Disabled architects: Unlocking the potential for practice

Project details

Full project title: Disabled architects: Unlocking the potential for practice

Duration: November 2008-2012

Sponsor: Royal Institute of British Architects

Project leader for SPE: Sandra Manley

Other UWE Bristol researchers:

• Ann de Graft-Johnson
• Katie Lucking

Project summary

This study aims to investigate ways of increasing diversity in the architectural profession by identifying methods that will unlock the potential of disabled people who want to practise as architects.

Key outputs

It has formed part of a series of research projects, promoted by Architects for Change (AFC), the RIBA's equality forum. The various projects have investigated the experiences of underrepresented groups in the profession including disabled people, women and people from black and minority ethnic** groups.

The core research activity for this project used a combination of techniques of qualitative inquiry, which included online questionnaires, in-depth interviews with disabled people and storytelling to explore the experiences of disabled people studying or practising as architects.

Other strands investigated the opinions and attitudes of disability support staff at universities and the human resources staff at architectural practices to identify good and bad practice in providing support for disabled people in the profession. In parallel, a study of the websites of schools of architecture and architectural practices explored the extent to which websites could either welcome or discourage disabled people in the profession.

Publications include:

• Manley, S., de Graft-Johnson, A. and Lucking, K. (2011) Disabled architects: Unlocking the potential for practice. London: RIBA.
• Manley, S., de Graft-Johnson, A. Why we need more disabled architects. Journal of Postsecondary Education and Disability.

Project contact

For further information about this project, please contact Ann de Graft-Johnson (Ann.DeGraft-Johnson@uwe.ac.uk).

** While UWE Bristol has moved away from the use of 'Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME)', the term will continue to be used in data reporting where necessary, to ensure consistency and clarity in statistical analyses. We acknowledge that past reports and documents may include alternative terminology, and these will remain unchanged for historical accuracy. Where possible, we disaggregate ethnicity data to help us identify issues that specific ethnic groups may be experiencing.