• PhD
• BSc.(Hons)

Graeme joined the School of Education, University of Birmingham, as a researcher in 1993 having completed his PhD in the area of individual differences in learning and computer-based presentation (also at Birmingham). Prior to this, he completed a degree in human psychology and computer science at Aston University.

Graeme has been the principal investigator and manager on many high-profile externally funded research projects in the area of visual impairment and SEN. He teaches research methods and supervises research students.

Graeme’s main teaching activities are in the area of research methods training for research students.  He contributes to College of Social Science (CoSS) Postgraduate Research Training. His teaching particularly focuses upon methods of data collection and analysis and research design, as well as a particular interest in researching disability. He also supervises doctoral research students working in the area of visual impairment in particular and disability and SEN in general.

Graeme supervises and co-supervises ten research students. This includes Kubra Akbayrak who is exploring the training programmes of specialist teachers of children and young people with vision impairments in Turkey and England. 

For more information on research degrees, visit the Postgraduate Research pages.

He has broad research interests around the social and educational inclusion of visually impaired people, as well as educational outcomes and SEN generally. More specifically his research includes: visually impaired people's views and circumstances, education and visual impairment, various aspects of reading / information access and visual impairment, curriculum balance and VI/SEN, educational outcomes and transition into adulthood, research methods.  Central to Graeme’s work is a commitment to representing disabled people’s views and opinions..

Recent and current research grants include:

• Post-14 transitions: longitudinal study of from age 14 of blind and partially young people in the UK (RNIB, Nuffield, Thomas Pocklington Trust). Role: PI
• Measuring Educational Engagement, Progress and Outcomes for Children with Special Educational Needs: A Review (National Council for Special Education, Ireland).  Role: PI
• ENABLER: employment needs amongst blind and partially sighted job seekers (BLF, RNIB).  Role: PI.
• Network 1000 Phase 1 and Phase 2 – the circumstances and opinions of visually impaired people in Britain (Vision 2020 UK, BLF).  Role: PI.

Selected Publications

McLinden, M., Douglas, G., Hewett, R.,Cobb, R., & Lynch, P. (2017). Facilitating Participation in Education: The Distinctive Role of the Specialist Teacher in Supporting Learners with Vision Impairment in Combination with Severe and Profound and Multiple Learning Difficulties. Journal of Blindness Innovation and Research, 7(2). doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.5241/7-124

Hewett, R., Douglas, G., McLinden, M. & Keil, S. (2017) Developing an inclusive learning environment for students with visual impairment in higher education: progressive mutual accommodation and learner experiences in the United Kingdom. European Journal of Special Needs Education. 32:1, 89-109. DOI: 10.1080/08856257.2016.1254971

Gladstone, P., McLinden, M., Douglas, G. et  al. (2017) ‘Maybe I will give some help…. maybe not to help the eyes but different help’: an analysis of care and support of children with visual impairment in community settings in Malawi. Child: Care, Health and Development. View abstract http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/cch.12462/abstract

McLinden, M., Douglas, G., Cobb, R., Hewett, R. and Ravenscroft, J. (2016) Access to learning’ and ‘learning to access’: Analysing the distinctive role of specialist teachers of children and young people with vision impairments in facilitating curriculum access through an ecological systems theory. British Journal of Visual Impairment, 34, pp 177-195, DOI:10.1177/0264619616643180 

Douglas, G., McLinden, M., Robertson, C., Travers, J., and Smith, E. (2016) Including pupils with special educational needs and disability in national assessment: Comparison of three country case studies through an inclusive assessment framework. International Journal of Disability, Development and Education, 63(1), 98-121.

Hewett, R., and Douglas, G. (2015) Inclusive Design: It’s impact on young people with vision impairment. Journal on Technology& Persons with Disabilities. Vol 3. pp 277-290. http://hdl.handle.net/10211.3/151201

Douglas, G., and Hewett, R. (2014) Views of independence and readiness for employment amongst young people with visual impairments in the UK. The Australian Journal of Rehabilitation Counselling, 20 (2), 81–99.

Smith, E. and Douglas, G. (2014) Special educational needs, disability and school accountability: an international perspective. International Journal of Inclusive Education, 18(5), 443–458.

Douglas, G., Pavey, S. Corcoran, C. and Clements, B. (2012). Evaluating the use of the ICF as a framework for interviewing people with a visual impairment about their mobility and travel. British Journal of Visual Impairment, 30(1) 6–21 DOI: 10.1177/0264619611428932

Douglas, G., Travers, J., McLinden, M., Robertson, C., Smith, E., Macnab, N., Powers, S., Guldberg, K., McGough, A., O’Donnell, M. and Lacey, P. (2012). Measuring Educational Engagement, Progress and Outcomes for Children with Special Educational Needs: A Review. National Council for Special Education (NCSE), Trim, Ireland.
http://www.ncse.ie/research/researchreports.asp. (PDF)

Clements, B., Douglas, G. And Pavey, S. (2011). Which factors affect the chances of paid employment for individuals with visual impairment in Britain? WORK: A Journal of Prevention, Assessment, and Rehabilitation, 39, 1, 21-30. DOI: 10.3233/WOR-2011-1147 

Douglas, G., McLinden, M., McCall, S., Pavey, S., Ware, J., and Farrell, A. (2011). Access to print literacy for children and young people with visual impairment: findings from a review of literature. European Journal of Special Needs Education, 26, 1, 25-38. DOI: 10.1080/08856257.2011.543543

Douglas, G., McLinden, M., Farrell, A., Ware, J., McCall, S., and Pavey, S., (2011). Access to print literacy for children and young people with visual impairment: implications for policy and practice. European Journal of Special Needs Education, 26, 1, 39-46. DOI: 10.1080/08856257.2011.543544

Douglas, G., Pavey, S., Corcoran, C. and Eperjesi, F. (2010). Individuals' recollections of the experiences in eye clinics and understanding of their eye condition: results from a survey of visually impaired people in Britain. Ophthalmic and Physiological Optics, 30, 6, 748-757

Douglas, G., McCall, S., McLinden, M., Pavey, S. Ware, J. and Farrell, A. (2010) International review of the literature of evidence of best practice models and outcomes in the education of blind and visually impaired children.  National Council for Special Education, Ireland. 192pp. http://www.ncse.ie/

Douglas, G. Weston, A., Whittaker, J., Morley-Wilkins, S. and Robinson, D. (2009) An investigation of embossed Braille dot height for labelling on pharmaceutical products, Journal of Visual Impairment and Blindness, 103, 10, 662-667.

Many research reports are available on the VICTAR website (http://www.education.bham.ac.uk/research/victar/research.shtml)