable adjustments’ for disabled patients. Policy report 28. University of Bristol, Bristol.

Universities need to develop more inclusive practices to attract and to value disabled staff and students. Policy report 32
Commissioned report

D’Evelyn, S, Mason-Angelow, V, Merchant, W, Porter, S, Read, S and Trahar, S (2018) Universities need to develop more inclusive practices to attract and to value disabled staff and students. Policy report 32. University of Bristol, Bristol.