Sir Arthur Lewis Institute of Social and Economic Studies (SALISES)

Dr Bephyer Parey is a Junior Research Fellow at the Sir Arthur Lewis Institute of Social and Economic Studies (SALISES) at the St Augustine Campus of the University of the West Indies (UWI). She was a PhD student at the SALISES and after being award of a PhD in Social Policy in June 2019 from the UWI, she joined the SALISES staff in August 2019.

Dr Parey’s PhD thesis was titled “Essays on Disability in Trinidad: A Mixed Methods Approach” and consisted of four papers examining disability in Trinidad: (i) teachers’ attitudes towards the inclusion of children with disabilities, (ii) accommodations in schools for the inclusion of children with disabilities, (iii) wellbeing of working-age persons with disabilities, and (iv) employers’ attitudes towards the inclusion of working-age persons with disabilities in open employment. With the overall aim of providing policy recommendations for a life-course oriented inclusion of persons with disabilities, her disability and poverty research agenda also covers wellbeing among children and older persons with disabilities, social care among older persons with disabilities, and accessibility within the workplace and home. Currently, she is researching teaching and learning dynamics during the pandemic as well as experiences of persons with disabilities in education, employment, goods and services, and accommodations in Trinidad and Tobago. 

Holding a BSc in Mathematics and MSc in Statistics from the UWI, Dr Parey has a quantitative background, and has used these skills extensively in her own research. She also has expertise in qualitative and mixed methods research which she gained through various training, including at the University of Michigan, USA, and their application in her work. She has a track record of high-quality international publications and to date has presented her research in over thirty regional and international conferences including in South Africa, Europe (Austria, Denmark, Ireland, United Kingdom), the USA, and the Caribbean. Dr Parey serves as chair of the SALISES Disability Studies Research Cluster which is currently responsible for operationalizing a Memorandum of Understanding between the University of the West Indies and the Equal Opportunity Commission of Trinidad and Tobago.