Project updates

We will be using this page to offer regular updates on the progress of WAARC  alongside refreshing our Anti-Ableist resources and Emerging Headlines 

March 2026

• Members of the WAARC team will be joining the Wellcome Institutional Research Culture Community event on 18 and 19 March 2026, sharing their research through talks and facilitated sessions.

February 2026

• Dreaming up a Disability Inclusive Workplace webinar - 25th February 12-1.30 p.m, held a session facilitated by Gayathiri Kamalakanthan a writer and producer that has worked with organisations like the Barbican, the Southbank Centre, CRIPtic Arts, and UK Black Pride. This session was on 'Self-advocacy at Work and Navigating Uncertainty'.
• Here's a link to our 'Cripping Research Culture' podcast - you can listen to our 6th episode, and a milestone of a total of 250 streams and downloads reached on 26th February. 
• Our four funded Collaborative Projects activities are ongoing - and are preparing to showcase their projects at the WAARC Online Collaborative Projects Festival on 20th April - you can book a ticket to find out more! 
• Elinor Noble (WAARC Project Coordinator) and Rhea Halsey (Disability Matters Programme Manager) presented on the projects and on how to make projects more accessible to the University of Sheffield Project Manager Network.
• Élaina Gauthier-Mamaril - led a session for University of Sheffield PGRs and staff on "Podcasting as a Creative Research Method" -  3 February 2026

January 2026

• Dreaming up a Disability Inclusive Workplace webinar - 28th January, 12-1.30 p.m. held a session facilitated by Deepa Shastri on how to hold our organisations accountable when it comes to disability access towards staff.  Our next webinar 'Self Advocacy at Work & Navigating Uncertainty' is on Wednesday 25th February - find out more and book at our events page 
• Here's a link to our 'Cripping Research Culture' podcast - another episode went live in January!  You can listen to it on Spotify or wherever you listen to your podcasts.
• Our four funded Collaborative Projects met together again and shared exciting news about how the projects are going. 
• Shelley Tremain Interviews Élaina Gauthier-Mamaril in an article for Biopolitical Philosopy Disability Dialogues  - 21 January 2026

December 2025

• WAARC and Humanising Healthcare hosted 'Humanising the System' event on 3rd December 2025 to launch the Humanising Healthcare Manifesto. 

November 2025

• Our four funded Collaborative Projects met together and shared exciting news about their projects. 
• Armineh (with Liz) presented a Lightning talk on 19 November 2025 - ESRC research project symposium: Amplifying the mental health of Black university students: A Black, Mad and Disability Studies intersectional inquiry. 

October 2025

• Dan Goodley and Rebecca Lawthom were interviewed by colleagues in the White Rose University Consortium about the WAARC project which appeared today (1st October) on the consortium's website
• We held an internal 'Cripping the Concordat' exciting gameshow style event with postgraduate and early career researchers.
• Our 'Dreaming up a Disability Inclusive Workplace' webinar series began on 29th October. Topics were chosen by surveying members of the National Association of Disabled Staff Networks (NADSN) and we've curated workshops and talks from disabled professionals from a variety of backgrounds and industries. More webinars are coming in 2026!
• Here's a link to our 'Cripping Research Culture' podcast - which started streaming in October! You can listen to it on Spotify or wherever you listen to your podcasts.

September 2025

We are delighted to be joined by Nikita Hayden who will be working with Lauren White on the Developments priority area of WAARC and Elinor Noble who joins as our new Project Coordinator working alongside Liz Dew and the WAARC team.