Disability and Accessibility in the Tribunal- Birkbeck Social Sciences Festival

AMurray

Hi everyone!

We are also holding the event below that might be of interest to some of you. I will be talking about my Diverse Disabilities research project and we will be joined by David Chrimes, District tribunal Judge to discuss his experiences of being a disabled legal professional as well as hearing PIP disability benefit cases.

This is a hybrid event that will be held in person at Birkbeck with a drinks reception after and on MS Teams. Someone will be monitoring the chat so people attending online can ask questions, but the event will not be recorded.

Event details are below, and you can book a place, either online or in person, via the link.

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Join Dr Alex Murray and District Tribunal Judge David Chrimes for a discussion about disability and accessibility in the Tribunal Service. Every year, thousands of people contest the initial decision made on their disability benefit claim by lodging an appeal in the tribunal. Whilst the overturn rate is high, many people still find it difficult to engage with the appeal hearing due to limited access to advice services, long wait times, and a narrow understanding of disability that does not sufficiently account for invisible and dynamic disabilities.

Speakers will discuss how accessible the Tribunal System is for professionals and appellants. Dr Alex Murray will be discussing the Diverse Disabilities research project funded by the Nuffield Foundation. This project examines how a more expansive and dynamic understanding of disability could improve accessibility and decision-making in the tribunal. David Chrimes is a District Tribunal Judge in the Social Entitlement Chamber and will discuss his work as a Tribunal judge and his experience of working in the legal sector as a disabled person himself.

https://www.bbk.ac.uk/events/event/61380/social-sciences-festival-2026-disability-and-accessibility-in-the-tribunal?utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Social%20Sciences%20Festival%202026&utm_content=Social%20Sciences%20Festival%202026+CID_c04adc0c05e827039b47b1310072a5c1&utm_source=Email%20marketing%20software&utm_term=Disability%20and%20Accessibility%20in%20the%20Tribunal

Holly_Scope

This sounds really interesting @AMurray, thanks for sharing this opportunity with the community.