Rate My Professor Gill Rutherford

Dr. Gill Rutherford is a Senior Lecturer in the College of Education at the University of Otago, specializing in disability studies and inclusive education. She obtained her Doctor of Philosophy from the University of Otago in 2008, with a thesis entitled "Different ways of knowing? Understanding disabled students’ experiences of learning and ‘being’ in the classroom." A former high school teacher, Rutherford has advocated for inclusive education since 1995. Her career includes significant contributions to teacher education programmes, teacher aide education, and the supervision of numerous postgraduate theses on disability and inclusion-related topics, such as autistic young people's wellbeing and disabled children's holiday experiences. She is a key member of the University of Otago's Critical Disability Studies Research Network, which advances disability-related initiatives in research, teaching, and community engagement.

Rutherford's academic interests center on the lived experiences of disabled students, the roles and influences of teacher aides, relational dynamics in classrooms, and teacher preparation in line with the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) Article 24. Her major publications include "Doing right by Teacher aides, students with disabilities, and schools: a relational work perspective" (Harvard Educational Review, 2011), "In, out or somewhere in between? Disabled students’ and teacher aides’ negotiation of language and labelling in classroom" (International Journal of Inclusive Education, 2012), "Teacher education: doing justice to UNCRPD Article 24?" (International Journal of Inclusive Education, 2023), "‘He's actually learning’: an Appreciative Inquiry story of a student with complex learning characteristics" (Cambridge Journal of Education, 2024), and "‘First you have to see me as a human being’: disabled students’ experiences of inclusion" (International Encyclopedia of Education, 2023). In 2023, she was awarded the Disability Information and Support Appreciation Award for her role as a passionate advocate challenging ableist views and fostering inclusive learning environments. She also co-received the OUSA Disability Award in 2017.