AHEAD: Association for Higher Education Access & Disability
Creating inclusive environments in education & employment for people with disabilities.

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Day 2 In Depth Schedule

09:00 - Day 2 Registration

Day 2 Opening Session

09:45 - Main Hall

Conference Re-opens

A Vision for Inclusive Further Education - Mary Liz Trant (SOLAS)

John Kelly Award for Universal Design in Teaching & Learning - Finalists Present Their Work

 More About the John Kelly Award Final

The John Kelly Award for Universal Design for Learning recognises the innovative practice of teaching staff in further and higher education engaging with the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) framework to deliver a more inclusive learning experience for their students. It is targeted at practitioners who have demonstrated their emergent commitment to UDL by undertaking the Digital Badge for Universal Design in Teaching & Learning and making exciting changes to their practice as a result of their participation in the badge.
In this session, the shortlisted finalists for the 2019 award will showcase their work in front of a judging panel and the wider conference audience.

11:00 - Tea/Coffee Break

11:30 - Breakout Session 5 - Choose Your Path

 Red Room - Harnessing the Student Voice

Addressing the Hidden Curriculum in Higher Education for Students with Disabilities

Linda Sullivan (Harvard University)

Walk into any college classroom 5 minutes before the class begins and 5 minutes after and there are distinct differences in behavior among most of the class members.  Why is that?  How do they know? What do they do each time they enter the same classroom? In college settings the hidden curriculum is a critical component of the college learning experience. During the college years, students learn to navigate complex systems, self-advocate, assess and re-assess outcomes and plans, and navigate hierarchical relationships.  No student takes courses on these life-skills but instead are expected to master them, or have mastered them by the time they arrive on campus (Alsubaie, 2015).  Literature on first generation, low income students, and other protected and often marginalized student groups cite the need for students to feel connected in order to succeed (Myles & Simpson, 2001). Many campuses have centers and advisors to aid students in their networking, learn about supports and how to access them. However, for students with disabilities, often the only “center” on campus is the Disability Resource Office (DRC). At the DRC students talk about accommodations and access but in a very different, yet necessary way.  No two colleges are alike, and as such no two cultures within each school are the same. As individualized as each college is, so too is the hidden curriculum endemic to each school. For some students with disabilities, vicarious learning will not result in an understanding of the unwritten rules. What happens when a visual impairment obscures the non-verbal language? How do we make the hidden curriculum accessible to students with disabilities?

Bio of speaker 

Linda Sullivan, is the Director of the Accessibility Services Office at Harvard University’s Division of Continuing Education and ADA Coordinator for the division. Her experience in the field of education spans twenty years working with students and families in various educational settings. Her background in Counseling, Developmental Psychology, and Cognitive/Education Psychology informs her work in the field of disability services.

What about the learner’s voice?

Frederic Fovet (Royal Roads University)

One of the reasons that makes Universal Design for Learning (UDL) particularly appealing to the post-secondary sector is the fact that it is entirely focused on the design reflection of the instructor, and does not require diagnostic information about individual students (Gradel & Edson, 2009).  Unlike differentiation which normally unfolds when a teacher is faced with the specific needs of learners in their class, the reflection around UDL can occur in the abstract, before an instructor ever meets a class (Novak Educational Consultancy, 2018). This is enormously freeing, and particularly congenial to the post-secondary sector where lecturers may never have the opportunity over the course of a semester to uncover their students’ diversity.  Instead, one can hypothesize about barriers and remove proactively with the use of inclusive design. This, however, also creates a significant danger: the possibility that UDL now becomes conceptualized with no consideration for the student voice. This paper will examine three dimensions which make the learner voice essential in the UDL process: 

(i)    The need for ethnographic work with students in the classroom to examine their perspective on barriers

(ii)    The use of curriculum co-creation to involve learners in the redesign process

(iii)    The political involvement of the student body in the strategic implementation of UDL.  It is a call to action, which encourages UDL advocates to carefully consider re-centering UDL implementation in Higher Education (HE) on the student voice.  

