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Chantal Spencer

@c.spencer.design

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Design, Disability, Activism

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Earlier this year, I was very fortunate to receive funding through the @uniofbrighton ’s Student Research Experience Scheme, which enabled me to employ not one, but two research assistants to support a systematic review of models of disability.

This work feeds into my PhD research on radical, intersectional feminist participatory research design.

Before the project began, I had developed a collective list of 57 models of disability, which was the largest list I had been able to identify. In April, Sana Mohiuddin and Sarah McBrearty joined the project and began the tireless task of researching the models and writing clear, consistent definitions for each one. Through this process, they also identified several additional models, expanding the resource to more than 60.

We had our final working session on Friday, made even better by the delicious waffle Sana brought along!

Together, we have also designed a workshop to accompany the resource, aimed at supporting academics and practitioners to develop their understanding of the complex landscape of disability models.

The project brings pluriversal design into conversation with disability studies. The workshop toolkit encourages participants to recognise that we live in a world in which many worlds exist, and to explore both the possibilities and limitations of models of disability.

Models can provide useful tools for discussing particular dimensions of disability. However, they can also become limiting when they are treated as complete explanations of the complex, relational and fluctuating realities of disabled people’s lives.

Much of my work is concerned with these kinds of tensions: acknowledging and working with them, rather than ignoring them or rejecting a tool simply because it has limitations.

I believe this resource will make a valuable contribution to disability and design research, and I am incredibly thankful for the hard work, care and energy that Sarah and Sana have brought to the project. I would wholeheartedly recommend either of them to anyone looking for thoughtful and committed researchers.

The final outputs are on their way! taken in University of Brighton by @c.spencer.design

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4 months ago

I’m really pleased that my short film: Shut In Goes North will be shown as part of the DRS2026 film screening.

If you are at #drs2026 and you are interested in the hidden labours that disabled and neurodivergent people face, and how moving images can play a role in radical intersectional feminist research design then come along!

The film began as a small communication tool for my PhD participants, helping to share the lived labour involved in travelling to an academic conference as a disabled researcher.
The film then evolved into a key design tool for my equity centred research design and methodology.

DRS2026 Film Screening
Thursday, 11.00am–12.30pm
Room G.06, 50 George Square by @c.spencer.design

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4 months ago

I am excited to be hosting a conversation session at this year’s Design Research Society (DRS) conference #DRS2026 Edinburgh.

Thank you to our group of talented designer researchers who will be conveners on the day:
@rethinkmilk
@annabertmark
@lostinwonderland4
Dr Kate Langham
Nicole Afonso Alves Calistri
Fin Tams-Gray
The session forms part of a wider design-led research project exploring how co-design methods can support complex conversations in policy and systems spaces, particularly where stakeholders hold different levels of knowledge, experience, and proximity to the issue.

The methodology brings together prison education experts, including policy officials, criminology academics, and a lived experience expert, alongside design researchers from around the world. Higher education in prisons acts as the shared case study through which the group explores how design-led research can support dialogue, sense-making, and insight generation across complex systems. by @c.spencer.design

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4 months ago

Massive congratulations to my amazing brother in law @corin_ja for being elected as a green councillor for Lewisham! So proud!💚 by @c.spencer.design

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5 months ago

2016 was the year I went back to college and little did I know where that road would take me. I remember being convinced I wouldn't even get onto that college course, then uni, then my master's and then getting an insanely difficult to get funding for my PhD and now working on that PhD and as a designer for the department of education. Doing my PhD had always been a pipe dream to me...i can't quite believe I'm actually doing it now. by @c.spencer.design

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9 months ago

#antifacist taken in Brighton and Hove by @c.spencer.design

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a year ago

Camping 2025 by @c.spencer.design

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a year ago

When you are auDHD (autistic+ADHD) working from home can be challenging, especially when in a house full of other neurospicy people.
Sometimes when I am working I can be interrupted or even have chats, doing low level organising or creative stuff. But when I'm in the glorious flow of hyper-focused writing being interrupted can be like someone throwing a bucket of ice water on me. And a lot of the time, I can't get back to that mentally focused state.
So now we have this handy little tool to communicate with my family, when I am available to be interrupted when WFH.

