Gillian Parekh



Canada Research Chair in Disability Studies in Education

Tier 2 - 2018-10-01
Renewed: 2023-10-01
York University
Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council

416-736-2100, ext. 22738
parekhg@edu.yorku.ca

Research involves


Exploring how K-12 and postsecondary schools respond to disability through policies, pedagogical practices and student organization across programs.

Research relevance


This research will identify best practices and policies to promote access to education and the inclusion of students identified as having a disability.

Research summary


As many as 20 per cent of Canadian youth have been identified as having a disability. Many face barriers as a result of assumptions people make about their abilities, leading to inequities in education, employment and income. As Canada Research Chair in Disability Studies in Education, Dr. Gillian Parekh is examining how schools respond to disability in order to improve student success.

Parekh and her research team are gathering and analyzing new data to develop strategies that will shed light on how “ability” is used to justify student organization within schools and the inequitable distribution of in-school resources and opportunities. By conducting cross-institutional data-linking and critical policy analysis using critical disability theory, as well as engaging with the community, Parekh aims to produce new insights and approaches that will inform teacher education and educational policies and practices at all levels of the education system.