Bio of speaker

Frédéric Fovet is the program head for the Master of Arts in Educational Leadership and Management program in The Royal Road’s University. Fovet is an inclusion specialist with a specific interest in emotional and behavioural difficulties (EBD), critical pedagogy and universal design for learning (UDL). Fovet also has a strong grounding in Disability Studies, and has served as a teacher and principal in schools with a focus on the successful inclusion of students with EBD. Fovet’s research portfolio includes: change management and the integration of technology as a tool for inclusion and using UDL with international students; mental health as a strategic issue in education; and using the social model of disability in schools to develop inclusive practices.

 Green Room - Mental Health & Wellbeing

Panel Discussion: Student Resilience and Well Being- A Chat about approaches in 3 countries.

Facilitator: Mary Quirke (AHEAD)

Panellists: Barbara Fogarty-Perry (Otago University, New Zealand), Liz Stratton (Swansea University, Wales), Declan Reilly (Trinity College Dublin, Ireland)

This panel will look to explore the different mental health related issues happening at third level across three countries. The panellist will discuss the various projects they are each involved in including resilience mapping and reforming approaches to supporting student wellbeing. 

Bio of panelists

Barbara Fogarty-Perry is Programme Leader in the Bachelor of Social Services degree at Otago Polytechnic which is New Zealands leading vocational training institution. Barbara has lectured for nine years, been a School Principal for eight years and taught for over 30 years in both New Zealand and Australia.  She is on the Board of the National Inclusive Education Advocacy Group in New Zealand, has published extensively nationally and internationally and is a parent of three children, the eldest of who has cerebral palsy and has high and complex needs.  Her specialty area is training students in Disability support and this year she has also worked with students in Mental Health and Addictions training too.

Liz Stratton is Head of Inclusive Student Support Services at Swansea University. Liz has a diverse background spanning working in academia, the NHS and private sector. Liz currently has responsibility for the following areas: Wellbeing, Disability, Swansea University Assessment Centre and the Swansea Academy of Inclusive Learner Success.

Declan Reilly has been working as a Disability Officer in Trinity College since 2005. In 2017, he completed a PhD in the School of Education exploring if reasonable accommodations provided to 3rd level students with disabilities succeeded in removing barriers and impact on the student experience.             

 Blue Room - Cross Campus Approaches

Workshop: Slow Burn or Big Bang- Institutional Roll Out of UDL

Abigail Moriarty and Phil Scarffe (De Monfort University)

The UDL project commenced as a one-year strategic project that has delivered recognised sector leading improvements in teaching and learning experiences of all students at De Montfort University. The application of UDL to the field of Higher Education is not another new ‘bolt on’ initiative but rather a set of principles that inform lecturers as they plan and deliver their teaching to students. Instead of retrofitting curricula for students via adjustments, special compensation and modifications, the principles of UDL prompt teachers to design a curriculum that is flexible and adaptable to multiple forms of engagement, therefore facilitating the learning of all students regardless of their preferences. The distinct application of UDL at DMU differs from any other Higher Education Institution (HEI). The principles of UDL apply to all students whether they have a distinct disability or not. The development of the UDL framework at DMU took place in the context of significant reductions in the funds available to disabled students through the Disabled Student Allowance (DSA), and responded to the challenge set by the then Department for Business Information and Skills (BIS) for the sector to improve its compliance with the requirements of the Equality Act. 17% of DMU students enrol with a disability, the third largest proportion of disabled students of any university in the UK. The UDL ambitions at DMU stretched beyond the focus of students with disabilities but centred on the experience of ALL DMU students; all 23,000 of them. It succeeded in increasing the autonomy for students, levelling the playing field to different learning needs, helping to narrow attainment gaps and improve students’ future employment prospects.

