This webinar brings together some significant voices from the field of ‘disability and education’. Speakers are practitioners, educators, students, researchers, policy makers, and allies who believe that for equality to exist in education there needs to be both systemic and cultural change. We will raise questions and provide insights into the realities of ableism in education and the impact it has. We will also engage delegates with the question what needs to change, how and where and we look forward to exploring shared insights and productive answers. We believe that equity and partnership need to frame what we do and for what purpose in education, we also see change as a collective endeavour, where grass roots and user voices must play a central role.

The following five panellists will each speak for approx. 15 minutes on their areas of expertise. There will be 2 planned 5-10 min breaks:

• Mette Westander, Founding Director Disabled Students UK (DSUK) https://disabledstudents.co.uk/ 'Going Back is Not a Choice - Accessibility Lessons for Higher Education'

• Dr Suanne Gibson Associate Professor Plymouth University. ‘A time for change in the higher education discourse of 'Widening participation’ and ‘Inclusion.’’

• Kamran Mallick CEO Disability Rights UK https://www.disabilityrightsuk.org/ 'The failure of the National Disability Strategy'.

• Lord Chris Holmes of Richmond MBE - Disabled Students’ Allowance : enabling through degrees?

• Miss Cara Baer Doctoral Teaching Assistant Plymouth Institute of Education. 'A space for partnership and empowerment: how the Writing Café negotiates the inclusion gaps in Higher Education'.

Programme

(1) 10:00 - 10:05 - Dr Suanne Gibson: Opening and housekeeping

(2) 10: 05 - 10:20 - Mette Westander Founding Director DSUK - 'Going Back is Not a Choice - Accessibility Lessons for Higher Education'.

(3) 10:20 - 10:35 - Lord Chris Holmes of Richmond MBE - Disabled Students’ Allowance : enabling through degrees?

(4) 10:35 - 10:50 - Questions

10:50 - 11:00 break

(5) 11:05 - 11:20 - Kamran Mallick CEO DRUK - The Failure of the National Disability Strategy.

(6) 11:20 - 11:35 - Miss Cara Baer 'A space for partnership and empowerment: how the Writing Café negotiates the inclusion gaps in Higher Education'

(7) 11:35 - 11:45 - Dr Suanne Gibson - Students as Core: A time for change in the higher education discourse and practice of 'Widening participation’ and ‘Inclusion’

(8) 11:45 - 12:00 - Questions

12:00 - 12:15 - Coffee break

(9) 12:15-12:30/45 wider discussion with the speakers

(10) Thanks, follow up plans and close

Biographies

Dr Suanne Gibson

Dr Suanne Gibson is an Associate Professor of Education at Plymouth University, she has previously acted as Interim Director for Plymouth Institute of Education (2019-2021), been Associate Director of Teaching Learning and Internationalization (2017-2019) and also lead the BA Education degree (2005-2015). Her specialist areas of teaching and research are ‘disability’, ‘special educational needs’ (SEN), ‘inclusion’ and critical pedagogy. She has published widely in Special Educational Needs, critical disability studies and teaching and learning in higher education and been awarded four teaching fellowships at Plymouth University. In 2012 her work was recognised at a national level when she received her National Teaching Fellowship from the Higher Education Academy and in 2014 the Royal Society of the Arts invited her to become a Fellow (FRSA).

She conducts research and teaching with colleagues in the UK, USA, Cyprus, Malaysia, New Zealand and Australia addressing questions of ‘inclusion’, social justice and ‘diversity’. Suanne is currently working in partnership with Disabled Students UK, ALLFIE and Disability Rights UK and undertaking research with Plymouth Marjons University and Plymouth Education Board on the project- ‘Are we included’ to address contemporary secondary school needs in the area of inclusion. She has also recently joined forces with Danimation: http://danimationentertainment.com/ and Positively Autistic: https://positivelyautistic.weebly.com/ to launch ‘Danimation UK’. Its second UK summer school for young people with autism will run in August 2022.

Mette Westander Founding Director DSUK

Mette Westander is the Founding Director and CEO of Disabled Students UK, recognised by Shaw Trust as one of the most influential disabled-led organisations in the UK. DSUK uses disabled-led expertise to improve accessibility in Higher Education. They empower disabled students, spread disabled student insights, and work collaboratively to inform policy. Their early report on the impact of the pandemic on disabled students was mentioned in parliament and their evidence-based approach has led them to be consulted by a variety of institutions and decision makers. Mette has a BA in Psychology and Philosophy from Oxford and is currently undertaking an MSc in Cognitive Neuroscience. They are autistic and have a chronic illness.

Lord (Chris) Holmes of Richmond MBE

Chris is a passionate advocate for the potential of technology and the benefits of diversity and inclusion. He has just published a report into the Disabled Students’ Allowance and is raising the issue in Parliament.

He is a member of the influential House of Lords Select Committee on Science and Technology and has previously co-authored House of Lords Select Committee Reports on: Democracy and Digital Technologies [2020], Intergenerational Fairness [2019], Artificial Intelligence [2018], Financial Exclusion [2017], Social Mobility [2016] and Digital Skills [2015]

He is co-chair of Parliamentary Groups on Fintech, AI, Blockchain, Assistive Technology and the 4th Industrial Revolution and has published a report; “Distributed Ledger Technologies for Public Good: leadership, collaboration and innovation” calling on the Government to look at the challenges and opportunities of this technology for improving public services. A progress update was published in November 2018.

An ex-Paralympic swimmer, Chris won nine gold, five silvers and one bronze medal across four Games, including a record haul of six golds at Barcelona 1992.

Kamran Mallick CEO DRUK

Kamran Mallick joined Disability Rights UK as its Chief Executive in July 2017. He is the former Chief Executive of Action on Disability, the Hammersmith-based disability organisation, where he worked for 13 years.

Kamran has also worked for the spinal injury charity Aspire as well as running his own training and consultancy business.

He serves on the boards of the Lyric Hammersmith, Wheels for Wellbeing and Lloyds Bank Foundation. He is a former chair of Candoco dance company and board member of Inclusion London. He is also a member of Gatwick Airport Passenger Experience Group and a former member of Transport for London’s Independent Disability Advisory Group.

Kamran was included in the Shaw Trusts Powerlist 100 - Most influential disabled people in 2018 and was in the top 10 in 2020.

Miss Cara Baer

Cara is a PhD Education student, Writing Mentor and researcher who also teaches on the BA Education programme within the Plymouth Institute of Education. Cara's research interests are rooted in Social Justice and inclusion, particularly with regards to access and participation in education and society for those traditionally excluded. Her PhD research will explore inclusive communities for people with disabilities and how policy, practices and education can be improved for individuals within excluded groups. Cara has also conducted research regarding socioeconomic status, access and participation within Higher Education (HE). Cara's work as a student Writing Mentor in the University of Plymouth's Writing Cafe has enabled insights into how student-to-student partnership and engagement is bridging the gaps for underrepresented students' experiences and achievements in HE, which has historically supported, and been shaped for, traditional learners.