Rachel Hutchinson is a Lecturer in Psychology at the University of Westminster. Rachel’s research applies understanding of autobiographical and episodic memory to the evaluation of cultural engagement and experience. Her work has considered museums, television and theatre. She is an interdisciplinary researcher whose published work spans Psychology, Museum Studies, Audio Visual Translation and Critical Disability Studies.
Her first degree was in Modern Languages at the University of Oxford (2002), she returned to academic study in 2013 and completed her MA English Literature at Queen Mary, University of London. Her PhD (Psychology) was awarded by the University of Westminster in 2020. Her research examined audio description and its role in inclusive museum experiences for both blind and non-blind people.
Prior to joining the University of Westminster, Rachel was a post-doctoral researcher at Royal Holloway, University of London, where she was the Project and Community Engagement Manager on the AHRC funded project IDEA: Inclusive Description for Equality and Access. Working with theatres across the UK, the project explored audio description in theatres and how it can celebrate diversity in inclusive and ethical ways.