Enabling equality: Furthering disability equality for staff and students in HE

This short virtual event will draw on findings from the recently launched Advance HE 2021 Equality in Higher Education Statistical reports and look to see what has changed since the 2011 Advance HE report on disabled staff was published. In this event, we will discuss what progress has been made, and how the support landscape has changed over the past decade for disabled staff and students in higher education. The event will also focus on the latest research findings arising from the Disabled Students’ Commission, including how the pandemic has affected learning and teaching pedagogies and the impact of remote learning and mental wellbeing. The impact of those changes on staff will also be considered.

The event will include insights from the Advance HE 2021 Equality in Higher Education Statistical reports and the, presenting the latest data and providing comparisons and commentary on progress over the last decade; key findings arising from the Disabled Students’ Commission; a keynote speaker; a panel session comprising key speakers representing both staff and student perspectives, followed by the opportunity to discuss these issues in smaller breakout groups.

Discussions will focus on a variety of areas that still remain a challenge for the sector including:

• issues around disclosure and non-visible disabilities,
• access to work support,
• the disability pay gap,
• inclusive assessment,
• positive culture changes since the pandemic, and
• staff and student mental wellbeing.