Hannah Saunders

Dr Hannah Saunders is a Research Fellow at Queen Mary University of London’s School of Law, specializing in disfigurement, disability, and appearance equality law. Her work employs an interdisciplinary, socio-legal approach to critique policy and law, particularly focusing on workplace equality for individuals with disfigurements. She leads the Appearance and the Law Discussion Group, fostering academic dialogue on appearance, identity, law, and policy.

Dr Saunders holds a PhD from Durham University, titled Does the law provide effective equality for people with a visible difference in the workplace? She has edited major textbooks in disability and employment law and is currently writing a monograph, The Appearance of Equality? Her teaching practice incorporates a post-graduate diploma in professional education and insights from an HEA-funded study on digital visitors and residents.

Recent research has explored protected characteristics under the Equality Act 2010, inclusive workplace practices, and AI’s implications for facial difference. Collaborations with NGOs and international bodies, like Face Equality International, underscore her commitment to translating legal insights into actionable policies.