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On this page, you can find out more about me and scroll down to read about the Politics of Parking research project.
About me
About me
My name is Vera Kubenz and I was a Postgraduate Researcher (PhD student) r at the University of Birmingham from Sep 2021 to Jan 2026. My supervisors were Dr Harriet Clarke, Dr Kayleigh Garthwaite, and Dr Ash Stokoe. I passed my PhD viva with no corrections on 8 January 2026 and my external examiners were Dr Kirsty Liddiard and Dr Leah Burch.
I am myself disabled and a Blue Badge holder. I use a walking stick and frequently experience confrontations in public spaces, in particular parking spaces. I am particularly interested in everyday, mundane experiences of disablism and how they add up over time to affect disabled people’s wellbeing and sense of self.
I was a second-career researcher, having returned to research a decade after completing my Masters. During this time, I was engaged in disability activism, particularly in trade unions. I hope that my research ha both createe academic knowledge about disability but also has practical applications in helping to campaign for a better and more nuanced understanding of the discrimination and oppression faced by disabled people in everyday life.
You can find out more about me on my University of Birmingham student profile or follow me on Twitter @Vera_Kub.
About my research
About my research
I carried as part of my PhD programme at the University of Birmingham. The Politics of Parking runs from September 2021 to September 2025. I worked with an advisory group of disabled people with Blue Badges to make sure my research addressed disabled people's lived experience, concerns, and priorities.
The project aimed to document 1) the kinds of encounters that take place in Blue Badge bays, and 2) how disabled people navigate or manage these encounters, and the impact this has on them. The research took place in two stages to answer the following research questions:
Stage 1: Mapping encounters
Stage 1: Mapping encounters
What kind of encounters most commonly take place in blue badge bays?
What are some of the factors that determine the nature of these encounters?
Stage 2: Navigating encounters
Stage 2: Navigating encounters
What actions do disabled people take to manage or avoid these encounters?
How do these encounters affect disabled people’s emotions and self-identity?
In Stage 1, I used an online survey to ask Blue Badge holders about the encounters they have had, and also did a content analysis of how Blue Badges have been covered in national newspapers. This stage will run from January 2023 to August 2023.
In Stage 2, I interviewed 20 Blue Badge holders in detail about their encounters and their strategies for navigating them. The interviews were completed in June 2024.
I submitted my thesis in September 2025 and published a summary report of my findings in December 2025, and passed my viva in January 2026. The full thesis is available here.
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