Current appointment

Leader, Disability Policy Unit, Swiss Paraplegic Research
Permanent Visiting Professor, Faculty of Humanities and social Sciences, University of Lucerne

Biography

Jerome holds a Ph.d in Philosophy and a LL.B and is a full professor and holds the Research Chair in the Department of Philosophy and Faculties of Law and Medicine at Queen’s University. Since 1995 he has been a consultant with the World Health Organization (WHO) working on drafting, testing and implementation of the ICF, and continues to consult with WHO on international disability social policy.
His research is in disability studies, using qualitative and quantitative research techniques within the paradigm of participatory action research. Most recently his research includes disability quality of life and the disability critique, disability epidemiology, universal design and inclusion, modelling disability statistics for population health surveys, the relationship between disability and wellbeing, disability and ageing issues and the application of ICF to monitoring the implementation of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
As a lawyer, Prof. Bickenbach was a human rights litigator, specializing in anti-discrimination for persons with intellectual impairments and mental illness. Since 2007, he has led the Disability Policy Unit at Swiss Paraplegic Research in Nottwil.

Grants

Principle Investigator, SPF, DREAM: UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and Europe. Marie Curie Research Training Networks (ESR) European Commission, FP7-2010, with Centre for Disability Law and Policy, Galway University, 2010-2014

Co-applicant, Psychosocial fActors Relevant to BrAin DISorders in Europe (PARADISE)
European Commission, FP7, Health-2009-2.2.1.5.

Consultant, Head of Advisory Board, COllaborative Research on AGEing in Europe
COURAGE, Collaborative Project, Small or medium-scale focused research project
HEALTH-2007-3.2-6: Health outcome measures and population ageing European Commission FP7, 2008-2011