Leah Burch (she/her)
leahfburch.bsky.social
Leah Burch (she/her)
@leahfburch.bsky.social
Senior Lecturer, Liverpool Hope University.
Research interests: disability hate crime, sexual violence, creative methods
Manchester
Reposted by Leah Burch (she/her)
🚨NEWS🚨

Disabled Victims Face Hurdles at Every Step of the Justice Process, finds new Victims Commissioner report

'Disabled victims report feeling dismissed, having their credibility questioned and offences recorded as less serious crimes'

Read more👇 www.disabilityrightsuk.org/news/disable...
September 18, 2025 at 10:04 AM
Alfie and I are trying to write a book. Send help!! 😴
August 22, 2025 at 10:11 AM
Jane Healy & Valerie Houghton presenting a profile of disablist hate crime offenders- 3 broad types of incidents: intimidation, exploitation & brutalisation (likely to occur in different spaces), highlights the process of dehumanisation & motivations of thrill & power @bschcnetwork.bsky.social
June 5, 2025 at 10:45 AM
@bschcnetwork.bsky.social @jongarland.bsky.social asks: are hate crime offenders bias-motivated offenders, or high-volume offenders who commit hate crime offences as part of a prolific criminal career?
June 5, 2025 at 9:20 AM
Our joint conference (with the Policing Network) on perpetrators of hate crime is just getting started @bschcnetwork.bsky.social - Papers will be covering sexual violence, disablist hate crime offenders, Antisemitism, LGBTIQ hate crime offenders, policing assessments, anti-Muslim hate & sex work
June 5, 2025 at 9:11 AM
Such a beautifully written and powerful letter in support of the exceptional DS team at Hope. As a former student and current colleague, I can’t thank this incredible team enough for their support, expertise and insight that is embedded within my own work and practice today
Powerful open letter from Liverpool Hope #DisabilityStudies students/grads in response to proposed redundancy of the ENTIRE DS team: DS "is not just an academic discipline but a lifeline. [Tutors] bring lived expertise, intellectual leadership, and care that cannot be replicated elsewhere"
An Open Letter from Disabled Students Regarding Proposed Redundancies at Liverpool Hope University
An Open Letter from Disabled Students Regarding Proposed Redundancies at Liverpool Hope University To the Leadership of Liverpool Hope University, We are writing to express our disappointment regardi...
docs.google.com
May 30, 2025 at 6:32 PM
Reposted by Leah Burch (she/her)
Been soaking up the amazing talks and ideas shared at the Centre for Culture and Disability Studies 15yr anniversary symposium today 💡
Solidarity with these incredible scholars - save Disability Studies @ Liverpool Hope ✊️
May 30, 2025 at 6:29 PM
Reposted by Leah Burch (she/her)
Been quiet here due to ongoing strikes at Newcastle re job cuts, now moving towards compulsory redundancies. Another uni wrecking its workforce and reputation due it own financial mismanagement. Please sign this petition and circulate: www.change.org/p/end-unnece...
Sign the Petition
End unnecessary redundancies at Newcastle University
www.change.org
May 23, 2025 at 11:08 AM
Lovely to see so much support challenging the proposed mass redundancy at Liverpool Hope that disproportionately targets us within Social Sciences and more specifically, Disability Studies. Thank you to the wonderful Jill Pluquailec for writing this. Please sign & share @ucu.org.uk
For the morning crowd - please do sign and share. Every single one of my former #DisabilityStudies colleagues at Liverpool Hope is at risk of redundancy. This isn't just about individuals; it's a threat to the field itself.
Jill Pluquailec of Sheffield Hallam has organised an open letter laying out the impact on #DisabilityStudies as a field - please do share and sign [add a comment with your info]
May 22, 2025 at 1:15 PM
Reposted by Leah Burch (she/her)
For the morning crowd - please do sign and share. Every single one of my former #DisabilityStudies colleagues at Liverpool Hope is at risk of redundancy. This isn't just about individuals; it's a threat to the field itself.
Jill Pluquailec of Sheffield Hallam has organised an open letter laying out the impact on #DisabilityStudies as a field - please do share and sign [add a comment with your info]
May 22, 2025 at 7:00 AM
Reposted by Leah Burch (she/her)
Jill Pluquailec of Sheffield Hallam has organised an open letter laying out the impact on #DisabilityStudies as a field - please do share and sign [add a comment with your info]
May 21, 2025 at 12:42 PM
Reposted by Leah Burch (she/her)
This is really important, not least considering our discussion yesterday @blindspothannah.bsky.social and @ihereyounowthis.bsky.social about the need to recognise critical disability studies as a discipline in #AHRC funding applications.
For the morning crowd - please do sign and share. Every single one of my former #DisabilityStudies colleagues at Liverpool Hope is at risk of redundancy. This isn't just about individuals; it's a threat to the field itself.
Jill Pluquailec of Sheffield Hallam has organised an open letter laying out the impact on #DisabilityStudies as a field - please do share and sign [add a comment with your info]
May 22, 2025 at 8:26 AM
Reposted by Leah Burch (she/her)
