Tell us about yourself

I am Chair of Intercultural Communication. My professional background is as a sign language interpreter, so my research expertise focuses on sign languages, linguistic access, mediated communication, interpreting and translation, linguistic, cultural and social inclusion and diversity, and aspects of multilingualism.

I am a Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences, Corresponding Fellow of the Australian Academy of Humanities and a Fellow of the Association of Sign Language Interpreters UK. I am also a Visiting Professor at the Centre for Deaf Studies, Trinity College Dublin and Adjunct Professor in the Department of Linguistics at Macquarie University, Sydney.
I am sole and co-author of 10 monographs, the most recent: Sign Language Brokering in Deaf-Hearing Families (2021, Palgrave). I have co-edited nine books and journal special issues, and published over 140 book chapters and journal articles.

I have secured research funding from various UK, Australian and European funders and is a member of several journal editorial boards as well as a grant assessor for several national and international funding bodies. I have won several awards for my research, including: the Australian Journal of Human Rights Andrea Durbach Award for best article in human rights scholarship 2017.

Why did you want to become a Research Affiliate?

I wanted to be a Centre Affiliate for two reasons:

1. To provide the opportunity to bring research with sign language users into the Centre as there is no one currently with that expertise that is a member of the Centre. Considering the experiences of deaf sign language users will enrich opportunities for collaborative research and bring greater insights into lived experiences of policing and vulnerability through comparison across different vulnerable groups.
2. To be exposed to, and have the opportunity to work with, others who have expertise in policing and vulnerability. I believe that adopting an interdisciplinary approach to conducting research on this topic is more likely to lead to more impactful research that makes a difference to the everyday lives of people who are in vulnerable positions and come into contact with the police or justice system for whatever reason.

How does your research connect to the Centre’s mission and values?

I have been involved in various studies of deaf people’s access to justice, including courtrooms, policing and jury service which align with the values and principles of the Centre. I conduct inclusive and collaborative research which is solution focused.

My most relevant projects on policing and vulnerability include European Commission funded studies focusing on best practices for police officers and interpreters working together in the context of investigative interviews and domestic abuse. I also received RSE funding to deliver training to police officers and interpreters in Scotland and Ireland on best practices for working together when responding to reports of domestic abuse from deaf women.

My research adopts a community participatory approach, involving deaf people at all stages, and is conducted collaboratively with key stakeholders such as Police Scotland, the Association of Sign Language Interpreters UK and the British Deaf Association. This approach has ensured pathways to impact, translating research findings into practical and policy outcomes that make a difference to deaf people’s lives. Some examples include the Scottish Police Caution BSL translation and development of a BSL glossary of key concepts related to domestic abuse.