Dr Ieva Eskyte

Profile

My academic journey began with a BA and MA in Social Work from Vytautas Magnus University in Lithuania, followed by a Marie Curie fellowship to pursue a PhD in Social Policy at the University of Leeds, UK. My doctoral research focused on the exclusion and inequality experienced by disabled individuals as consumers within the European single market. It examined systematic barriers to market accessibility and proposed innovative solutions for more inclusive consumer policies. This work culminated in my first monograph, Disability and Shopping: Customers, Markets and the State (Routledge, 2019). I am also a co-author of Primary and Pre-primary Education in Lithuania: State and Possibilities (with J. Ruškus et.al., 2012), and Disability, Accessibility, and Mobility Justice: A Multinational Analysis of Rights to Inclusive Pedestrian Journeys (with A. Lawson et al., forthcoming 2025).

Before embarking on my PhD, I worked as a policy analyst for the Academic Network Of European Disability Experts (ANED), where I represented the Lithuanian team. This role deepened my understanding of disability policy and politics, providing me with valuable insights into the relationship between policies and everyday life realities. Additionally, I have practical experience as a social worker at a day-care centre, where I supported children and families facing various social challenges and inequalities.

Responsibilities

• I currently serve as an Early Career Researcher (ECR) Network Lead.

Research interests

My research interests are grounded in disability studies and social policy, particularly at the intersections of accessibility, consumer participation, and the built environment. I am interested in how policies are developed, implemented, and received, with a particular emphasis on their translation into practice in contexts of inequality and exclusion. In my work, I strive to bridge the gaps between diverse stakeholders to address social and economic inequalities, promote human rights, and advance inclusion in consumer markets and public spaces.

Since my first research position in 2008, I have worked on a range of projects related to social participation, social service development and provision, behaviour change, the labour market, decision-making, social justice, and more. I have extensive expertise in a range of social research methods, including interviews (such as walking and elite interviews), focus groups, Delphi groups, critical systematic reviews, and virtual reality (VR) studies, among others. I have conducted research across Europe, South Asia, Africa, and the United States, collaborating with diverse participant groups—from children to policymakers and global tech leaders.

Recent Research Projects

• UKRI Enhancing Research Culture – Inclusive and Accessible Research: Making Research Possible for Disabled Participants (Principal Investigator, £39,000).
• UKRI Impact Acceleration Account – Bridging Business, Disabled People, Civil Society, and Academia for More Accessible Markets (Co-Investigator, £2,000).

Qualifications

• PhD Social Policy
• MA Social Work
• BSc Social Work

Professional memberships

• Social Policy Association
• Social Research Association
• Centre for Disability Studies
• Social Research Methods Centre

Student education

I teach on several modules across the School at undergraduate and postgraduate levels including Social Policy Analysis; Key Debates in Social Policy; Inequalities: Exploring Causes, Consequences and Interventions; Disability Studies: An Introduction; and Disability and Development.