In November 2013, the Sense Publishing House published an updated version of my thesis, now entitled: ‘Disabled International Students in British Higher Education: Experiences and Expectations’.
I believe this book has been of real benefit to higher education establishments and other education providers in terms of their duty to work towards a fully inclusive culture. The project’s focus on Disabled international students’ experiences has made a direct impact, not only on the lives of the students who participated in my research, but also a range of other student clusters who benefit directly from increased diversity awareness and fully inclusive cultures and practices in education.
Since completing my PhD, I have shared my research findings in a range of publications, including the Journal of Inclusive Practice in Further and Higher Education (2019), the Journal of Applied Research in Higher Education (2018), the Malta Review of Educational Research (2017), and the Italian Journal of Disability Studies (2016). In my academic work, when writing chapters for books, as well as theses and various other articles, I have demonstrated my ability to work independently and under extreme time pressure, producing high quality research. Working in this way, I have become proficient in the use of such software applications as Office and SuperNova. I am currently serving as a reviewer on Disability-related topics for publications such as the International Journal of Inclusive Education, Journal of Applied Research in Higher Education, and Equality, Diversity and Inclusion.
My primary interests as a researcher remain in the fields of Disability, education and internationalisation, with a particular emphasis on inclusive education. To date, I continue to contribute to the field, have carried out a range of studies and projects, and am confident that I will find opportunities to keep on doing so. All of my attributes, and the array of skills I have developed, are transferable; I am excited to see what the future holds.
From May 2018 to February 2020, I worked on behalf of the Alliance for Inclusive Education (ALLFIE) on a research project funded by ‘Disability Research on Independent Living and Learning (DRILL).’ The focus of the study was the effectiveness of the required Accessibility Plans in English secondary schools. The early stages of the work saw me travelling across five regions of the country, conducting 12 focus groups with Disabled young people, parents of Disabled young people, and education professionals, to hear first-hand their views and experiences on the inclusivity of schools and colleges, in particular with regard to Accessibility Plans and the areas they are required to focus on. I also interviewed a small number of parents about their experiences in schools and that of their children. An online survey was carried out alongside the above field study, which saw almost 350 parents and professionals respond. I documented the project findings in a full report, including a list of recommendations, which, if implemented, could make schools more inclusive and local authorities more accountable. The report was published in January 2020.
Significant publications:
(2020) The accessibility of global mobility for disabled students. In Gaulee, U., Sharma, S. and Bista, K. (eds.) Rethinking Education Across Borders. Springer, New York. https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-981-15-2399-1_4
(2020) Accessibility Plans as effective tools for inclusion in schools: are they working? A project report, on behalf of the Alliance for Inclusive Education (ALLFIE), funded by Disability Research on Independent Living and Learning (DRILL). https://www.allfie.org.uk/inclusion-resources/accessibility-plans-as-effective-tools-for-inclusion-in-schools-are-they-working/
(2019) Disability hate speech: “They think they can call me anything”. In Sherry, M., Olsen T., Vedeler, J. S. and Eriksen, J. (eds.) Disability Hate Speech: Social, Cultural and Political Contexts. Routledge. https://www.routledge.com/Disability-Hate-Speech-Social-Cultural-and-Political-Contexts/Sherry-Olsen-Vedeler-Eriksen/p/book/9780367193423
(2019) At the margins of academia – on the outside, looking in: refusing, challenging and dismantling the material and ideological bases of academia. In Berghs, M., Chataika, T. and El-Lahib, Y. (eds.) The Routledge Handbook of Disability Activism. Routledge*. https://www.routledge.com/The-Routledge-Handbook-of-Disability-Activism-1st-Edition/Berghs-Chataika-El-Lahib-Dube/p/book/9780815349303
*Winner of Taylor & Francis’ Most Outstanding Handbook in the Social Sciences for 2019.
(2017) The accessibility of internationalisation: disabled students – experiences, difficulties, and solutions. In Alpin, Jr, H. C., Chan, R. Y. & Lavine, J (eds.) The Future of Accessibility in International Higher Education. IGI Global. pp 157-174. https://www.igi-global.com/chapter/the-accessibility-of-internationalisation/181943
(2015) Disability hate crime: status quo and potential ways forward. In Dustin M. (ed.) Beyond 2015: Shaping the Future of Equality, Human Rights and Social Justice. Equality and Diversity Forum. pp 207-217. https://www.academia.edu/12759984/Disability_hate_crime_status_quo_and_potential_ways_forward
(2014) Media, disability, and human rights. In Gill, M. & Schlund-Vials C.J. (eds.) Disability, Human Rights and the Limits of Humanitarianism. Routledge. pp 45-61. https://www.routledge.com/products/isbn/9781472420916
(2013) Disabled International Students in British Higher Education – Experiences and Expectations. Sense Publishing. https://www.sensepublishers.com/catalogs/bookseries/studies-in-inclusive-education/disabled-international-students-in-british-higher-education/
(2008) Disability Studies: Emerging Insights and Perspectives. Co-authored with Thomas Campbell, Fernando Fontes, Laura Hemingway, Chris Till. Disability Press. https://www.academia.edu/5825143/Disability_Studies_Emerging_Insights_and_Perspectives
A review of ‘Disabled international students in British higher education. Experiences and expectations’ can be found at http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/09687599.2016.1152015. A complete list of my publications can be found at http://leeds.academia.edu/ArminehSoorenian