Dr Emma Richardson

dr-emma-richardson

Postdoctoral Research Fellow

School of Sport and Exercise Science

Academics

Contact Details

email: e.richardson@worc.ac.uk
tel: 01905 542699

Emma joined the University of Worcester in 2020 as a Postdoctoral Research Fellow focusing on inclusive sport and exercise research.  She spent much of school and university years playing various sports before focusing on adapted sport and exercise as a career.  She has spent time doing research in the United States and United Kingdom, with projects spanning from wheelchair tennis to health promotion in multiple sclerosis.  She is deeply passionate about sport and exercise being a space to ignite social justice among disabled communities.  As of 2020, she has over 20 publications in peer-reviewed journals.  She specialises in qualitative research and disability studies, and is eager to find new ways to apply research to the real world for a meaningful impact.

Qualifications:

  • PhD in Disability Studies at Loughborough University (2017)
  • MSc in Sport and Exercise Psychology at Loughborough University (2013)
  • BA in Sport and Physical Activity at the University of Strathclyde (2012)

Teaching & Research

Teaching:

Emma is currently undertaking her Postgraduate Certification in Higher Education and contributes to teaching in adapted sport and research methods.  In particular, her teaching interests are:

  • Qualitative research
  • Disability theory
  • Socialization in sport
  • Critical disability studies

Research:

  • Inclusion of disabled community in the gym
  • Aging and wellness in multiple sclerosis
  • Exercise promotion through the patient provider interaction in multiple sclerosis
  • Cultural influence of adapted physical education
  • Inclusive sport modules in university
  • Social justice through sport and exercise

Professional Bodies

  • Qualitative Research Society

Publications

Richardson, E.V. and Motl, R.W. (2020). The experience and meaning of aging with multiple sclerosis: An existential phenomenological approach. The Journal of Aging Studies, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaging.2020.100872

Fifolt, M., Richardson, E.V., Barstow, E. and Motl. R.W. [In press]. Using quality improvement for refining program materials for exercise promotion in comprehensive multiple sclerosis care. Journal for Healthcare Quality.

Silveira, S.L., Richardson E.V. and Motl, R.W. (2020). Social cognitive variables and exercise engagement in persons with multiple sclerosis who use wheelchairs. Health Education, https://doi.org/10.1093/her/cyaa013

Richardson, E.V., Barstow, E. and Motl, R.W. (2020). Exercise experiences among persons with multiple sclerosis living in the Southeast of the United States. Disability and Rehabilitation, Doi.org/10.1080/09638288.2020.1757767.

Richardson, E.V., Fifolt, M., Barstow, E. and Motl, R.W. (2020). Exercise promotion in multiple sclerosis through the patient-provider interaction: Development and quality improvement of practice models. Translational Journal of American College of Sports Medicine, 5(7), 59-68. (Top Article Selected by the Editors of the ACSM Journals, 22nd May 2020.)

Richardson, E.V., Fifolt, M., Barstow, E., Silveira, S., Sikes, E.M. and Motl, R.W. (2020). The priorities of neurologists for exercise promotion in comprehensive multiple sclerosis care. Multiple Sclerosis and Related Disorders, 38, 101482.

Silveira, S.L., Richardson E.V. and Motl, R.W. (2019). Informing the design of exercise programs for persons with multiple sclerosis who use wheelchairs: A qualitative inquiry. Disability and Rehabilitation, doi.org/10.1080/09638288.2019.1678073

Richardson, E.V. and Motl, R.W. (2019). Promoting inclusion in a fitness center through able-bodied staff: Creating a multi-narrative environment. Qualitative Research in Sport Exercise and Health, https://doi.org/10.1080/2159676X.2019.1637926

Richardson, E.V. and Motl, R.W. (2019). A journey to wellbeing: A dialogical narrative exploration of an adapted physical activity space and its impact on persons with physical impairments. Disability and Society, 35(1), 89-110.

Sikes, E.M., Richardson, E.V. and Motl, R.W. (2019). A qualitative study of exercise and physical activity among adolescents with pediatric onset multiple sclerosis. International Journal of MS Care, 12(2), 81-91.

Richardson, E.V., Blaylock, S., Barstow, E.A., Fifolt, M. and Motl, R.W. (2019). Evaluation of a conceptual model to guide health care providers in promoting exercise among persons with multiple sclerosis. Adapted Physical Activity Quarterly, 36(1), 109-131.

Richardson, E.V., Barstow, E.A., Fifolt, M. and Motl, R.W. (2019). Evaluation of a conceptual model regarding exercise promotion through the patient-provider interaction in multiple sclerosis: Healthcare provider perspectives, Qualitative Health Research, 30(8), 1262-1274.

Fifolt, M., Richardson, E.V., Barstow, E.A. and Motl, (2018). Behaviours of persons with multiple sclerosis through the stepwise implementation lens of social cognitive theory. Disability and Rehabilitation, 42(7), 948-956.

Richardson, E.V., Barstow, E.A. and Motl, R.W. (2018). A narrative exploration of the evolving perception of exercise among people with multiple sclerosis. Qualitative Research in Sport, Exercise and Health, 11(1), 119-137.

Motl, R.W., Barstow, E.A., Blaylock, S., Richardson, E.V., Learmonth, Y.C. and Fifolt, M. (2018). Promotion of exercise in multiple sclerosis through healthcare providers. Exercise and Sport Sciences Reviews, 46(2), 105-111.

Sikes, E.M., Richardson, E.V., Cederberg, K.J., Sasaki, J.E., Sandroff, B.M. and Motl, R.W. (2018). Use of the Godin leisure-time exercise questionnaire in multiple sclerosis research: A comprehensive narrative review. Disability and Rehabilitation, 41(11), 1243-1267.

Richardson, E.V., Smith, B. and Papathomas, A. (2017). Crossing boundaries: The perceived impact of disabled fitness instructors in the gym. Psychology of Sport and Exercise, 29, 84-92.

Richardson, E.V., Smith, B. and Papathomas, A. (2017). Collective stories of exercise: Making sense of gym experiences with disabled peers. Adapted Physical Activity Quarterly, 34(3), 276-294.

Richardson, E.V., Smith, B. and Papathomas, A. (2016). Disability and the gym: Experiences, barriers and facilitators of gym use for individuals with physical disabilities. Disability and Rehabilitation, 39(19), 1950-1957.

Richardson, E.V., Papathomas, A., Smith, B. and Goosey-Tolfrey, V.L. (2015). The psychosocial impact of wheelchair tennis on participants from developing countries. Disability and Rehabilitation, 39(2), 193-200.

External Responsibilities

Leader of Inclusive Sports wing of the Inclusive Sport and Physical Activity Research Group.