Bio of speakers

Abigail Moriarty is the University Director of Teaching and Learning at De Montfort University Leicester, a TEF Gold Institution with a passion and success in teaching and learning. DMU is a post-92 University with a celebrated diverse student population, including a high proportion of students with declared disabilities, from a BAME background and with a LGBTQ+ identity.  A registered nurse and practising clinician.  Abi continues to be passionate about both the NHS and Higher Education.  Abi has published in a number of books and articles on healthcare and is a contributing author of ‘Universal Design for Learning and Strategic Leadership: A Whole University Approach to Inclusive Practice,’ in the book 'Transforming Higher Education through Universal Design for Learning: An International Perspective’. This will be published in early 2019. She continues to talk widely across the UK HE sector about UDL, also she is invited to speak at the UDL Symposium at Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts in August 2018.  Abigail works in Leicester and lives in Yorkshire.

Phil Scarffe is Head of Student Welfare at De Montfort University,  Leicester, UK, he is a qualified mental health social worker, and has worked in Higher Education for 19 years. The Disability Enhancement Programme (DEP), which he designed and oversaw, as a whole institution approach to disability received praise from several sector wide organisations, was runner up in the Guardian University Awards, and was shortlisted for a Times Higher Education award. DMU has won the inaugural Sunday Times award for Social Inclusion University of the Year 2019. At the request of the UK Department for Education he wrote a significant part of the guidance: ‘Inclusive Practice as a route to excellence’. At the request of the Department of Business Information and Skills, he wrote ‘Considering the needs of students with a mental health condition Resource for DSA Needs Assessors’. He is a contributing author of 'Transforming Higher Education through Universal Design for Learning: ‘Universal Design for Learning and Strategic Leadership: A Whole University Approach to Inclusive Practice,’ in the book 'Transforming Higher Education through Universal Design for Learning: An International Perspective’. He co-founded the UMHAN University Mental Health Advisors Network) charity which has significantly influenced approaches to mental health in UK Higher Education. He is currently directing the Healthy DMU programme which aims to bring about a whole university approach to student wellbeing

 Yellow Room – Student Placement and UDL

One-size-fits-all: A thing of the past? Implementation of UDL in the preparation of students for placement

Marie Laffey & Breda Kenna (NUI Galway)

The Work Based Learning team of the Career Development Centre in NUI Galway have revised their placement process in 2018 to align to the principles of Universal Design for Learning. The team of five prepared over 700 students in 2018 for placement in industry. This included over twenty students registered with the Disability Support Service. We are expecting to prepare over 800 students for placement in 2019. The proposed talk will describe the rational for employing UDL in in the preparation of students for work placement, the UDL principles (means of representation, expression and engagement) applied and outcomes/challenges observed from the implementation of UDL. Application of UDL in the placement process resulted in an increase of student engagement from 30% to 96%, attendance of 1-1 meetings from 48% to 100%, and 100% of students increased their understanding of the placement process. There was a significant increase of disclosures of disabilities and students seeking assistance. In one course only one student disclosed in the 2017 cycle. Following a revision of the process to include UDL, this number increased to 14. Placement officers and employers observed increase in the quality of deliverables such as CV’s and performance in interview. Outcomes also included professional development of the placement officers who became more aware of inclusion and the needs of students with disabilities. The presentation will include the overview of a new process defined to assist students with disabilities in the preparation for placement and while on placement in industry. This process involves the collaboration of the Placement Officer and the Disability Support Service. The presentation/talk will follow UDL principles using a mixture of audio, video, audience participation apps, role plays and images.

Bio of speakers

Marie Laffey is the Work Based Learning Manager for the Career Development Centre in NUI Galway managing a team of placement officers who coordinate work placement for over 800 students. Marie has 10 years of experience delivering career guidance and 15 years’ experience working as a senior manager in the ICT sector. Marie has an active interest in supporting students with disability and won the AHECS Employability Award in 2017 for the design and implementation of a Transition to Employment programme in NUI Galway. Marie has a BSc in Computer Science, BA in Training & Education, Postgraduate Diploma in Adult Guidance & Counselling and MEd Adult Guidance & Counselling.

