Congratulations to EWU McNair Scholar Kelly Parke for completing her McNair Summer Research Internship! She worked with mentor Dr. Ryan Parrey on her summer 2023 research, "Atmospheres of Ableism: A Phenomenological Exploration of Everyday Encounters". Her research was presented August 16, 2023 at the McNair Summer Research Symposium.
Kelly utilized an online qualitative survey distributed to people with physical disabilities to research the effects of everyday ableist encounters and how they shape the experiences and emotions of disabled people. Kelly utilized a phenomenological lens "to better describe ableism as part of disabled people’s everyday lived experience. In doing so, this research contributes to the study of ableism and particularly how it operates within ongoing rhetorics and practices of inclusion, access, and support". After graduating from Eastern, Kelly plans to continue on to a graduate program related to Disability Studies with an emphasis on disability law and policy.
