
Sunil Rodger
Alumni
I am a multidisciplinary social researcher, with a particular interest in how technologies are used by geographically disparate groups such as diasporas, disabled people and rare disease communities. My research spans HCI, health, sociology, and disability studies, and I have published at venues including CHI and CSCW.
During my PhD research, I have worked with powered wheelchair users to explore their experiences of mobility and to understand how they might use technology to convey these to other people. Participants led ‘go-along’ journeys, capturing smartphone video and data that they used in reflective interviews about their experiences, while subsequent Skype workshops facilitated collective sense-making and ideation. Learning from disabled people’s situated knowledge of barriers and facilitators to their mobility is essential in making environments and services more accessible. My PhD is supervised by Professors Janice McLaughlin, David Kirk, and John Vines.
Prior to my PhD, I worked in translational research to improve care for rare diseases, in roles enabling international collaboration between clinical, research, and patient stakeholders.

Metro Futures: Co-designing the future of Tyne and Wear Metro

Journeycam: Exploring experiences of accessibility and mobility among powered wheelchair users
2022
Metro Futures 2020: Enabling Participation at Varying Depths and Scales via Digital Technology
2022 – International Journal of Human–Computer Interaction
2019
Exploring the Potential for Technology to Improve Cystic Fibrosis Care Provision: Patient and Professional Perspectives
2019 – Proceedings of the ACM on Human-Computer Interaction
JourneyCam: Exploring Experiences of Accessibility and Mobility among Powered Wheelchair Users through Video and Data
2019 – Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI 2019)
2016
Technology and the Politics of Mobility: Evidence Generation in Accessible Transport Activism
2016 – Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI 2016)
2015
Adult care for Duchenne muscular dystrophy in the UK
2015 – Journal of Neurology
Did Perception of the Economy Affect Attitudes to Immigration at the 2010 British General Election?
2015 – Social Science Quarterly