(She/her) 2022 | MSc Mad Studies; Queen Margaret University

Katy did her undergraduate degree in Disability Studies and has worked in the area as a policy adviser, advocate and most recently as a co-researcher on the ESRC funded project Living Life to the Fullest. This project was a three-year study into the life experiences of disabled young people, specifically those with life threatening and life limiting conditions. Katy worked on all aspects of the project and co-authored the book. It is this work that reignited her passion for academia.

In her personal life Katy has experienced emotional distress. She felt dissatisfied with mainstream approaches to distress which tended to silence rather than provide meaningful person-centred support. During Katy’s search for understanding she came across others questioning traditional approaches which led her to Mad Studies.

Katy is excited to be starting the world’s first masters program in what is a new and quickly growing area of academia. With lived experience and activism at the heart of the course, Katy hopes to combine her Disability Studies knowledge with Mad Studies so that she can highlight the issues for disabled people experiencing distress. Katy’s experiences have taught her there is often a great lack of both access and understanding for disabled people.

The Snowdon Scholarship has given Katy the confidence to pursue her goals as well as the financial security she needs to be able to focus on her studies.