Project supported through the Leverhulme Trust ECR & UofG Lord Kelvin and Adam Smith Fellowships
Based in the School of Social and Political Sciences at the University of Glasgow between 2026 - 2028 | Researcher: Ioana Cerasella Chis (Dr)About the project
Disabled people in the UK are working (paid and unpaid) harder and longer than ever before - but when do they find time to rest and what infrastructures and resources are available for pursuing meaningful activities in their time outside of work?
Engaging the insights of unemployed and precariously employed disabled people, this project explores how rest and free time are produced, regulated and denied under disabling capitalism.
Through an anti-productivist sociological and political-economic lens of structural oppression, exploitation, and bottom-up collective struggle, it aims to develop theoretical and empirical accounts of the activities undertaken beyond the wage as a collective necessity against capitalist domination.
The empirical / data production phase of this project is due to start in early summer 2026 - stay tuned for more updates!
More details about the project can be found on breadrosesdisability.uk
For any questions, suggestions, or potential collaborations through this project, please contact Ioana Cerasella Chis at ioana.chis@gla.systa-s.com
Eligibility for participating in the project
You can take part in this project's questionnaire if you meet both of these criteria:
1. You identify as being disabled, chronically ill, d/Deaf, having impairments, experiencing mental distress, neurodivergent (or if you adopt other similar terms for self-identification), and
2. You have had extensive periods of doing mostly unpaid work, no work, volunteering, or insecure paid work (e.g., short-term, zero-hours, informal, seasonal work, part-time contracts, self-employed, or other similar jobs)
Questionnaire
The questionnaire will become available here in June.
Disabled People’s Organisations or disabled people’s caucuses/collectives within other groups/organisations are welcome to use the questions and/or themes of this questionnaire for internal discussions among members (to build common understandings, campaigns, and more). If you intend to use this questionnaire as part of a collective meeting/discussion and wish to potentially feed into this project, please email ioana.chis@gla.systa-s.com in advance of the meeting.
Focus groups
Focus Groups will take place online and/or in person (depending on preference, availability, and logistical possibilities).
Advisory Committee
This project’s advisory committee includes the following members:
- Ana Lavos
- Andy Mitchell
- John Cassidy
- Rick Burgess
- Sandy Stark
- In an advisory members supporting role: Jim Quigley