Photo of Steph Harvey
I am currently undertaking a PhD in Disability and Cultural Studies at Bath Spa University and my research is linked to the D4D project. I worked previously, for the Civil Service, including the Office for Disability Issues where I engaged with both grassroots and national-level Disability organisations and at an international level on Disability-related policy. It is through this work that I met one of the gateway organisations I am now working closely with; the Equalities National Council. Before this my training was in Fine Art and Philosophy.
My PhD research questions how Disability has been conceptualised, and how this fits with the lived experiences of people with long-term mental health conditions from minority ethnic backgrounds. In particular, I am exploring the disconnect between the way that Disability is thought about by some academics and policy-makers and the lived experience and understandings of this intersectional group of people and how this might lead to increased marginalisation. Having a hidden disability and a mixed cultural heritage myself, I am very interested in how different understandings of words and concepts that influence ‘inclusive’ practices might lead to people becoming more marginalised. My research is based in both London and Bristol and will involve a mix of traditional research methods and creative practice. An important element of this research will be the material that is co-produced with the core participants I will be working alongside.