Beth Pickard

Beth Pickard is a Senior Lecturer at the University of South Wales (USW), affiliated with the Faculty of Life Sciences and Education and the Health, Care and Wellbeing Research Group. She holds a PhD in Critical Disability Studies and has extensive experience in music therapy, curriculum development, and anti-oppressive pedagogy.

Education includes a PhD (2020) from USW, an MA in Music Therapy (University of the West of England), and a BMus from the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama. She has held roles as an External Examiner at Canterbury Christ Church University (2020–2023) and Nordoff Robbins (2022–present), and is an accredited SignAlong Tutor and Little Amber Practitioner.

Her research focuses on disability inclusion in higher education and healthcare professions, music therapy ethics, and curriculum reform. Key themes include challenging deficit-based discourse, universal design for learning (UDL), and professional standards in music therapy education. She has published widely on topics such as eco-anxiety in arts therapists, cultural heritage in music therapy, and widening access to therapy training programs.

Awarded a National Teaching Fellowship (2018) and multiple USW teaching awards, her work emphasizes equity and disability advocacy. She collaborates internationally on projects addressing disability rights in music therapy and inclusive arts education.