Richard Keagan-Bull
Faculties, departments and locations
- Faculty of Health, Science, Social Care and Education
- Department of Public Health and Children's, Learning Disabilities and Mental Health Nursing
- School of Nursing, Allied and Public Health
- Kingston Hill
Research Assistant
- Email:
- [email protected]
About
I am a researcher with a learning disability. I have been employed at Kingston University since 2021. I have worked on several research projects, including Growing Older, Planning Ahead (helping older people with a learning disability and their families to think about what will happen in the future, when their parents die); the Victoria & Stuart Project (end of life care planning with people with a learning disability) and the DAPPLE Project (how to make sure everyone with a learning disability gets good care at the end of their life). I am also co-leading the co-production group of the LeDeR Programme (NHS England’s programme of reviewing the deaths of people with a learning disability).
As a researcher, I am involved in running focus group and doing interviews. I help with data analysis and dissemination. We make a lot of videos and put them on our research YouTube channels, so everyone can learn about our research.
I am an active member of the Faculty. I co-chair the monthly Learning Disability Research Group (known as the Yellow Tulip Group). I have my own podcast, hosted and edited at Kingston University, called Cuppa Tea with Richard. I have also written a book about my life, called Don’t Put Us Away: Memories of a Man with Learning Disabilities (you can buy it on Amazon!). I have won quite a few awards for my work. In 2021, I was named on the 100 Power List as one of the most influential disabled people in the UK.
I like doing research for people with a learning disability, because it is important that people get a good quality of life. Hopefully the work we do will improve things for people in years to come. It is also good to have a proper job and be employed at Kingston University, and get a proper wage at the end of the month!
Qualifications
- I have no formal academic qualifications
- I went to Special Needs Schools from the age of 8
- I have completed several research training courses at Kingston University
Domains
I am involved in teaching the learning disability nursing students a few times each year, focusing on health inequalities.
Courses taught
I do qualitative research. My focus is on health inequalities for people with learning disabilities; dying, death and bereavement; shared decision making; and inclusive research methodologies.
Publications
- Andrea Bruun; Amanda Cresswell; David Jeffrey; Leon Jordan; Richard Keagan‐Bull; Jo Giles; Sarah Swindells; Meg Wilding; Nicola Payne; Sarah L. Gibson et al. (2024) The All Together Group: Co‐Designing a Toolkit of Approaches and Resources for End‐of‐Life Care Planning With People With Intellectual Disabilities in Social Care Settings, Health Expectations.
- Rebecca Anderson‐Kittow; Richard Keagan‐Bull; Jo Giles; Irene Tuffrey‐Wijne. (2024) Co‐designing resources to support older people with intellectual disabilities and their families plan for parental death and transitions in care, Health Expectations.
- Keagan-Bull, R. (2023) 'Hands touching in the river of love', British Journal of Social Work.
- Mikulak, M.; Ryan, S.; Russell, S.; Caton, S.; Keagan-Bull, R.; Spalding, R.; Ribenfors, F.; Hatton, C. (2023) ‘Internet is easy if you know how to use it’: Doing online research with people with learning disabilities during the COVID-19 pandemic, British Journal of Learning Disabilities.
- Anderson, R.J.; Keagan-Bull, R.; Giles, J.; Tuffrey-Wijne, I. (2023) “My name on the door by the Professor's name”: The process of recruiting a researcher with a learning disability at a UK university, British Journal of Learning Disabilities.
- Tuffrey-Wijne, I.; Lam, C.K.K.; Marsden, D.; Conway, B.; Harris, C.; Jeffrey, D.; Jordan, L.; Keagan-Bull, R.; McDermott, M.; Newton, D. et al. (2020) Developing a training course to teach research skills to people with learning disabilities: “It gives us a voice. We CAN be researchers!”, British Journal of Learning Disabilities.
Specialisms
- Learning disabilities
- Palliative care
- Inclusive research
- Patient and public involvement