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Newsletter

Keep up to date with our research, news and events

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April Newsletter

Dear friends,

The changes to disability benefits in the UK have been much in the news this week and are expected to have devastating consequences for disabled people and their families. One target is the Motability Scheme, which allows disabled people to lease cars. Yet the Scheme has faced a barrage of inaccurate criticism, such as that many people using the Scheme are not really disabled. This week, Mark Carew has been busy in the media explaining how only people who are assessed as severely disabled and receive the higher mobility rate of the disability benefit PIP can join the Scheme. He has further explained that disabled people spend their PIP award to lease the car, meaning the Scheme is of no additional cost to the taxpayer beyond PIP, while also providing a crucial source of independence for disabled people. He has been quoted in articles on the subject in the Guardian, Independent and the i-paper, and was the key expert interviewed for an explainer briefing for the Guardian asking “Why has the rightwing press turned on Motablity?”!

Hannah has also been engaged with the media this month – publicising the findings from the new report on “Disparities in maternity care for disabled women in the United Kingdom”. She was interviewed on BBC radio 4’s Woman’s Hour, together with MP Marie Tidball (here: from 10 minutes in), as well as on Radio 5 Access All (here: from 3:18:53)

Are you looking to shape the future of disability and health research?  Stellenbosch University looking for an exceptional postdoctoral fellow to work with the Lancet Commission on Disability and Health—an opportunity for researchers who love quantitative methods, systematic reviews, and big-impact science. The role is for a South African citizen or resident, within 5 years of their PhD. Please read more about it here.

Jane Wilbur has wrapped up our collaborative study with icddr,b, and World Vision, which investigated how climate hazards affect WASH access for people with disabilities in Bangladesh. Through participatory workshops, the team co-developed six principles to guide climate-resilient, disability-inclusive WASH services. Funded by the Australian Government’s Water for Women's Fund, the study also produced two short films introducing the study and explaining how to apply the principles. Learn more from this media coverage and explore this report for more details.

We are also VERY excited to announce our new short course “Introduction to Global Disability Issues: Developing Skills in Inclusive Research and Health Practice”, which will run 7-11 July, 2025 (cost £1,200 full fee; £600 for candidates from LMICs – application deadline June 16). This 5-day course will improve the knowledge and skills of professionals on the conduct of research with persons with disabilities and how to use this evidence to advocate for, design and evaluate inclusive health interventions.

What you’ll learn:
✅ Conceptualising and measuring disability
✅ Conducting disability-inclusive research
✅ Understanding health needs and barriers
✅ Developing inclusive solutions

It will be delivered online by experts from ICED. This course is ideal for researchers and health professionals seeking to advance disability-inclusive global health. 

It will be delivered online by experts from ICED. This course is ideal for researchers and health professionals seeking to advance disability-inclusive global health. Apply now! Here! For more information, email the short courses team.
 

Read on for more ICED news!

With best wishes,

Hannah and Tom

PENDA logo 300

PENDA is a major ICED project, funded by FCDO, aiming to increase evidence to support disability inclusive development. We will focus on developing people, knowledge and tools. We now have 11 evaluations up and running, across the PENDA programme, working with a wide range of partners. 


This month, we are conducting the endline in Kenya for our trial evaluating the impact of a micro-entrepreneur scheme for people with disabilities, implemented by Light for the World as part of the DID-IF programme. This programme promotes the economic empowerment of people with disabilities through our “InBusiness” initiative. The initiative brings together disability inclusion advocates with public and private sector institutions to co-create sustainable ways of engaging people with disabilities in employment, business and education while creating shareable models of good practice.  


Read up on all the above projects and all our other work on our website!

Publications

Papers this month from ICED!

Desta Debalkie published his first PhD paper! It is a systematic review in the African Journal of Disability exploring “Does life expectancy vary by disability status in LMICs?”. Overall, life expectancy was lower in people with disabilities (58 years) compared to those without disabilities (71 years), and average years of life lost was 16 years. These findings are similar to the models we produced from our systematic review published last year in Lancet Public Health.

