DERN is an informal network which has been set up at the London School of Economics with the aim of providing disabled and disability researchers with an opportunity to share their work with critical friends and to receive constructive feedback. DERN is sponsored by the LSE Annual Fund.

Critical Disability Studies is only taught in a few places but many researchers from varied disciplines engage with disability. Scholars from, for example, history, international development, media, cultural studies, sociology and education have expressed an interest in the network.

DERN may well be helpful to you if you are researching anything with a broad disability equality theme (whether or not you are disabled yourself), or if you are a disabled researcher engaging with any theme – not necessarily disability related (we could, for example, discuss principles of emancipatory research, or barriers experienced by disabled researchers and effective strategies which may diminish the said barriers).

The disability equality angle implies a social or post social model approach, rather than anything more medically orientated.

The network may broaden to consider wider equality themes.

If you wish to present your work please send an abstract of up to 150 words to n.martin@lse.ac.uk (cc k.s.beninger@lse.ac.uk) who will then liaise with you for possible presentation dates. Presenters are required to email accessible copies of their paper/slides to all DERN members at least two days prior to their presentation. Members can then produce alternative formats as needed. Please also bring 20 copies with you, including 4 large print. Meetings are typically 4-30pm to 6-30pm in central London.

If it is not possible for you to attend physically, you can participate virtually via the DERN JISCMAIL list. By joining the DERN list we assume you are happy for your email address to be shared with other members (although the JISCMAIL does hide your details). If not, please write in to k.s.beninger@lse.ac.uk to keep your mail address confidential.

Please contact n.martin@lse.ac.uk (cc k.s.beninger@lse.ac.uk) with any ideas on this (using the subject header DERN).