معرفی
Dr. Karen Bunning is a Professor of Speech & Language Therapy at the University of East Anglia’s School of Health Sciences, with expertise in developmental disabilities, assistive technology, and global health equity. She holds a PhD from City University London on sensory environments for adults with learning disabilities and is a registered member of the Royal College of Speech & Language Therapists.
Her career spans clinical practice, higher education leadership, and research. She was Course Director for the Speech & Language Therapy program at UEA (2003–2009) and awarded a Readership in 2009. She currently leads modules on intellectual disability and special educational needs, and chairs the Norwich Electronic Assistive Technology centre’s steering committee.
Key research focuses include assistive technology for communication, disability in developing countries (e.g., Kenya), and accessibility of communication tools. Her work addresses challenges such as rehabilitation provision in rural areas, human mediation in technology use, and communication access for marginalized groups.
Recent grants include projects on mental capacity assessments (NIHR), caregiver support in Kenya (CT Trust), and ethical inclusion of disabled adults in research (NHS England). Over 70 research outputs span journals like British Journal of Learning Disabilities and Disability & Society, emphasizing interdisciplinary approaches to disability studies and policy.
She supervises postgraduate research in intellectual disability, low-tech communication methods, and disability advocacy. Collaborations include the Rix Centre (UEL) and global partners in Kenya (KEMRI).
