Healthy Trajectories recently hosted two spectacular visiting scholars from the UK!

Emma Livingstone is an advocate for the rights of adults with cerebral palsy. She is a person with an array of titles under her belt, including mother, founder and CEO of a cerebral palsy movement, life coach, and speech and language therapist. Her work is focused on supporting people with CP as they transition into adulthood. This research is important because despite being a lifelong condition, most of the research in CP focuses on children. Emma co-founded UP – The Adult Cerebral Palsy Movement, and works nationally and internationally to rally for awareness and support for adults with CP.

When asked about the origins of the movement, Emma had this to say:

“There was never an intention at the beginning for it to become what it now is. But there was a need. I had a hard time looking for resources, and I decided to make a hub for information to help others who were in the same boat.”

Read more about Emma on the website of her adult cerebral palsy movement, UP.

Dr Sonali Shah is a researcher who supports and uplifts the voices of historically marginalised people, especially women with disabilities. Dr Shah’s research on how disability interacts with other aspects of people’s identities is fascinating! She is an independent researcher and associate researcher at the University of Nottingham medical school.

Sonali has published multiple papers and four books on the topic of intersectional disability, including perspectives on pervasive myths about disabilities. She has this to say about intersectionality:

“It is useful to learn about the dynamic nature of health over time, as well as deepen researchers’ understanding of the experiences of participants. It can provide an understanding of the relationship between individual agency and social structures, and how an individual’s health, trajectories and choices are shaped by institutions, policies and relationships, at organisational and societal levels.”

Dr Shah is also both a Board Member of the Birds of Paradise Theatre Company, the largest disabled-led theatre company in Scotland, and an editorial board member of Disability Arts Online.

Read more about Dr Sonali on her loop profile page.