Breda Kenna is a placement officer on the Work Based Learning team in the Career Development Centre in NUI Galway. She has over 10 years’ experience supporting students in NUI Galway and 15 years industry experience in HR. Breda’s supports the placement of the J.E. Cairns School of Business & Economics students in industry by delivering employability workshops aligned to UDL. In addition, Breda builds strong links with Industry to identify suitable opportunities for students. Breda has Bachelor in Business Studies and is currently undertaking a Masters in Adult Learning & Development.  

The WAM Programme- Walking the line with employers

Caroline McGrotty (AHEAD)

This presentation will give an overview of The WAM Programme at AHEAD; a paid, mentored, internship programme for graduates with disabilities run in collaboration with multi-national employers in Ireland. It will give an insight into how the programme works, analysis of research conducted over the last five years, highlighting the type of reasonable adjustments made at interview and in workplace, disclosure and disability profile of graduates. The presentation will also look at what key learning have employers embedded into their mainstream recruitment practices and what are the future trends and challenges for graduates with disabilities seeking work. 

Bio of speaker

Caroline McGrotty holds a Bachelor degree in Deaf Studies from Trinity College Dublin and a diploma in Irish Sign Language Teaching (TCD). She also has a higher certificate in Equality Studies from UCD. Caroline has over ten years’ experience of working and volunteering with various organisations within the Deaf community. She is currently Vice-Chair on the board of Sign Language Interpreting Service (SLIS) and the WAM Programme Coordinator for AHEAD.

 Conversation Corner - Coaching Students in Inclusive Teamwork

Small scale conversations that matter - the conversation corner contributions are discussion based sessions with a maximum of 12 people. Spaces in these sessions are first come, 1st serve so arrive early to ensure you get a place.

Coaching Students in Inclusive Teamwork: Sharing good practice

Host: Sofie Vergauwe (Odisee University College)

This conversation will look at innovative good inclusive practices; what do these practices contain? How these practices are implemented and anchored in policy. Which evidence is there for these good-practices? How do we promote teamwork across campus to create an inclusive atmosphere for students? This talk will be a brainstorm with other people working in higher and further education.

Bio of host

Sofie Vergauwe is The Inclusion officer in Odisee University College in Belgium, she has a background in Occupational Therapy and Professional Training/Coaching.

12:30 - Lunch and Poster Session (Posters will be hosted from 13:00 on) - see full poster list after schedule

Day 2 Keynote

13:30 - Paving the Yellow Brick Road: Centring the curriculum - Pauline Hanesworth (Advance HE)

Keynote Presentation Details and Speaker Bio

Our lecturers are working in highly-pressurised environments with increasing and conflicting demands and priorities. As such, it is perhaps unsurprising that inclusive learning and teaching can be seen as “just another thing to do”. We find the implementation of inclusive curricula can be inconsistent, piecemeal and reliant on lecturer goodwill and interest. This talk will explore how institutions are tackling this, working with lecturers on a journey toward the strategic implementation of inclusive pedagogy for the development of sustainable approaches that support rather than inhibit learning.

Bio of speaker

Pauline Hanesworth is a Senior Adviser at Advance HE (formerly Higher Education Academy: HEA). She joined the HEA in 2013 after working as a lecturer and programme lead in the higher education sector during which time she developed various learning and teaching, widening access, and recruitment and retention initiatives. At Advance HE, Pauline leads on programmes of work related to equality and diversity and the teaching excellence framework. 
In her equality and diversity role, she has supported a variety of institutions, faculties, schools, programmes, and individual academics to develop inclusive practice through coaching, strategic enhancement programmes, training programmes, change programmes, masterclasses and workshops. 
She has also produced a range of research and resources on inclusive practice, such as the   embedding equality and diversity in the curriculum model for learning and teaching practitioners. In addition to embedding equality and diversity in practice and policies, Pauline is particularly interested in social justice approaches to education, the relationship between oral narratives and individual and collective identity, and values-based pedagogies.

