Desire Chiwandire

Dr Desire Chiwandire (Des), is a National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR) grant funded Post-Doctoral Research Associate with the Department of Disability and Human Development at the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC), United States. This grant aims at advancing training in translational and community-engaged scholarship to improve community living and participation of people with disabilities. I hold a Ph.D. in Political and International Studies from Rhodes University where I also taught undergraduate and postgraduate courses in Political Studies and Disability Studies. My doctoral thesis employed Ubuntu to examine the social inclusion of students with disabilities at South African universities. I also hold Advanced Human Rights Certificates on Disability Rights in an African Context and Children’s Rights in Africa from the University of Pretoria. My  main research interests broadly focus on Disability Politics specifically the intersectionality of race, class, gender, and disability in educational and workplace environments. I’ve more than six years’ experience and expertise of conducting disability inclusion research in the Global South, currently serving as an Editorial Board Member for the African Journal of Disability (AJOD) and I’ve published my academic work in refereed journals and as book chapters. I’ve experience in co-organising Conferences and Colloquiums on disability inclusion in South African higher education and I’ve also showcased my work in more than 25 international and national conferences on this topic. I also have extensive experience in interdisciplinary research and training related to international and African human rights instruments, including the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), aimed at advancing the human rights of marginalised groups including persons with disabilities throughout the Global South. My most recent co-edited forthcoming book is titled Making the Circle Bigger: South African Higher Education, Social Justice and Students with Disabilities (UNISA Press, 2021). I’ve actively contributed to the development of national and higher education institutional disability policies, collaboratively involved in promoting campus disability inclusion awareness, activism and advocacy initiatives with various stakeholders at South African universities. One of my long-term career goals is to continue collaborating with other Critical Disability Studies researchers globally in working towards de-colonising Global North-dominated Critical Disability Studies methodologies and theories to reflect the genuine lived experiences of persons with disabilities living in the Global South.

He can be reached via email at: chiwandiredesire@gmail.com or