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Biography
Danielle studied her bachelors in law at the University of Leicester, graduating with an LLB with First Class Honours. She then undertook a legal Masters degree at the same institution, graduating with an LLM in International Human Rights Law with Merit. Subsequently, she was successful in obtaining a studentship to conduct a 1+3 PhD at the University of Nottingham, funded by the World Health Organisation through the Institute of Mental Health. During her first year, she completed an MA in Social Science Research (Socio-Legal Studies).
Danielle's PhD is an empirical research project on the subject of disability pride, using queer commentary to understand its impact on support mechanisms for persons with disabilities. Her supervisors are Professor Peter Bartlett and Professor Ralph Sandland.
Expertise Summary
Danielle's specialisms lie in human rights and healthcare, specifically within the intersectionality of human rights and both mental health law and disability law. She also employs feminist theory and queer commentary in her research.
Danielle has conducted three extended research projects throughout her studies on these topics. Firstly, looking at the notion of 'Best Interests' and its impact on freedom of liberty for mental health patients, in light of the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards. Secondly, using feminist theory to analyse women's reproductive rights, specifically in relation to the use of artificial reproductive technologies. And thirdly, critiquing the liberal human rights epistemology and proposing a queer commentary perspective on the human rights of minority groups, through the lens of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
Research Summary
Current Status: PhD (full-time) - currently registered
Research Title: Crip, Queer, and Proud: A qualitative study on disability pride and its impact on disability support.
Research Summary: Danielle's research proposes to analyse the concept of disability pride - when an individual feels unhindered or unimpeded by their disability and demonstrates a sense of identity through their disability. As the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities promotes the rights of disabled persons on an equal basis with able-bodied persons, individuals who exhibit pride would offer a unique perspective on how the State can structure support systems to enable them to access their rights to the fullest extent. She aims to conduct semi-structured focus-group interviews with these individuals, as well as their carers and family members, to understand what pride means, and how it affects the way they interact with the world in respect to their disability.
Research Supervisors:
Professor Peter Bartlett - https://www.nottingham.ac.uk/law/people/peter.bartlett
Professor Ralph Sandland - https://www.nottingham.ac.uk/law/people/ralph.sandland
Funding Source: Institute of Mental Health, University of Nottingham - https://www.institutemh.org.uk/