 | This biographical articleis writtenlike a résumé. Pleasehelp improve it by revising it to beneutral andencyclopedic.(March 2025) |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Nationality |  Australia |
| Born | Brisbane, Queensland, Australia |
Paul David HarpurOAM is an Australian twice-Paralympian as an athlete with a vision impairment, a lawyer, and university professor at theUniversity of Queensland. He is known for his expertise inanti-discrimination laws,human rights law,labour laws, andwork health and safety laws.
Paul David Harpur[1] attendedCavendish Road State High School from 1994 until 1997.[2] He lost his sight at the age of 14 when hit by an electric train atWynnum, Brisbane.[3]
Harpur started his law degree in 1998, graduating in 2003, whilst engaged with sports.[4]
A qualified solicitor, Harpur's university teaching areas include anti-discrimination laws, human rights, labour laws, and work health and safety laws.[5]
He has occupied various academic positions at theUniversity of Queensland (UQ) since 2011.[6]
Harpur's 2019Fulbright Future Scholarship was "Universally designed for whom? Disability, the law and practice of expanding the 'normal user'".[7] In 2021 he was also awarded anAustralian Research Council Future Fellowship, investigating how the higher education sector can better support persons with disabilities.[8]
As of 2024[update], Harpur is a professor at theTC Beirne School of Law at theUniversity of Queensland.[7][9]
Harpur has numerous publications includingDiscrimination, copyright and equality: Opening the e-book for the print disabled (2017), andAbleism at work, disablement and hierarchies of impairment (2019).
With totally or almost totally blind vision, as an athlete, Harpur is given asB1 Paralympic classification. He has completed in a number of world sporting events,[10][4][5] including:
Part of his philosophy is "Impossible is only two letters from possible and you do not need sight to have vision".[4]
Harpur has givenTEDx presentations ("Universities as disability champions of change"), and addressed theInternational Labour Organization inGeneva.[5]
He is an ambassador for the Australian Human Rights IncludeAbility Network, and chairs the UQ Disability Inclusion Group.[7][6]
As of 2024[update], also at UQ, he is a member of the Senate Committee for Equity, Diversity and Inclusion, as well as the Senate Sub-Committee for Inclusion, and has been a member of the Olympics and Paralympics Oversight Committee since 2022. He has been a member of the Academic Board since 2015.[6]
He has undertaken research under the auspices of theAustralian Research Council.[6]
Aschool house at his high school, Cavendish Road State High School, was named after Harpur.[2]
He has been recognised for his role in creating and serving as chair of the University of Queensland Disability Inclusion Group, which has received multiple awards, including: the University of Queensland 2019 Excellence Award, the University of Queensland Community, Diversity and Inclusion Award, and the Champions for Change Award by the National Centre for Student Equity in Higher Education & Equity Practitioners in Higher Education Australasia.[7]
He was avisiting fellow at the Centre for Disability Law and Policy, Institute for Lifecourse and Society,National University of Ireland, inGalway.[6]
Since 2016, he has been International Distinguished Fellow at theBurton Blatt Institute,Syracuse University College of Law.[6]
Harpur received a 2019 Citation for Outstanding Contributions to Student Learning, from the Australian Award for University Teaching (AAUT) program, "for outstanding leadership in translating disability strategy into a vision of ability equality and core university business."[7]
From 2019 until 2022, he was an academic fellow of theHarvard Law School Project on Disability, and since 2023 an associate of the project.[6]
Since 2019 he has been a fellow of theHigher Education Academy in the UK.[6]
In 2021, he was awarded 2022 Blind Australian of the Year.[16][17]
In 2022, he was appointed to the Universities Accord Ministerial Reference Group to represent disability.[18]
In 2001, Harpur was awarded aCentenary Medal, for service to the community.[19]
On 26 January 2024, Harpur was awarded anMedal of the Order of Australia (OAM) "for service to people with disability", in the2024 Australia Day Honours.[6]
As of 2024[update] Harpur has authored or co-authored over 200 academic publications, and is the author of two books:[6]