Overview

This event was organised by members of the Educational Excellence and Professional Development teams, and occurred at University Park on Wednesday 11 March 2020. Formally titled 'From disability labels to inclusion: an HE approach to teaching and learning practice at the University of Nottingham,' the Inclusive Practise Conference aimed to provide an expert forum for discussions about inclusive practise, as well as ways in which barriers for disabled students might be addressed. For more information about the conference, please consult the Inclusive Practices Conference Programme.

Keynote Details

Dr Anne Emerson, University of Nottingham

Anne started her career working as a speech and language therapist with children with a range of communication impairments. Over the past 30 years Anne has worked in special and mainstream schools in the UK and India, worked as a Family Services Coordinator for Mencap, and with adults with disabilities in a large residential service. Anne also has teaching experience in FE and HE. For 7 years Anne worked as a psychology lecturer specialising in the fields of communication, disability and inclusive education. She continues to work directly with children with special needs and provide training to teachers, teaching assistants, parents and carers.

Professor Amanda Kirby, University of South Wales

Professor Kirby has a chair in developmental disorders in education at the University of Wales, Newport. She founded and has run the Dyscovery Centre since 1997, an interdisciplinary centre providing assessment and intervention for children and adults with a range of developmental disorders including Dyspraxia (also known as DCD), ADHD, Dyslexia, Specific Language Impairment, Autism Spectrum Disorders and Behavioural issues. Her background as a GP and also working in community paediatrics and psychiatry has provided a good understanding of developmental disorders in both child and adulthood. She is also the parent of an adult with developmental disorders so has personal as well as professional experience of living with the difficulties. She leads a research team at the centre and her PhD has focused on the stage of emerging adulthood in DCD. She has lectured internationally and spoken to over 30,000 teachers, health professionals and parents. She is currently patron of the Dyspraxia Association in New Zealand, Advisor to the Dyspraxia Association in Ireland and Medical Advisor to the Dyspraxia Foundation in the UK.