Sara Rotenberg and colleagues published Participant perceptions of disability training for health workers: a qualitative study in Ghana, in BMC Medical Education. These results show that disability training for health workers is important and that there is scope to refine and standardize training.

Shanquan Chen and colleagues used data from UNICEF MICS study to undertake a “Network analysis of functional disabilities and their association with mental well-being in children and adolescents: multi-country study across low- and middle-income countries.”, published in the British Journal of Psychiatry. There was some variation by age and sex, but overall The core domains of disability with the strongest connections to poor mental well-being were difficulties in accepting change, making friends, behavioural control (controlling own behaviour) and remembering/concentrating.

Finally, Hannah and Luthfi Azizatunnisa' published the Commentary Cancer screening inequities and people with intellectual disabilities-what should we do to close the gaps? in Lancet Public Health, outlining the interventions possible to improve access.

Upcoming Seminars and Events by LSHTM

We are pausing webinars in April, but will resume from May – details to follow.

  • May webinar: Global Disability Inclusion Report
  • June webinar: Results from the PENDA De-Worm trial. 

You can find all our previous seminars (including the audio recordings and slides) here.

Other webinar series:

  • The  Stellenbosch University Disability Research Hub empowers disability researchers by fostering collaboration and connection. Please join us on the third Thursday of the month at 12noon SAST (10 AM UK time) for our monthly webinar series as we continue creating opportunities to share insights, spark innovation, and build lasting partnerships in the field. Zoom link here:  Meeting ID: 966 2898 8659 Password: 470627

Other things of interest

Work Experience Programme at ICED

We are currently not taking on new candidates.

Have you seen this?

It is five years since we went into lockdown for COVID in the UK. We are thinking back to all the odd things that we did in that time – including watching videos of dogs, narrated by a bored golf commentator. Check out Olive and Mabel.

And sign up to Tom Shakespeare’s podcast Short and to the point – talking about disability (and more) - on Patreon. First one… Begin as you mean to go on!

 
Previous newsletters 

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Work experience with ICED - 2025

Over the years, we have had candidates contribute to our research projects by conducting surveys, writing systematic reviews, completing desk research, and more. The programme is designed for candidates with disabilities to gain work experience in research within an academic setting.

We are excited to announce that we are now accepting applications from individuals with disabilities, to intern with ICED.

We expect the work experience programme to commence in approximately six months, with successful candidates having the opportunity to work with ICED for up to three months.

We will strongly consider the following candidates:

  • An interest in pursuing a career in research
  • Preference given to people from LMICs
  • People holding a Bachelor’s degree (minimum), ideally a Master’s degree.

Please complete the application form for consideration.

Talks

ICED talks

​​​​​​​​​​Disability History Month - Disability Identity and Employment Policy: Past and Present

Our own Professor Tom Shakespeare and Dr Mark Carew spoke at an insightful event, "Disability Identity and Employment Policy: Past and Present". They explored the evolution of the social model of disability, disability rights, and workplace inclusivity. 

The session highlighted employment policies and discussed the challenges that remain for disabled people. Through open discussions with an expert panel, the auidence gained a deeper understanding of how historical perspectives and disability identity inform current policies and challenges.

Speakers:

  • Professor Tom Shakespeare
  • Dr Mark Carew
  • Dr Gareth Milward (external guest speaker)
  • Dr Helen Strongman (Event Chair)

Date: Wednesday 11th December 2024

Recording: Please click here to view the recording.

Film

Disability-Inclusive Education and Employment

This film presents findings from a research project on Disability-Inclusion in Education and Employment in seven countries in Africa (Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal and Uganda). The film was created with young people with disabilities from Uganda and Ghana who participated in the study.  

The research was conducted in partnership with ICED, Mastercard Foundation, the University of Abuja, the University of Ghana, Lifetime Consulting Ltd, Addis Ababa University, University of Nairobi, Global Advocacy and Research Group and MRC/UVRI & LSHTM Uganda Research Group. It was funded by Mastercard Foundation. 

