Kelsey Tredgett

Profile

I first came to the University of Leeds in 2016 graduating with a BSc in Psychology in 2019 and an MSc in Cognitive Development & Disorders in 2020. I was interested in both health and forensic psychology but developed a particular academic interest in topics related to violence against women with my Master’s research concerning the association between childhood trauma and rape myth acceptance. The project found some correlation between traumatic childhood events and the acceptance of rape myths however this could not explain the signifiant gender differences identified. This prompted me to consider other disciplines alongside psychology that could offer some explanation for the gendered nature of crimes like domestic abuse, rape and sexual assault as well as the everyday inequalities experienced by women in intimate relationships (for example performing the majority of domestic labour and childcare duties). 

During my time away from my studies, 2 years working for the National Institute for Health and Care Research, I considered how I could take my interests into a PhD. From researching ‘good mother’ discourses I became aware of the ways in which disabled women can be uniquely disadvantaged by gendered discourses around sexuality, partnerhood and parenting.This therefore fuelled a new interest in disability studies and combining principles of the social model of disability with my feminist approach.

Since starting a PhD I myself have been diagnosed with ADHD and thus identify as a disabled woman. This deepened my understanding of and passion for disability studies prompting me to reflect on my own past experiences and consider the additional barriers I have faced as a result of gendered presentations of ADHD as well as its diagnostic criteria. Through this time I have also idenfitied a large amount of research that presents a negative view of being a disabled woman as well as mothering with impairment by focusing on families involved in child protection proceedings or experiencing mental health crises. Whilst this research is valuable, I aim to provide space for a more balanced and comprehensive account of mothering with impairment to include the joys of motherhood.

Research interests

My current research takes a qualitative approach to explore disabled women’s experiences of becoming and being mothers with a focus on what is important to them, the barriers they have overcome and the support that has worked well. My approach is informed by principles of disability feminism, materialist feminism, the social model of disability and intersectionality. As such, it places a greater focus on the social, structural and cultural aspects of disablement whilst shedding light on the resourcefulness of the women who resist them. My participants will be asked to complete a creative task that I have coined the Motherhood Journey Box before attending 2 individual interviews. I aim to recruit a diverse range of disabled women in terms of their impairments but will particularly focus on recruiting lesser studied populations like neurodivergent mothers.

My wider research interests include:

• The intersection of gender & disability
• ‘Good mother’ discourses 
• Gender, disability & sexuality 
• Violence against women & girls  

Qualifications

• MSc Cognitive Development & Disorders - Distinction
• BSc (Hons) Psychology - First Class

Research groups and institutes

• Centre for Disability Studies