Dr Shauna Kearney

Shauna Kearney originates from Co. Wexford in Ireland. She completed her B.Sc. in Sports Science and Health at Dublin City University (DCU) in 2012, followed by an Erasmus Mundus Masters in Adapted Physical Activity (EMMAPA) in K.U Leuven in Belgium.

She has interned at the Agitos Foundation, at the International Paralympic Committee in Germany and worked as the European Project Co-ordinator at the UNESCO Chair Inclusive Physical Education, Sport, Recreation & Fitness located in IT Tralee, Ireland. Shauna completed her PhD at Coventry University in which she theorized and examined the role of ableism in the marketplace inclusion/exclusion experiences of people with disabilities, in the context of 2012(UK) and 2016 (Brazil) Paralympic Games.

Her empirical study, based on a conceptualization integrating ableism with socio-spatial theory of marketplace inclusion examines whether and how para-sport events create a lasting legacy to improve wellbeing of consumers with disabilities. Applying an intersectional research approach, she also examines potential impact of different types of impairment and other cultural characteristics (gender, race/ethnicity) on the overall experience of para-sport events. She is course leader for the MSc International Sport Management.