💚= free to chat
🧡= Quick important stuff only
🧡❤️=This better be urgent and important
❤️= Unless someone is bleeding and/or on fire, i wouldn't

Photo number 2 is of the velcro child (aka main offender) demonstrating her defiance of the new system 🤣. by @c.spencer.design

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a year ago

Excited to share my Digital storytelling project!
"leading with authentic vulnerability"
A big part of my work is about developing lots of different ways to communicate my work beyond academic papers and conference talks. It's especially important to me that that sharing communicates real emotions and real life experiences that can sit uncomfortably within a lot of academia.
I was very lucky to be able to do a fantastic 4 week course @uniofbrighton where I was supported to develop not one but two films. One is for public showing and the other is a more personal story that I will be sharing in a less public format. The film below is the the story behind why I made my film and what this process has meant to me and my research.

hashtag#disabledacademic
hashtag#digitalstories
hashtag#researchcommunication by @c.spencer.design

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a year ago

Yesterday was the university of Brighton Research and knowledge exchange week, what an amazing day it was.
I was so honoured to have won not one, but two of the competition prizes. As some of you saw yesterday, I "baked my thesis" and won first prize! I also won the judges' prize for the research poster competition! I'm blown away that I received these two awards, especially with so much talent in that room.
This may sound obvious, but doing a PhD is really, really hard! But by far the hardest part for me is developing my own resilience within my work, as I am so completely and utterly entwined in it. It's a constant battle with the inner critic that tells me I'm not good enough or that I'm an imposter. As a dyslexic AuDHD woman, the occasions to feel that way are plentiful.
So, to have this kind of recognition for my work means more to me than I can say.
I'm taking two weeks off work now to focus on family time, fresh air, and sunshine.This was a great way to kick off my holiday!
I've published my poster on ResearchGate , if you'd like to check it out later, feel free to look it up on there.
@uniofbrighton by @c.spencer.design

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2 years ago

Today is @uniofbrighton RAKE week showcase day. Where we showcase all the research going on at the university. Part of the celebrations is a "bake your thesis"competition where we bake a cake that represents parts of our research. Here is mine. This is called the burden of change and is very much dedicated to all my disabled comrades facing abject poverty due to the proposed cuts to PIP. And to all those doing the work to bring about change, I see you, I need you, and thank you ❤️

Here is the abstract:

Beast of burden of change:

My cake represents the beast of “the burden of change”.

The burden of change is often placed on those least able to bear it. For disabled people, this can mean:

Teaching non-disabled people basic accessibility that’s common knowledge in disabled spaces but is unknown territory in abled ones.

Pressure to Justify how ill you are at face-to-face meetings when you can barely get out of bed that day, but you must, or you will lose your benefits.

Educating others on offensive language and the correct terms to use.

And many, many more.

The beast of burden of change urges you to consider these struggles when designing research that directly involves marginalised communities.

#cripsagainstcuts
#artaxcake
#disabledacademic
#disabledesigner by @c.spencer.design

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2 years ago

Today i finally got my diagnosis of autism, last week i was also diagnosed with ADHD. That makes me auDHD.
And honestly i could not be happier.
I'm proud of the way my brain is wired and it brings me huge amounts of joy aswell as struggles.

It makes it difficult to connect with some people, but makes me instantly and passionately bond with others.
The entire diagnosis process was of course focused on pathologising my "behaviours" instead of seeing it as a different way of being.

For example,I was told today that the reason i don't like small talk is because I struggle to pick up on social cues.

The reality is, i just don't agree with the social convention that we should have pretend conversation just to fill our time.

I'd rather not talk than to speak for the sake of politeness. When i talk about the weather i will say things like : "oof this sunshine is really helping my Seasonal depression"...and people respond with genuine relief that they can be real with me. How is that wrong and that really i should just say "oo the weather is nice today isn't it?".

If that is wrong, then I don't wana be right.

There were so many of these examples it would take me way too long to tell them all.

So dear world, I'm auDHD (autistic + ADHD). I don't follow rules unless i agree with them. And if i do agree with them I will fight with everything I have to uphold them.
My mind is a beautiful and unique place and the world is lucky to have me and my neurodivergent comrades in it.

P.s
Remember it took me 43 years to get these diagnoses. I've been auDHD the whole time. To all the people that call this a "trend" or whatever.... it's called a movement.
Times are changing, we are finally able to assemble under the banner neurodiversity when before we were just alone and called "broken".

(Photo is my submission to a research photo competition. It's called the labour of participation. It represents the struggle of participating in a world designed for other people.)

P.p.s this song choice is dedicated to my beautiful neuro spicy daughter @spencersbigworld ❤️. taken in University of Brighton by @c.spencer.design

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