Dr Tom Shakespeare
| Job Title | Contact | Location |
|---|---|---|
| Senior Lecturer |
Tom dot Shakespeare at uea dot ac dot uk
Tel: +44 (0)1603 59 1952 |
Biography
My primary research interests are in disability studies, medical sociology, and in social and ethical aspects of genetics. I have had a long involvement with the disabled people’s movement in UK and internationally. In the context of disability arts, I have also been active in arts and culture, and was a member of Arts Council England from 2003-2008. At Newcastle, I developed an interest in science communication and public engagement, and helped develop the café scientifique movement in UK and across the world, as well as promoting sci-art projects
Career
After completing my PhD at Cambridge University and spending fifteen years in UK academia, I spent five years working at the World Health Organization in Geneva, where I was one of the team who produced the World Report on Disability, and where I also promoted barrier removal and mainstreaming of disability across the activities of WHO.
1993-1996 Lecturer, University of Sunderland
1996-1999 Research Fellow, University of Leeds
1999-2008 Research Fellow, University of Newcastle, where I co-founded and developed the
Policy, Ethics and Life Sciences Research Institute.
2008-2013 Technical officer, Department of Violence and Injury Prevention and Disability,
World Health Organization, Geneva.
Key Research Interests
I am interested in qualitative research about the lives of disabled people. I have led projects about life as a disabled child, quality of life in restricted growth, how people make ethical decisions, and provision of balanced information in antenatal screening. I have written books on disability and sexuality, relational approaches to disability, and genetic politics. In future, I hope to develop work exploring disability as an international development issue, with particular emphasis on barriers to healthcare.
Selected publications
Jones L, Bellis MA, Wood S, Hughes K, Bates G, Eckley L, McCoy E, Mikton C, Shakespeare T, Officer A. Prevalence and risk of violence against children with disabilities: a systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies. The Lancet early online publication July 12 2012.
Shakespeare T. Choices, reasons and feelings: penatal diagnosis as disability dilemmas. ALTER, European Journal of Disability Research,2011, 5: 37-43
Shakespeare T, Thompson S, Wright MJ. No laughing matter: medical and social factors in restricted growth, Scandinavian Journal of Disability Research, 2000, 12, 1: 19-31
Scully JL, Shakespeare T, Banks S. Gift not commodity? Lay people deliberating social sex selection, Sociology of Health & Illness, 2006, 28, 6: 749 - 767
Shakespeare T. Disability Rights and Wrongs, Routledge, London, 2006.
Selected publications
Jones L, Bellis MA, Wood S, Hughes K, Bates G, Eckley L, McCoy E, Mikton C, Shakespeare T, Officer A. Prevalence and risk of violence against children with disabilities: a systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies. The Lancet early online publication July 12 2012.
Shakespeare T. Choices, reasons and feelings: penatal diagnosis as disability dilemmas. ALTER, European Journal of Disability Research,2011, 5: 37-43
Shakespeare T, Thompson S, Wright MJ. No laughing matter: medical and social factors in restricted growth, Scandinavian Journal of Disability Research, 2000, 12, 1: 19-31
Scully JL, Shakespeare T, Banks S. Gift not commodity? Lay people deliberating social sex selection, Sociology of Health & Illness, 2006, 28, 6: 749 - 767
Shakespeare T. Disability Rights and Wrongs, Routledge, London, 2006.
Teaching Interests
I am currently lecturing on sociology of medicine, and on disability and development.
Number of items: 0.
External Activities and Indicators of Esteem
- Consultant to World Health Organization and World Bank. Editorial advisor, Arab Report on Disability.
- Editorial board of Disability and Society; Scandinavian Journal of Disability Research; Alter; Disability and the Global South journal.
- Columnist, Neue Zurcher Zeitung.
