Dr Liz Hodges

Liz Hodges, School of Education, University of Birmingham

School of Education
Lecturer, Deafblindness and Multisensory Impairment

Contact details

Telephone
+44 (0)121 414 4873
Email
e.m.hodges@bham.ac.uk
View my research portal
Address
School of Education
University of Birmingham
Birmingham, B15 2TT
UK

Liz is the only University lecturer in the country in Deafblindness and The School of Education is the only nationally recruiting programme for teachers who wish to qualify with Mandatory Qualifications recognised by the GTC in deafblindness.

Initially teaching children with severe learning difficulties, an interest in sensory impairment led her on to working with deafblind adults in further education, classroom teaching of deafblind children, and then leadership roles in a specialist school. Alongside her work as a lecturer, Liz is also an advisory teacher for deafblind children for a local authority. This maintains her daily contact with deafblind people and promotes the integration of new ideas and research into practice. 
 
Liz is also working on a Sense funded project exploring the impact that diagnosis has for people with Usher syndrome. She is interested in exploring the effect of changes in Usher syndrome and the knowledge that someone has Usher, on the life and experiences of a person with Usher.

She will be interviewing people who are about 15, about 25, and about 45 years old, who have type 1, type 2, and type 3 Usher. It is important to Liz that research participants are able to take part using their preferred method of communication e.g. BSL, deafblind manual alphabet, tactile communication. Find out more about this research on the project webpage http://www.birmingham.ac.uk/research/activity/education/projects/deafblind-attending-rare-syndrome-clinics.aspx

Qualifications

  • PhD, Birmingham
  • Advanced Diploma in Education, Deafblindness (ULIE)
  • PGCE in children with severe learning difficulties, Bristol
  • BA (Hons), Exeter

Teaching

Liz is the Programme co-ordinator and the sole lecturer responsible for the programmes in Deafblindness/MSI and manages and teaches AdCert, BPhil, PGCert, PGDip (including Mandatory qualification programmes) as well as MEd and PhD students.

Research

  • Special areas of development for deafblind people (e.g. mobility, touch, communication)
  • The training of teachers of deafblind people (especially using new media)
  • Older people with combined hearing and sight loss
  • Deafblind children in Russia

Publications

Selected publications

Pavey, S., Douglas, G., Hodges, L., Bodsworth, S., and Clare, I. (2009) The needs of older people with vision and hearing loss, Occasional paper, Thomas Pocklington Trust

Pavey, S., Douglas, G., Hodges, E. and Clare, I. (2009). The experiences of older people with both hearing and sight loss, New Beacon.

Miller, OL. Hodges, E. (2005) 'Deafblindness', In Special Teaching for Special Children? Pedagogies for Inclusion, Norwich B (Editor), Open University Press, Milton Keynes, ISBN: 0335214053

Hodges, L. and Douglas, G. (2005)  A short study on sight and hearing loss.  Research report for Thomas Pocklington Trust.

Hodges, L. & McLinden, M. (2004)  Hands on – hands off!  Exploring the role of touch in the learning experiences of a child with severe learning difficulties and visual impairment, The SLD experience Issue 38,  pp 20-24.

Watson, LM., Douglas, GGA., Hodges, EA., McLinden, MT. and Hall, N. (2004) Current conceptions of literacy – insights from work with children and older learners with sensory needs, Journal of Research in Special Educational Needs, 4,2, pp 82-90, ISSN 1471-380

View all publications in research portal