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- Supervising disabled researchers - Premia
- Building the supervisory relationship with a disabled researcher
- Examples of positive first meetings with disabled researchers
Examples of positive first meetings with disabled researchers
Here are some scenarios of first meetings:
Scenario 1: first meeting with Tariq
Scenario 2: first meeting with Dan
Scenario 3: first meeting with Claire
What questions would it be beneficial for the supervisor to ask at their first meeting with a new researcher?
Some suggestions are offered for each scenario in the pages beneath, accessible via the left hand menu.
Finding out at the beginning can help the supervisory relationship - and the researcher's learning - in many ways.
‘Now we (supervisor and researcher) have known each other for years and we get on very well. (I wish) the first time I'd said my wrists were bad and I can't write, he'd said, ‘Well, that's no good, you need to be able to write or you need to be able to interact better in this situation' instead of doing what I (still) do - which is going a lot from memory and ending up not being able to match what I've done - or I make such short notes because my wrists are bad that I don't understand what I've written or what it is. The other thing is I'm doing a very complex PhD and with complicated theory you can't just write down one or two reminder words that will remind you of the whole theoretical discussion you've had. You want to capture ideas.’
Postgraduate researcher with tendonitis
‘My supervisor has been extremely supportive. He has taken an active interest in my DSA application, and did much of the liaison work with the research council on my behalf during this process. He ensures that the lighting level in his office is appropriate for me, and that his writing on the blackboard is clear and of a sufficient size. He also directs my reading more than, I assume, other researchers can expect, suggesting particular books or articles rather than giving me just a general idea of the material required.
Blind postgraduate researcher
He and other members of the group have acted as my sighted assistant on a number of occasions, guiding me to unfamiliar rooms, around buildings and when outdoors.’