14:15 - Move to Breakouts

14:20 - Breakout Session 6 - Choose Your Path

 Main Hall - Cross Campus Approaches

More than Interpreter Provision: Preparing for a cohort of Deaf Students Teachers

Dr Elizabeth Mathews (Dublin City University) 

This paper will report on a new initiative in Dublin City University to provide, for the first time, access to initial teacher education for a group of Deaf students who use Irish Sign Language.  The initiative involves a multi-faceted and holistic programme of capacity building in preparation for this cohort, acting at both the community and university levels. Community level initiatives target the community (parents and Deaf adults), professionals and Deaf pupils.  University level initiatives target hearing students, staff, and the university facilities. This multi-faceted approach is being developed as an example of best practice in the inclusion of Deaf students at third level.  It reflects the fact that while hard barriers may be removed, many soft barriers exist both prior to, and upon entry for this cohort.  The literature on these soft barriers and proposed solutions to each will be presented to highlight that successful inclusion of Deaf students is about more than interpreter provision.

Bio of speakers

Elizabeth Mathews is a lecturer with the School of Inclusive and Special Education at DCU St. Patrick's Campus, where she specialises in the area of deaf education.  She completed her MA in Deaf Education at Gallaudet University, Washington DC (2005) and her PhD with Maynooth University (2011). Previously, she was the coordinator of the Deaf Education Centre in Cabra, Dublin.  She has recently published a book with Gallaudet University Press about mainstreaming of deaf education in Ireland.  She sits on the Board of Management of Holy Family School for the Deaf in Cabra and is a member of the Education Partnership Group.

Using Professional Learning Communities to Scale up UDL Practice Campus-Wide

Dr Jane Neapolitan & Dr Elizabeth Berquist (Towson University)

In the USA, Universal Design for Learning (UDL) has traditionally been applied to two areas:  pre-service teacher education and the support of post-secondary students with disabilities.  In recent years, institutes of higher education have become increasingly interested in the potential of the UDL framework to support instructors tasked with designing accessible and engaging learning environments. While interest in UDL is growing in higher education, faculty rarely have formal training on how to proactively incorporate the guidelines into their practice. This interactive presentation will provide a forum for discussion about strategies leadership can use to design professional learning opportunities for faculty in HEIs through a professional learning community format aligned to CAST’s phases of UDL implementation (National Center on Universal Design for Learning, 2012).  Attention will also be given to strategies specifically developed to support adult learners in an era of academic transformation.

Bio of speakers

Dr. Jane Neapolitan is Assistant Provost, Office of Academic Innovation, at Towson University (Maryland, USA). She has more than 30 years’ experience as teacher and administrator in higher education. She develops partnerships that result in opportunities to learn for people from all backgrounds and helps university faculty redesign courses using Universal Design for Learning principles.

Dr. Elizabeth Berquist is Coordinator of the Office of Professional Learning, Baltimore County Schools (Maryland, USA). She is an experienced social studies teacher and special educator. As member of the CAST UDL Faculty Cadre, she has worked with school districts across the USA. She is also Board Member for the UDL Implementation and Research Network.

 Green Room - UDL and Assessment

Workshop: Creating an inclusive assessment journey

Dr. Sean Bracken (University of Worcester) 

This workshop will share findings from a small scale British Academy funded project entitled ‘A Lesson Study Approach to Inclusive Assessment’.  The study looked at how inclusive assessment was enacted in a total of 4 modules in two universities; the UNESP in Marilla, Brazil and in the University of Worcester in the UK. The research drew on a comprehensive review of the literature which had suggested that to address inequalities of outcomes for differing cohorts of students a diversity of approaches is required (Hockings, 2010). Further, as suggested by Mountford-Zimdars et al, (2015), one of the most effective strategies for addressing inequities should involve staff and student collaborative action research. The conceptual framework for the study combined strategies from Universal Design for Learning along with a social justice approach to assessment and feedback with the aim of firstly revealing and then countering existing inequities as experienced by minoritised student cohorts (Hanesworth, Bracken and Elkington, 2018). The methodology employed for the research was Lesson Study (see Dudley, 2011). At the end of the research, the four lecturers concerned shared how their involvement in this project led to changes in assessment praxis, the paper.    

