SGSSS ESRC Postdoctoral Fellowship (More than a Footnote: Strengthening Inclusion through Disability Arts, Policy and Scholarship)

This fellowship builds on my doctoral research, which explored the gendered and structural exclusions faced by disabled people in Ghana and highlighted the potential for disability to be reimagined as a central pillar of inclusive development. Through academic publications, policy engagement, and arts-based storytelling in Ghana and Scotland, the fellowship aims to reimagine disability from the dominant static identity or siloed well-being issue it is often framed as, to a generative force for inclusive and sustainable development. By deploying interdisciplinary approaches drawn from critical disability studies, feminist theory and participatory arts practice, this project seeks to make disability research not only accessible but also actionable and does so in ways that can shift public understanding of everyday disabled experiences.
With a particular focus on children and the creative arts, such as a children’s book publication, the project highlights the importance of shaping attitudes from an early age and what this might mean for inclusion both on the ground and in global development and policy. This project is rooted in my commitment to interdisciplinary research and community-based knowledge sharing and derives from my decade-long experience as a development researcher and practitioner advancing gender equality, disability inclusion, and community-led change across West Africa and the UK.
This fellowship centres on four interconnected strands of work that together seek to transform how disability is understood, discussed, and acted upon across academic, policy, and public spaces. First, I will deepen academic scholarship by publishing two peer-reviewed journal articles drawn from my PhD research, offering fresh insights into the structural and gendered exclusions faced by disabled people and how these can be challenged. Second, the project aims to influence policy by translating research into actionable guidance for inclusive development. I will produce a policy brief grounded in my findings and convene a knowledge exchange workshop that brings together disability advocates, policymakers, and practitioners. This collaborative space will allow for critical reflection on the research and co-creation of more inclusive approaches to development programming. Third, I will engage wider publics through arts-based storytelling. In creative workshops with children in Scotland and Ghana, I will explore what disability means and what inclusion can look like. Through storybooks, role-play, and artistic expression, children will be invited to reimagine the world through inclusive narratives that foster empathy and understanding from an early age. Finally, I will share this work at academic conferences, using these platforms to build networks, exchange ideas, and collaborate with researchers, artists, and advocates working at the intersection of disability, inclusion, and the arts.
At its heart, this project is about shifting the narrative on disability, from something often overlooked in development to a powerful lens through which we can build fairer, more inclusive societies.