Leda Kamenopoulou

Dr. Leda Kamenopoulou is an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychology and Human Development at the UCL Institute of Education. She serves as Programme Leader for the MA Special and Inclusive Education since 2023, Departmental Inclusion Lead (2025-28), and UCL Digital Accessibility Champion. Previously, she served as Departmental Ethics Coordinator (2022-25) and is an Academic Member of the UCL Humanities, Arts and Sciences Research Ethics Committee since 2024. Her work focuses on advancing accessibility and inclusion in educational contexts globally, with particular expertise in multisensory impairment and inclusive education in the Global South.

Dr. Kamenopoulou holds a Ph.D. on Multisensory Impairment (deafblindness) and Inclusive Education from the UCL Institute of Education (2009), a M.Ed. Special Educational Needs from the University of Bristol (2004), and a BA in Classics from the University of Athens (2002). She also qualified as an intervener for MSI (deafblindness) in 2021 and acquired a Level 1 British Sign Language certificate in 2023. She is fluent in multiple languages including English, Spanish (Latin American and Castilian), French, and Modern and Ancient Greek.

Her research centers on two main strands: the inclusion of learners with multisensory impairment (deafblindness) and complex needs, and inclusion and disability in the Global South with a focus on decolonising approaches. She explores how inclusive education is understood and translated across different contexts, particularly examining the intersections between disability, gender, race, and poverty that shape children's developmental outcomes. Her work is guided by the belief that inclusion in education is fundamental to achieving a democratic society and that equity and justice in education require concrete action beyond rhetoric. She has published extensively in high-quality international journals including the 'International Journal of Inclusive Education' and 'Disability and the Global South'.

Dr. Kamenopoulou's recent publications demonstrate a strong focus on practical applications of inclusive education, with particular attention to digital accessibility, friendship development for students with complex communication needs, and context-specific approaches to inclusion in the Global South. Her work consistently bridges theory and practice, offering concrete strategies for educators while advancing critical perspectives on decolonizing inclusive education frameworks. She has also edited the book 'Inclusive Education and Disability in the global South' (2018) and authored 'Inclusive Education for Learners with Multisensory Impairment: Best Practices and Research Priorities' (2022).

• Senior Fellow of the Advance HE (2024)

As a dedicated supervisor, Dr. Kamenopoulou currently guides six doctoral students working on diverse topics including inclusive education in Kenya, Indonesia, Colombia, and the decolonization of educational frameworks. She has examined numerous doctoral theses across institutions worldwide, demonstrating her international recognition in the field. Her grant activity includes participation in research projects funded by organizations like UCL Global Engagement Funds, with recent work focusing on advancing inclusive education in South America through collaboration in Paraguay, Uruguay, Colombia, Peru, and Brazil. She serves on editorial boards including for the journal Disability and the Global South since 2021.

Dr. Kamenopoulou is actively involved in creating inclusive institutional cultures through her roles as Departmental Inclusion Lead and UCL Digital Accessibility Champion. She collaborates with international research networks, including her advisory role in groundbreaking research on tactile British Sign Language funded by a £1.4M European Research Council grant. Her work with the Deafblind International Research Network highlights her commitment to expanding knowledge in the field of deafblindness through international collaboration, particularly focusing on the Global South context.