IOE Insights

Dr Leda Kamenopoulou chairs this conversation about how we can use research and professional expertise to promote a more accurate understanding of this complex and often misunderstood disability.
Deafblindness (or multisensory impairment, MSI) is frequently associated with assumptions that do not reflect the realities of those who experience it. In this episode, we unpack some of the most common myths, including the belief that all deafblind people are totally deaf and blind, that deafblindness is always present from birth, or that everyone with deafblindness has the same needs.
Through discussion with specialists in inclusion, deafblind education and habilitation, the episode highlights the diversity of deafblind experiences and the many ways in which individuals use their remaining senses, communicate, learn, navigate and engage with the world around them.  
The conversation also explores why deafblindness should be understood as a distinct and highly individual condition rather than simply the combination of hearing and vision loss. Drawing attention to the role of communication, environment, and accessibility, the episode challenges listeners to move beyond stereotypes and recognise the importance of personalised support and inclusive practice. 
Ultimately, it encourages educators, families, and professionals to question assumptions, embrace complexity, and develop a deeper understanding of the varied experiences of people with deafblindness.
Full show notes: https://www.ucl.ac.uk/ioe/news/2026/sep/what-deafblindness-breaking-down-myths-inclusive-voices-deafblindness
Image: New Africa via Adobe Stock.

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UCL Institute of Education: https://ucl.ac.uk/ioe

We explore how conservative Christian women have become influential organisers, campaigners and political actors in the United States.
Jason Ilagan is joined by Dr Katie Gaddini, who has drawn on a decade of ethnographic research with her new book ‘Esther’s Army’ challenging assumptions that women in right-wing movements are politically passive, instead revealing the diverse ways they organise, mobilise and influence political life.
We hear how ideas around motherhood, protection and empowerment have become powerful political tools, and considers what these developments can tell us about the future of political mobilisation both in the US and beyond.
The episode examines what these trends mean for policymakers, educators and anyone seeking to understand an increasingly polarised political landscape.
Full show notes and links: https://www.ucl.ac.uk/ioe/news/2026/sep/women-reshaping-conservative-politics-america-research-real-world
More Research for the Real World: https://uclioe.info/rftrw
More IOE Insights podcasts: https://uclioe.info/podcast
UCL Institute of Education: https://ucl.ac.uk/ioe
Photo: Gage Skidmore (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Political movements are crossing borders and challenging established ideas about power and participation. Researchers take us inside political movements in the US and Europe before turning to the classroom to ask how people can learn to navigate disagreement, uncertainty and change.
Upcoming episodes:
The role of Christian women in right-wing American politics - Dr Katie Gaddini
A Polish Brexit and populism in Europe - Dr Roch Dunin-Wasowicz and Max Midgen
How schools and teachers can help young citizens navigate social and political division - Hans Svennevig
More Research for the Real World episodes: https://uclioe.info/rftrw
More IOE Insights podcasts: https://uclioe.info/podcast
UCL Institute of Education: https://ucl.ac.uk/ioe

In this episode of Academia et al, Zeinab El-Khateeb talks to Professor Norbert Pachler about shaping the beginnings of mobile learning in a time when most phones still had small screens and physical buttons. He reflects on bringing international researchers from different disciplines together to understand how mobile technologies were changing society, culture and education. Professor Pachler also shares advice for early career academics on finding collaborators, contributing to professional communities and developing ideas that can grow over time.
Full show notes and links: https://www.ucl.ac.uk/ioe/news/2026/aug/learning-went-mobile-academia-et-al
More IOE Insights podcasts: https://uclioe.info/podcast
UCL Institute of Education: https://ucl.ac.uk/ioe

In this episode of Academia et al, Zeinab El Khateeb speaks with Professor Lynn Ang about her route from preschool teaching to research leadership at the IOE. Professor Ang reflects on the doctoral journey that transformed her career, and recalls how a senior colleague sharing the details of a successful research grant application helped her also secure one of her own.
Full show notes and links: https://www.ucl.ac.uk/ioe/news/2026/aug/first-grant-academia-et-al
More IOE Insights podcasts: https://uclioe.info/podcast
UCL Institute of Education: https://ucl.ac.uk/ioe