This has been a busy month with little time to put finger to letter-key.  At the moment I’m working hard to acknowledge referee’s comments (and marks out of 10!) on my short paper for the eSocial Science conference (deadline on Wednesday). I’m also trying to include several recent and important interviews.  Interviews are ongoing – phone and face to face, and my theoretical model is holding steady (almost suspiciously so – should I be worried?!). 

In other news I’ve been helping host Joakim Isaksson, from Umeå University, Sweden, during his visit to Nottingham University and the School of Education.  This is the first time I’ve seen him since this time last year, at the New Perspectives on Disability Research workshops at the University of Bergen.  I know this is nearly to the day, as the Champion’s league final has fallen in the same week! Joakim’s research focuses on Primary SEN education in Sweden, with some particularly interesting work on how Primary School teachers construct their notions of normalcy and deviance in the classroom.  For more info, contact Joakim using the links above.

The week before last (Sunday, May 11th 2008) I was fortunate to go to the The Holocaust Centre, in north Nottinghamshire, to see the first dedication of a memorial to the Deaf and disabled people killed in the Holocaust.  This was an important and moving event, with speakers from diverse backgrounds.  Liz Crow, director and producer of ‘Roaring Girl’ films, talked about the stories and places uncovered in her work to document the T4 disability extermination programme, with viseral images from the pre-war years, and those from sites in the present day.  Another speaker was 85 year old Hans Cohn, MBE, who talked about his experience of being one of the very few blind German Jewish children who survived the Holocaust by escaping to the UK.  Other speakers included Ricki Westbury, Director of Disability Access Services, who discussed the impact of the Holocaust on Deaf culture, another hidden history.  It is difficult to express the nature of the day, it was an important act of rememberence, but also recognised contemporary genocide and the struggles disabled people face the world over.  As such, this was a day about the past present and future. 

Run in partnership with the Nottinghamshire Disabled People’s movement, the day also focused on the Centres forthcoming educational and accessible developments.  I’d like to congratulate organiser Heather Hollins, the Holocaust Centre, the NDPM and all others involved for their hard work in making this day so poignent and powerful.  I look forward to seeing the development of the Holocaust Centre, the installations documenting the T4 programme and the forthcoming permanent memorial at the Centre currently being developed by the Pioneers Young Disabled People’s Forum.  For more information about the Holocaust Centre and their work go to: http://www.holocaustcentre.net.