Bio of speakers

Dr Sean Bracken is a Principal Lecturer at the University of Worcester, he is also a Principle Fellow of the HEA. He is the Course Leader for the National Award SENCO and also teaches on the University’s Post Graduate Certificate in Learning and Teaching. For the past four years Sean has contributed several international papers looking at the connections between Universal Design for Learning and the aspects of inclusive assessment.  

 Blue Room - Sharing UDL in Further Education

Workshop: Using Active Learning to share UDL

Ann Heelan (AHEAD) and Carol Neenan (Colaiste Stiofain Naofa)

This workshop will explain the impact of action learning using a recent pilot ran by AHEAD in partnership with Cork ETB. The workshop will give those present the opportunity to hear from one of the teachers involved and then get to work together on how this could be applied within their own work. A little change goes a long way to creating inclusive education for all.

Bio of speakers

Ann Heelan, BA, H. DIP. Master’s in Education, Training and Development, is Executive Director of AHEAD. Prior to joining AHEAD Ann worked in a senior capacity in Programme Development and Training for NTDI. This involved managing a range of new projects and initiatives including Horizon and other EU funded projects in the disability sector. Before that she worked as a teacher in Adult Education, the Institutes of Technology and Secondary Schools. Ms. Heelan’s leadership and innovation in this field was recognized when she was awarded the Myriam van Acker award at the Eighth International Conference on Higher Education and Disability in Innsbruck 2013.

Carol Neenan is a full time teacher with the Cork ETB, with over 30 yrs. experience teaching Adults aged 17yrs to 80 yrs. Carol teaches Anatomy & Physiology, Psychology, Nutrition & Health Promotion.  Ms. Neenan volunteered for the Position of Champion of Disability and remains in this role as the Learning Support Coordinator for her college.

 Yellow Room - Specific Approaches

Dyselxia in Nursing and Nurse Education- A Case Study

Brendan Greaney (University of Coventry)

This was a longitudinal case study, which explored the experiences of six U.K. based nursing students who have dyslexia in the final six months of their nursing course and revisited them in their first six months as registered nurses. Additionally, the study also explored the experiences of those who supported them through this transition from student nurse to registered nurse: namely their tutors at university, their mentors and preceptors in practice. 
The study showed evidence of a dyslexic self-stigma and fear of others’ perceptions surrounding dyslexia, but also full acceptance of dyslexia amongst some nurse participants once registered. Dyslexia was perceived differently amongst the mentors, tutors and preceptors with evidence of a positive understanding, but in contrast that dyslexia was misunderstood and still linked to concerns surrounding patient safety in nursing practice.

Bio of speaker

Dr. Brendan Greaney RN, PG Dip, PGCE, MA, PhD has 12 years’ experience working in a variety of clinical areas including critical care, coronary care, cardiology, chest medicine, emergency medical admissions, cardiothoracic surgery and neurosurgery critical care. Dr. Greaney previously worked as a practice development charge nurse at a hospital in Birmingham prior to entering nurse education. He is based in The Coventry University for 16 years as Assistant Professor in critical care nursing. Dr. Greaney lead on the CPD critical care nursing course, the undergraduate adult nursing course, acts as disability support tutor and course director for BSc International Nursing Studies.     

“You always had the power...” An Experiment in Students Using Their Own Voices to Learn About Their Own Writing Concerns

Maureen Fitzsimmons (Loyola Marymount University)

Dorothy: “Will you help me. Can you help me?” Glinda, the good witch: “You don’t need help any longer. You always had the power…[you] had to learn it for herself.” (The Wizard of Oz, 1939).  Albert Einstein is quoted as saying “be a voice not an echo.” As an accomplished, multilingual student of the universe, his advocacy of authoring one’s own voice nicely supports the concepts of Universal Design for Learning. Just like Glinda the good witch, UDL promotes the individual student developing “expertise not as a destination—signifying the mastery of content knowledge and skills—but rather as a process of becoming more expert on a continuum of development” (Gordon 2014). The idea of a student ‘finding their voice’ is not new; this research explores that goal literally. As a means of applying UDL to support the expertise found in their own voice, students in English language writing courses, with both single-language and multilingual skills were encouraged and supported throughout a full college term to use voice-to-text technology. 
While the subtleties of the experiment are helpful to improve the pedagogy as used in future classes, the advent of the option to use speech-to-text gave writing students more realities within which to explore their own writing expertise – their voices.

