Richard Currie is in the first year of his PhD at Manchester Metropolitan University
At the age of 11, Richard Currie told his family he was planning to go to university and get a good job. He achieved this goal despite challenges presented by his disability, and after graduation became a disability rights activist.
Richard is now undertaking his PhD at Manchester Metropolitan University to analyse how interactions between Manchester City Council and user-led organisations improve the life chances of disabled people.
In particular he will look at the Manchester All-Age Disability plan, an initiative launched by Manchester City Council in collaboration with disabled people’s organisations and disabled people’s user-led organisations to create public policy initiatives that are both cost effective and make a real difference to people’s lives.
Richard hopes that by studying a PhD he also helps pave the way for more disabled people to enter higher education. He plans to teach within the field of disability studies and wants his research to pilot more effective ways disabled people’s organisations and local and national government can work together to transform the lives of disabled people.
