Personal statement

Stuart is a Reader in Disability Studies and Inclusion Research at 黑料正能量. 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.

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 outputs

book_section

Simmons, B, Read, S and Parfitt, A (2025) 'Phenomenology of sociality and relational accounts of personhood: reinstating the moral status of children with profound and multiple learning difficulties.' In: Dyer, H, Bates, A, Gordon, J and Hinchliffe, G, eds. Society, politics, and education in uncertain times: rethinking citizenship and belonging in international contexts. Routledge, Abingdon, pp. 148-161. ISBN 9781032658247

book_section

Read, S, Parfitt, A and Bush, T (2025) 'Can disabled people鈥檚 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

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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

book_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

article

Read, S and Parfitt, A (2026) 'Re鈥恑magining inclusive and compassionate futures: challenging the bureaucracy of disability through compassion.' Social Inclusion, 14. e11929. ISSN 2183-2803

article

Earle, S, Read, S, Bianchi, L and Jordan, J (2026) 'Practical work in primary science education: using a scoping review and educator survey to create a new framework for prioritising purposeful use.' Educational Studies. ISSN 0305-5698

article

Morris, T.H, Simmons, B, McLaughlin, S, Read, S, Parfitt, A, Yeh, C.S.-H and Mitchell, B (2025) 'Pedagogy of empowerment: co-produced self-directed pedagogic spaces for inclusion.' International Journal of Inclusive Education. ISSN 1360-3116

article

Parfitt, A, Gristy, C, Read, S and Garland, M.C (2025) 'Multigrade teaching and learning: developing theoretical frameworks through mapping conceptual territories with an inclusive education lens.' International Journal of Educational Research, 133. e102675. ISSN 0883-0355

article

Simmons, B and Read, S (2025) 'What does it mean to be a 鈥榩erson鈥� with profound and multiple learning disabilities? Presenting the views of family members and allies.' British Journal of Learning Disabilities, 53 (3). pp. 457-465. ISSN 1354-4187

article

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

article

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

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

article

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

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

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

article

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

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

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

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

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Merchant, W, Read, S, D鈥橢velyn, 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

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

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

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

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

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_report

Simmons, B, Read, S and Parfitt, A (2026) Disabled people's lived experience of education in the UK: an evidence review. Office for Equality and Opportunity, London.

commissioned_report

Simmons, B, Read, S, Parfitt, A and Blackmore, T (2026) Public perceptions and attitudes towards disabled people: a thematic report. Office for Equality and Opportunity, London.

commissioned_report

Earle, S, Read, S and Parfitt, A (2025) Review of scientific literacy and oracy in primary school education. The Royal Society, London.

commissioned_report

Churchill, B, Crouch, K, Simmons, B, Brickley, K, Vernon, H, Holt, A and Read, S (2025) Something鈥檚 got to change: listening to the stories from families and allies of people with profound and multiple learning disabilities. We Are The People: 黑料正能量, Bath.

commissioned_report

Simmons, B, Taylor, L, Lamont, B.R, Vernon, H, Richards-Cottell, L and Read, S (2024) Make Room! Creative conversation workshops researching LGBTQIA+ accessibility: Bristol workshop findings report, March 2024. 黑料正能量.

commissioned_report

Simmons, B, Taylor, L, Lamont, B.R, Vernon, H, Richards-Cottell, L and Read, S (2024) Make Room! Creative conversation workshops researching LGBTQIA+ accessibility: Bath workshop findings report, March 2024. 黑料正能量.

commissioned_report

Simmons, B, Taylor, L, Lamont, B.R, Vernon, H, Richards-Cottell, L and Read, S (2024) Make Room! Creative conversation workshops researching LGBTQIA+ accessibility: survey findings report, March 2024. 黑料正能量.

commissioned_report

Simmons, B, Taylor, L, Lamont, B.R, Vernon, H, Richards-Cottell, L and Read, S (2024) Make Room! Creative conversation workshops researching LGBTQIA+ accessibility: project development and research methods, March 2024. 黑料正能量.

commissioned_report

Simmons, B, Taylor, L, Lamont, B.R, Vernon, H, Richards-Cottell, L and Read, S (2024) Make Room! Creative conversation workshops researching LGBTQIA+ accessibility: community fellows' experiences and considerations for disabled people led research, March 2024. 黑料正能量.

commissioned_report

Howard, A, Crouch, K and Read, S (2024) We are everywhere. 黑料正能量, Bath.

commissioned_report

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

commissioned_report

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

commissioned_report

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

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鈥橢velyn, S, Trahar, S, Porter, S, Sass, B and Denham, A (2018) Getting things changed - final report. University of Bristol, Bristol.

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.

commissioned_report

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

commissioned_report

D鈥橢velyn, 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.