I wonder how ageing and disability activists can learn from one another?

Speaker(s):

Catherine Marie Pemble, University of Stirling

Abstract:

British Disability Studies has long been shaped by disabled activists and scholars, from UPIAS’s foundational principles to contemporary voices like Carol Thomas and Tom Shakespeare. It has a long history of grappling with critical issues, from the body’s role in disability to institutionalisation, independence, and inclusion. Contemporary dementia studies increasingly mirrors these discussions yet rarely engages with either Disability Studies’ rich literature or its potential insights into the experiences of people living with dementia. This represents a missed opportunity for collaboration. This talk queries how we might identify the theoretical, systematic, and interpersonal barriers and facilitators to integration between ageing and disability theory and activism. It also asks how emancipatory and co-productive methodologies could contribute to meaningful research—not only to better understand these barriers but to create outputs that enable stakeholders to overcome them more effectively.