Bio of speaker

Maureen Fitzsimmons specializes in writing instruction for post-secondary students. Fitzsimmons has made multiple presentations at national and international conferences including those held by College Composition and Communication, Rhetoric Society of America, International Society for the History of Rhetoric, and University of California Writing Programs. The theme that unifies her work is the exploration of how varied students find their ways to writing at the post-secondary level. Currently a PhD candidate at University of California, Irvine, her dissertation focuses on the journals of a multilingual student attending college in 1860’s California.

 Conversation Corner - Releasing Student Potential

Small scale conversations that matter - the conversation corner contributions are discussion based sessions with a maximum of 12 people. Spaces in these sessions are first come, 1st serve so arrive early to ensure you get a place.

What #ReleaseYourPotential Means for Students with Disabilities

Hosts: Suzanne Holland O’Leary & Helen Carey (Cork College of Commerce)

This conversation will look at supporting learners with disabilities in further education. The hosts will discuss about their experiences of working in a further education institution in Cork Ireland and facilitate a conversation on how to best support learners across Further Education and Training. 

Host Bios

Susan Holland O’Leary is a teacher and Assistant Principal in the Cork College of Commerce. She has taught on various programmes and in her role as Adult Liaison Officer introduced initiatives to support mature students in their return to full time education. As Disability Officer Susan has promoted disability awareness among staff and has established the Disability Support Service in the college championing the needs of students with disabilities in a busy college of Further Education. Susan is a member of the CETB Active Inclusion Network.

Employed as further education teacher and course director in Cork College of Commerce, Helen Carey has delivered learning programmes in the further and higher education sectors.  Her areas of interest include use of economics and mathematics in decision making and understanding the needs early years learners who require support in their learning.  She co-ordinates the day & night programmes in CCOC including Certificate in autism Studies.  Helen is a member of the Cork ETB Active Inclusion Network.

15:20 - Move to Main Hall

Closing Session

15:30 - Closing Vision: Student Success – How you can play your part - Dr. Terry Maguire (National Forum for the Enhancement of Teaching & Learning)

 About Dr. Terry Maguire

Dr. Terry Maguire is an Irish educator and senior manager who is actively committed to how teaching and learning can transform individual lives, institutions and societies in Europe and around the world. 

After 25-years working in higher education in Scotland, Britain and Ireland, pioneering flexible, blended approaches to teaching and learning, she was seconded to the National Forum in 2013. In 2006, her expertise in continuous education, saw her appointed Head of Lifelong Learning at the Institute of Technology Tallaght, Dublin. Here she specialised in part-time and e-learning. 

Dr Maguire is a member of the international research-forum Adult Learning Mathematics, which she chaired from 2013 to 2015. She is the creator of the internationally-renowned initiative Maths Eyes. Dr Maguire is currently working with the Australian Council for Educational Research Ltd (ACER) and other international experts to review the Programme for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC) numeracy framework for the OECD. 

Dr Maguire received her BSc and MSc degree from University College Cork and her BA (Maths) degree through the Open University. In 2003, she was awarded her PhD by the University of Limerick. Her thesis was on addressing the professional needs of those teaching mathematics to adults.

15:55 - John Kelly Award Giving and Closing Remarks

 More About the John Kelly Award Giving

After presentations from the shortlisted finalists in the morning of Day 2, the judges will convene at a private location at the conference and decide on the winning contribution. 

The final act of the conference will be to announce the winner and present them their award which comes with €1,000 towards their continuing professional development in this area.

16:05 - Conference Close

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Creating Inclusive Environments in Education and Employment for People with Disabilities

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