Day 1 - Education

Welcome and Introduction (11.30am-11.40am)

1. Hannah Kelly, Student and Graduate Engagement Officer, AHEAD

   Hannah Kelly Student and Graduate Engagement Officer, AHEAD

   Hannah (she/her) is the Student and Graduate Engagement Officer in AHEAD. Her role involves working to include the student voice in the work of AHEAD and creating inclusive environments for disabled students in extracurricular settings. As part of her role, she was the co-founder and now coordinator of the USI/AHEAD Students with Disabilities Advisory group. This group helps to inform the strategy and policy of AHEAD and USI concerning the inclusion of students with disabilities in HE and FE. Outside of her work with AHEAD, Hannah is a volunteer with Dublin Lesbian Line and is a public speaker, particularly in the areas of intersectionality and inclusion.

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Language and Disability (11.40pm-12.30pm)

1. Catherine Gallagher, Dublin City University

   Catherine Gallagher Dublin City University

   @Cather_i_ne

   Catherine Gallagher is a disabled activist and a PhD student in DCU. Her research pertains to the journalism and political communication response to Covid-19 in Ireland. In her advocacy work, she focuses particularly on means-testing of disability supports, higher education, independent living, and the framing of disability.

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   Amy Hassett, UCD

   Amy Hassett UCD

   @AmyHassett

   Amy Hassett is a disability advocate and a co-chairperson of Disabled Women Ireland (DWI), Ireland's national disabled person's organisation advocating for the rights of disabled self-identified women, girls and non-binary people. Originally from Wexford, Amy is also a neuroscience PhD student in UCD.

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   Laocín Brennan, AHEAD

   Laocín Brennan AHEAD

   @Laochiin

   Laocín Brennan is AHEAD's Team Support Officer. His time in AHEAD began in June 2021 as GETAHEAD's first intern. Since joining the organisation Laocín has been involved in many projects with AHEAD. He takes particularly great pride in his work on events (Building the Future, Better Options and, now, Power of Disability), content creating (Allyship and GetAHEAD blogs) and public speaking (Language & Disability WAMinar, training events and, soon, Power of Disability)

   Laocín's passion for advocacy dates back farther than his involvement with AHEAD. He was the founder of DCU’s Neurodivergent Society, the first of its kind in Europe. During his time in DCU, he found that his vocation was not in engineering and found himself gravitating towards his volunteer work, which continues to give him purpose, pride and joy.

   He is passionate about human rights and believes intersectionality is the only way towards a just, equal and idyllic society. Laocín valued his morals from a young age, but only began to become cognisant of ableism in 2013, upon receiving the first of many diagnosises. Now, Lao?ín is pursuing a career in disability advocacy with vigour in the hopes of being the change he wants to see in the world.

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UDL In Tertiary Education (12.30pm-1.10pm)

Break (1.10pm-1.30pm)

Knowing Your Rights (1.30pm - 2.30pm)

1. Dr Shivaun Quinlivan, NUI Galway

   Dr Shivaun Quinlivan NUI Galway

   Dr Shivaun Quinlivan (She/Her) is the Vice-Dean for Equality, Diversity and Inclusion in the College of Business, Public Policy and Law at NUI Galway, and a Senior Lecturer in Law. Her research focuses primarily on the right to equality with a particular focus on the right to education for people with disabilities: The Right to Inclusive Education in International Human Rights Law: Cambridge University Press. She is a member of the Berkeley Center on Comparative Equality and Anti-Discrimination Law and the Irish Women’s Lawyers Association. Dr Quinlivan acted as an expert advisor to the States of Guernsey in relation to the development of new multi-ground equality legislation from 2018-2020. In 2016-17 she was an O’Brien Residential fellow in the Centre for Human Rights and Legal Pluralism in McGill University in Canada. With Dr Lucy-Ann Buckley she co-leads two inclusive learning projects at NUI Galway. She is a graduate of NUI Galway, King’s College London and the Honourable Society of King’s Inns, and Trinity College Dublin. Her doctoral research addressed the efficacy of public interest litigation in the context of the right to education for children with disabilities.

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Assistive Technology Demo (2.30pm-3pm)

Day 2 - Student Focus

Introduction to USI/AHEAD Student Advisory Group (11.30am-12.00pm)

Your Voice: Attendee Feedback Session (12pm-1pm)

Break (1pm-1.20pm)

Breakout Sessions: Chose Your Slot (1.20pm-2.00pm)

1. Setting Up a Disability Related Society
2. Constructive Self Advocacy
3. Get Involved in your SU