Phase 1 study reports, on the policy landscape, are available here. Phase 2 reports, based on interviews with young people with disabilities in each country, will follow. A film, about the research findings, created with young people with disabilities who participated in the study can be seen here.

Ubuntu

COVID-19 Support and Guidance

The  situation with COVID-19 is rapidly changing. We have gathered a list of resources about COVID-19 to share with caregivers, children & young people and education, health and social care practitioners to navigate the dynamic situation of the COVID-19 response, and the many impacts that it will have. We hope that they are helpful and we will continue to add new resources as they become available. 

Working with parent groups – a training resource for facilitators and caregivers

These manuals (Getting to Know Cerebral Palsy, Juntos and ABAANA EIP) aim to increase knowledge and skills in caring for a child with developmental disabilities. Research highlighted the significant needs of the caregivers, and how they can gain a huge amount of support from meeting with each other in an understanding environment.

It promotes a participatory learning approach with an emphasis on working with groups and the empowerment of parents and caregivers.

Download the manual (in various languages)

“Before, my family and people in my community used to say ‘this child’s suffering is a result of parent’s sin’. After taking the training I have explained what causes cerebral palsy to others. Now, no-one says anything like this.” 
Parent, Sirajganj, Bangladesh

Animated videos

Animated videos on child development and developmental disability

Download and use these animated videos from ICED on child developmental and developmental disability, with versions in English, Portuguese and Spanish. The first of these videos provides information on child development across different domains and considers how this process can be disrupted for some children. The second explores the challenges and barriers in the lives of people with a developmental disability, and how support strategies can help an individual better participate in their community. 

Please use these videos in your own teaching, support groups or in any other forum, appropriately acknowledging the International Centre for Evidence in Disability at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine.

The videos are available in English, Portuguese (Brazil) and Spanish.

View the English videos below:

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View the English videos with subtitles here:

View the Portuguese (Brazil) videos with subtitles here:

View the Spanish videos with subtitles here:

Film

Supporting Families Affected by Zika virus

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Global Community

Children with developmental disabilities and their families

Join a global community to share ideas, access the latest research, find solutions, meet new people and collaborate on innovative and exciting projects.

Journal

Community Ear and Hearing Health Journal

This annual publication promotes good ear and hearing health in low and middle-income countries.

It's a forum for exchanging ideas, experience and information that facilitate continuing education for all levels of health worker. It is delivered to almost 4,000 healthcare providers worldwide. Some issues have been translated into French and Spanish.

Read previous issues
Press and Resources

Press articles

Read articles on ICED activity in the international press and on SciDev.net. Use disability resources from across the web.

Read press articles on our work

SciDev.net columns

MOOC

Global Health and Disability

All files and contents in this folder are © LSHTM unless otherwise stated. You are welcome to reuse, adapt and share these files for non-commercial teaching and learning purposes without asking for permission. You must acknowledge the International Centre for Evidence in Disability, LSHTM as the original creator and provide a link to our website: www.lshtm.ac.uk/research/centres/international-centre-evidence-disability. We would also very much appreciate hearing how you are using the content, please let us know at disabilitycentre@lshtm.ac.uk.

Download full course

Full course ZIP (2GB) |ZIP (no videos) (182MB)

Download content from each week
Download individual resources

Video: Welcome to the course

Week 1: Disability and its importance to the global development agenda

Video: Welcome to week 1

Video & teaching slides: Why does disability matter globally?

Video:  Why does disability matter – Personal perspectives

Article: Why does disability matter – individual case studies

Article: Why does disability matter to International Development? Part 1

Article: Nothing about us without us

Video: What does disability mean – personal perspectives

Video: Attitudes to disability

Video: What does disability mean – a framework

Article: Measuring disability: Why would you want to and how do you do it?

Video: What is the relationship between impairments and disability?

Video: what are the common impairments related to disability?

Article: Why does impairment matter?

Video: Summary of week 1

Video: Welcome to week 2