Roy McConkey is an Emeritus Professor of Developmental Disabilities at Ulster University, Northern Ireland. He has previously held posts in England, Scotland and the Republic of Ireland and has been a visiting Professor at the University of Cape Town, South Africa. He has acted as a consultant to different United Nations agencies and international NGOs on various disability-related topics, including inclusive education. He is a Fellow of the International Association for the Scientific Study of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities and a Past President and Fellow of the Psychological Society of Ireland. He has worked in the field of intellectual and developmental disabilities for nearly 50 years and has authored, co-authored and edited over 15 books and published around 200 book chapters and research papers in learned journals. In 2015, he was awarded an OBE by Queen Elizabeth for services to intellectual and developmental disabilities. He was also the recipient of the International Award from the American Association for Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities.