| Miro Griffiths | |
| Honorific Suffix: | MBE |
| Birth Date: | 29 May 1989 |
| Birth Place: | Birkenhead |
| Nationality: | British Slovene |
| Alma Mater: | University of Liverpool University of Leeds Liverpool John Moores University |
Miro Griffiths (born 29 May 1989) is a British disability advocate who is a Leverhulme Trust Research Fellow based at the University of Leeds, in the School of Sociology and Social Policy. He is also deputy director of the Centre for Disability Studies, an interdisciplinary research centre exploring disabled people's oppression, marginalisation, and liberation.[1]
Born in the Wirral, Griffiths went to West Kirby Primary School. He wanted to go to Hilbre High School but was unable to do so because of its inaccessibility.[2] He instead went to Woodchurch High School and then Birkenhead Sixth Form.[3] His father, David, was an Aerospace Engineer and his mother, Helena, a Slovenian writer. He has one sibling, Jan Griffiths.[4]
At thirteen years old, he received a Millennium Award which led to the conceptualised development of a computer game promoting disability equality.[5]
Griffiths studied psychology at the University of Liverpool,[6] and subsequently a Master's in Disability Studies at the University of Leeds.[7] He completed his PhD on young disabled people in the Disabled People's Movement at Liverpool John Moores University.[8] [9]
Griffiths lives on the Wirral[10] with his partner, Emma Fairweather, who is a bioscientist.[11] He is a power wheelchair user, who has Spinal Muscular Atrophy (Type II)[12] and receives 24-hour personal healthcare assistance. Griffiths has spoken about the importance of self-directed support, the use of personal budgets to coordinate assistance, and the blending of human and technological support infrastructure.[13] [14]
In interviews, Griffiths has highlighted political support for the Labour Party (UK)[15] and the Green Party (UK).[16] He often positions himself as a pragmatic socialist.[15] [17] [18] He has argued for a “politics of opportunity”, which is focused on supporting individuals and communities to be creative, imaginative, and experimental in building accessible and inclusive societies for all.[19] [20]
Griffiths began working as a Teaching Fellow in Disability Studies at the University of Leeds in 2018.[21] He was awarded a Leverhulme Trust Research Fellowship, at the University of Leeds, in 2020.[22] Since then, he has been the Principal Investigator on the Disability Activism in Europe project. This project explores young disabled people's experiences and views of disability activism across Europe.[23] His project has received media attention from the BBC (UK).[24] and US documentary filmmakers[25]
Griffiths is the deputy director of the Centre for Disability Studies[26] at the University of Leeds. Griffiths is an Executive Editor for the International Journal of Disability and Social Justice[27] and Managing Editor for the Journal of Disability Studies in Education.[28]
In September 2022, Griffiths was recognised by the International Sociological Association and awarded “Sociologist of the Month”[29] in recognition for his research and publications.[30] [31] [32] [33] [34] He was an Invited Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts for recognition to Social Movement Studies.[35] [36]
Griffiths is a former strategic and confidential adviser to the UK Government (Labour, and Conservative – LibDem coalition, administrations)[37] [38] and former adviser to the UK Equality and Human Rights Commission.[39] He continues to provide policy advice to the UK Government,[40] European Commission[41] and Liverpool City Region.[42]
Griffiths has made appearances discussing disability, politics, culture and society on the BBC,[43] [44] iNews,[45] the Telegraph,[46] HuffPost, the Herald[47] and the Scotsman.[48] Griffiths has also written for The Conversation.[49] He has appeared on 'The Human Rights Podcast',[50] the 'Digital Disability Podcast',[51] 'The Football Collective'[52] and Council of Europe.[53]
Griffiths is an advocate of disabled people's political status, rights, and pursuit for liberation. He has spoken publicly about his commitment to the social model of disability,[54] independent living philosophy[55] and disabled people's organisations. He has taken on board positions within the European Network on Independent living,[56] Independent Living Institute,[57] Alliance for Inclusive Education,[58] and DaDaFest.[59] He is a critic of assisted suicide, and is a part of the Not Dead Yet movement.[60]
Griffiths was part of the UK delegation, in New York (2006), at the Signing Ceremony for the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.[61]
He was awarded Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the Queen's Birthday Honours list 2014. He was also named as an influential disabled activist by the Disability News Service.[62]