I did the disability studies masters at Hope and would recommend it to anyone. It was brilliant and the level of support I had from the staff was amazing and far too rare in education. Besides anything else it got me back into fiction which improved my life beyond anything outcomes could measure.
Devastated to learn that EVERY SINGLE ONE of my former #DisabilityStudies colleagues at Liverpool Hope are at risk of redundancy. Lovely people and a brilliant team that has transformed the lives of so many students. If you know them please do reach out - things are very tough right now.
Union vows to fight cuts at Liverpool Hope
Liverpool Hope University intends to axe 39 staff before the end of the year, announced the University and College Union (UCU) today
www.ucu.org.uk
May 22, 2025 at 11:13 AM
Our students REALLY showed up today. Protesting outside of our VC's newly refurbished office.
Students gathering to protest mass redundancies at Liverpool Hope today 😍 I don't work there any more but I feel like I can still confidently say our students are THE BEST.
May 22, 2025 at 1:10 PM
Reposted by Leah Burch (she/her)
Please sign and share widely - Liverpool Hope is one of *the* centres for cultural Disability Studies research. This threat is a threat to the field itself and to its important commitment to challenging societal prejudices and advocating for social justice through cultural analysis.
For the morning crowd - please do sign and share. Every single one of my former #DisabilityStudies colleagues at Liverpool Hope is at risk of redundancy. This isn't just about individuals; it's a threat to the field itself.
Jill Pluquailec of Sheffield Hallam has organised an open letter laying out the impact on #DisabilityStudies as a field - please do share and sign [add a comment with your info]
May 22, 2025 at 11:06 AM
Another brilliant discussion group, and our last one this year
@bschcnetwork.bsky.social - Within this session @rachelkeighley.bsky.social presented some key findings on experiences of rural racism, impacts of rural racism, and some of the important work being done to challenge rural racism.
April 30, 2025 at 2:01 PM
Looking forward to being joined by @rachelkeighley.bsky.social for our final PGR/ECR Discussion Group of the year @bschcnetwork.bsky.social on Weds 30th April 2-3pm. Rachel will be talking about the brill 'Rural Racism' project. Sign up here www.tickettailor.com/events/bscha...?
Select tickets – Unpacking Experiences of Racism in Rural England: PGR/ECR Discussion Group – Zoom
Dr Rachel Keighley (she/they) - University of Leicester In criminological thought and practice, as hate crime scholars, we seek...
www.tickettailor.com
April 28, 2025 at 9:11 AM
Such an engaging session with @markawalters.bsky.social on all things hate crime policy. A useful and necessary refresher on the intricacies hate crime policy, recognition of limitations, and some reflections on the current era of hate and political tension @bschcnetwork.bsky.social
February 19, 2025 at 2:52 PM
We are just getting started with this Q&A discussion - please join us if you can @bschcnetwork.bsky.social @markawalters.bsky.social
February 19, 2025 at 2:04 PM
Our @bschcnetwork.bsky.social 'Question the Professor' online session is taking place 1 week today! (Weds 19th Feb, 2-3pm) Book your free tickets here for an opportunity to chat with and learn from the brill @markawalters.bsky.social www.tickettailor.com/events/bscha...?
Select tickets – Question the Professor with Prof Mark Walters: PGR/ECR Discussion Group – Microsoft Teams
A rare opportunity to question a senior academic. This is your opportunity to ask questions of one of the UK's foremost hate cr...
www.tickettailor.com
February 12, 2025 at 1:09 PM
Just getting started with our next @bschcnetwork.bsky.social discussion group: Hate Crime Reporting Barriers: Cultural Diversity in Minority Communities with @boushehrian.bsky.social Join us now teams.microsoft.com/v2/?meetingj...
Unsupported Browser | Microsoft Teams
teams.microsoft.com
January 22, 2025 at 2:01 PM
Join our @bschcnetwork.bsky.social mailing list for updates and events on all things hate crime 870daac3.sibforms.com/serve/MUIFAM...
BSC Hate Crime Network Mailing List
870daac3.sibforms.com
January 20, 2025 at 11:23 AM
Reposted by Leah Burch (she/her)
Thrilled to Announce Our Joint Conference with the
#BSCPolicingNet
on Hate Crime Perpetrators: The Effectiveness of Criminal Justice Which will Take Place on Thursday 5th June 9.30-4pm at Nottingham Trent University. It is Free to Attend and Hybrid 👇
www.tickettailor.com/events/bscha...
Select tickets – BSC Hate Crime & Policing Networks Conference on “Hate Crime Perpetrators" – Nottingham Trent University
BSC Hate Crime & Policing Networks Conference: “Hate Crime Perpetrators: The effectiveness of Criminal Justice Responses” ...
www.tickettailor.com
January 14, 2025 at 9:11 AM
Reposted by Leah Burch (she/her)

🚨Call for Papers Announcement🚨The Hate Crime Network is Excited to Invite Presenters for our Joint
Conference with the
#BSCPolicingNet on Hate Crime
Perpetrators: The Effectiveness of Criminal Justice Deadline for Abstracts is 28 of February 👇👇
forms.office.com/pages/respon...
Microsoft Forms
forms.office.com
January 14, 2025 at 9:12 AM