Building on a prior iteration of the group, the Disability and Chronic Illness Reading Group was relaunched in October 2025 as a space for University of Edinburgh students and staff to discuss key disability studies concepts. Led by myself and Gill Haddow, the Reading Group meets online on the first Friday of every month from 10-11am. Each session allows members to share their thoughts on the assigned reading in an informal and inclusive environment, and topics so far have included definitions of disability and illness, key models of disability, intersectionality, and activism.

Occurring alongside the ‘Who Cares?’ research project, and a range of other initiatives to improve disability awareness and practice, the Reading Group represents just one part of a renewed focus on disability across the University. But what impact has the Reading Group had so far, and how can it continue to make a difference to the University’s disability research community?

Research into academic reading groups has found that they can promote positive individual and group benefits. Focusing on the individual, Cote (2025) found that small-group reading activities can foster collaboration and critical thinking skills, while Jin et al. (2022) and Mio et al. (2024) respectively highlighted additional benefits to learners’ engagement and professional practice. In terms of wider groups, Kuecker and McGinn (2023) have noted that academic reading groups can create a community of grassroots inquiry around a topic. Browning et al. (2022) argued that such communities can produce academic dialogue on important contextual factors, critique dominant language and beliefs, and reflection on positionalities. Together, this field of research suggests that reading groups foster both community and academic engagement – findings which aligns with the experiences of the Disability and Chronic Illness Reading Group so far.

Since its relaunch, the Disability and Chronic Illness Reading Group has worked to form a close community of interested staff and students from a broad range of STEM, humanities, and social science disciplines. Most regular attendees have admitted being relatively new to disability research, and have expressed gratitude for being brought together to explore the field in a structured way. As well as increasing interest in disability research, the Reading Group has also had the unintended (but entirely welcome) impact of encouraging members to be more reflexive and ‘care-full’ about their research practice. The Reading Group has therefore not only formed an academic community around disability and chronic illness as a research topic, but also produced a greater appreciation for using disability and chronic illness as a lens for inclusive research. Yet, while it is clear that the Reading Group has already had a positive impact on the University’s disability research culture, there is much more that the group can do.

Going forward, the Disability and Chronic Illness Reading Group will continue to build on its early success. Sessions are already being planned for the next academic year, and additional opportunities are being considered to expand the reach of the Reading Group and better link it with wider disability events and initiatives across the University. The Reading Group will conclude for this semester on Friday 1st May with a final session on disability in the Global South, and you can get in touch with myself (nicola.crowe@ed.ac.uk) to get involved.

References

Browning, P., Highet, K., Azada-Palacios, R., Douek, T., Gong, E. & Sunyol, A. (2022) 'Conspiring to decolonise language teaching and learning: reflections and reactions from a reading group', London Review of Education, 20(1). Available from: https://journals.uclpress.co.uk/lre/article/pubid/LRE-20-42/.

Cote, C. M. (2025). Impact of Small Group Reading Instruction on Student’s Academic Achievement (Thesis, Concordia University, St. Paul). Available from: https://digitalcommons.csp.edu/teacher-education_masters/160.

Jin, T., Jiang, Y., Gu, M.M. & Chen, J. (2022). ‘“Their encouragement makes me feel more confident”: Exploring peer effects on learner engagement in collaborative reading of academic texts’, Journal of English for Academic Purposes, 60. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jeap.2022.101177.

Kuecker, E. & McGinn, E. (2023). ‘Grassroots Inquiry through Reading Groups in Academic Libraries’, Journal of Library Outreach and Engagement, 3. Available from: https://iopn.library.illinois.edu/journals/jloe/article/view/957.

Mio, C., Boath, L., Curley, A. & McKinney, S. (2024). ‘Developing Scholarship: The Value of a Research Reading Group in Higher Education ITE’, SERA Conference 2024, Dundee, Scotland, 27-29 Nov 2024. Available from: https: