Privacy Policy
Information about privacy and how we use data.
Disability Matters is committed to respecting your privacy. This notice explains what data we collect from you, how we use it and your rights in relation to it.
Please read it carefully.
If you have any further questions, please get in touch.
Who we are (the Data Controller)
Disability Matters is a research project based at the University of Sheffield. You can find out more about us here:
For the purposes of UK GDPR the University of Sheffield is the data controller.
What personal data we collect
- Name and email address (required)
- Organisation (optional)
We collect this data when you sign up to our mailing list or register for an event.
How and why we use your data
General personal information:
Mailing List
For our mailing list, we will use your details to:
- Send you emails about Disability Matters activities
- Communicate with you about events you may wish to register for
We use Mailchimp (Intuit Inc, USA) to manage our mailing list and send campaign emails. Mailchimp provides analytics on opens and clicks to help us improve our communications. This is aggregate tracking; we will not track individuals.
Mailchimp’s privacy policy is at: https://www.intuit.com/privacy/statement/
Event Registration
To register you for one of our events, we will use your details to:
- Register your interest to attend one of our events
- Send you emails about the event (prior to and following the event)
- Enable you to access the event details (agenda and video conferencing link if applicable)
We use Ticket Tailor to market and manage events. Ticket Tailor’s privacy policy is at: https://www.tickettailor.com/gdpr/
Outside of the two platforms listed, Disability Matters will not share your personal data with other third parties (without your explicit consent).
Special Category Data:
We do not collect any special category data for mailing or events.
How we store your data
Your data will be stored securely within the two platforms stated, that is Mailchimp and Ticket Tailor. We won’t store your data anywhere else without prior notification and your explicit consent.
Your data will only be accessible to us as the data controller (Disability Matters at the University of Sheffield).
How long we keep your data
We will keep your contact details until the end of Disability Matters (31 August 2029) plus up to one further year (until 31 August 2030) for potential follow-up. These periods reflect our internal retention requirements.
Lawful basis
Our lawful basis for email communications is consent.
You can retract your consent at any time by:
- Unsubscribing to our mailing list via Mailchimp
- Ask us to remove your data from Ticket Tailor by emailing us at disabilitymatters@sheffield.ac.uk
International transfers
Mailchimp is based in the USA. Transfers are covered by an International Data Transfer Agreement (IDTA) as approved under UK GDPR.
Your rights
You have rights of access, ratification, erasure, restriction, objection and portability under UK GDPR. You can find out more about this via the ICO website: https://ico.org.uk/for-organisations/uk-gdpr-guidance-and-resources/individual-rights/individual-rights/
You will not be charged for exercising your rights.
Queries or Complaints
You can contact the Disability Matters team with any questions, queries or complaints related to your data. If you contact us, we will respond to you within 30 working days.
Our Contact Details
Name: Disability Matters (Wellcome Trust)
Address: The University of Sheffield, Sheffield, S10 2TN
Website: https://sheffield.ac.uk/ihuman/disability-matters
Email: disabilitymatters@sheffield.ac.uk
If you would like to escalate a concern or complaint, you can contact the University’s Head of Data Protection (Luke Thompson): luke.thompson@sheffield.ac.uk
You can also complain to the ICO: www.ico.org.uk / 0303 123 1113
Changes to this notice
We review this notice regularly. Last updated November 2025.
iHuman
How we understand being ‘human’ differs between disciplines and has changed radically over time. We are living in an age marked by rapid growth in knowledge about the human body and brain, and new technologies with the potential to change them.