Improving academic support for disabled students

Join us in person at this seminar, for a discussion of how academic departments can better support disabled students. Our panel of experts will share insights, best practices, and resources to enhance the educational experience for these students. Whether you're a faculty member, professional services staff, or simply interested in the topic, this event is for you. Let's work together to create a more inclusive and supportive academic environment!

This workshop brings together a range of leading experts in UK academia who are developing innovative approaches to supporting disabled students within teaching, learning and assessment spaces, in order to improve provision at the chalkface.

Agenda:

Organised and chaired by

Dr Mike Wray, MSc Pathway Director, Department of Education, University of York

Pete Quinn, Consultant, Pete Quinn Consultancy

Confirmed sessions:

Supporting successful PhD completion for autistic PGR students

Professor Nicki Martin, Professor of Social Justice and Inclusive Education, London South Bank University.

Nicola has 35 years’ experience in education working with disabled pupils and students from nursery age to adults in FE and HE and an international research profile in the field. Her research interests are informed by emancipatory principles and include universal design for inclusive learning, multi-agency collaboration, equality and diversity, critical disability /autism studies, mentoring and understanding bereaved parents and siblings.

Nicola is also a Visiting Fellow at Cambridge and Sheffield Hallam Universities, a National Teaching Fellow and a Fellow of the RSA.

DISCO (Disability Community) Project: Working to improve neurodivergent students’ experiences and outcomes through building community and belonging.

Dr Amanda Hickey, Lecturer in Psychology, University of York.

This session will briefly introduce an initiative aimed at building departmental-based community network at the University of York to support inclusion and belonging for all disabled students. We aim to be research and student-led, while navigating how to sustain our initiative around time and other challenges. This session will include time to discuss ideas around community and belonging for supporting the neurodivergent student experience and outcomes.

Bio: Amanda’s research interests are in typical and atypical language development and processing with recent interests considering the role of community and a sense of belonging in the disabled student experience. Before joining the Psychology department at the University of York, she was a primary school teacher where she worked in both mainstream and special educational needs settings. She also identifies as disabled being dyslexic and having hip issues which affects mobility.

Supporting successful transition to employment for autistic students

Dr Jonathan Vincent, Lecturer in Higher Education, University of Lancaster.

Jonathan’s presentation will centre on the transition out of higher education and into employment for autistic students and graduates. He will draw on a range of studies published over the last eight years which uncover the challenges – but also possibilities – with respect to post-university outcomes for this group.

Bio: Jonathan’s research focuses on the nature and experience of life course transitions for disabled university students and graduates, with particular emphases on education and employment. He is also interested in how belonging in higher education is theorised and experienced. Alongside his academic role, Jonathan provides training to employers and coaching to autistic individuals in the workplace.

Developing competence standards: a whole university approach

Professor Pam Birtill, Professor in the Psychology of Learning, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Leeds

Inclusive neurodiverse campuses.

Lorna Hamilton, Professor of Developmental Psychology and Inclusive Education, York St John University.

Professor Hamilton will present findings from the participatory action research project, Inclusive Neurodiverse Campuses (INC). The talk will focus on inclusive research methods when working with neurodivergent communities and the importance of coproducing solutions for more inclusive university teaching, systems and processes.

Bio: Lorna is a developmental psychologist with a research focus on neurodiversity in educational contexts. She leads the ReNEW (Research on Neurodiversity, Environment and Wellbeing) group and contribute to strategic leadership on inclusive education across her institution.