How many students have been fortunate enough to have someone with learning disabilities as one of their PhD supervisors? Alan Armstrong was one of mine, thanks to the KESS partnership between Bangor University and Barod CIC. I am extremely grateful to him for his input with designing and providing feedback on my research.
It was a huge personal loss and a loss to the academic world
when Alan died in February 2021, just short of his 50th birthday. One
of his ambitions had been to create a space where self-advocate researchers
could network and begin to design their own research proposals. He is no longer
here to do it. A number of us who loved and valued Alan have worked together on
the first step towards creating such a space: a website where self-advocate
researchers can have their own research profiles.
Today I graduate. Alan is not here to celebrate with me.
Instead, it seems a fitting time to celebrate his own academic contributions
with the launch of The Armstrong et al Collection.
