Subject: Developing an Inclusive Curriculum


Apologies for Cross Posting


To academic and support staff in Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences (GEES) and related disciplines, and Disability Advisors:  an opportunity to update and enhance your knowledge and skills in supporting disabled students studying GEES disciplines in higher education:

Developing an Inclusive Curriculum

Geography Discipline Network conference in collaboration with the Higher Education Academy Subject Centre for GEES and RGS-IBG Higher Education Research Group (HERG)
at Coventry TechnoCentre
21 April 2005, 9.30/10.00am - 4.00pm          
www.glos.ac.uk/gdn/icp/index.htm

Making reasonable adjustments for disabled students is now a legal requirement in the UK and one which will be monitored when the Disability Discrimination Bill comes into force in 2006. The Inclusive Curriculum Project (ICP) seeks to assist all HE staff in GEES and related disciplines to update their knowledge and understanding of 'best practice' in developing an inclusive curriculum in higher education.

Conference places are FREE. The conference should be particularly useful to staff in GEES departments who come into contact with students, including Heads of Departments, course leaders, lecturers, administrative staff, laboratory technicians, librarians and IT personnel, and builds on the excellently-rated national conference in supporting disabled students undertaking fieldwork held by GDN in 2001.  The closing date for booking is Monday 21 March 2005.

The ICP team is delighted to announce that the conference will be chaired Dr Rita Gardner, Director of the Royal Geographical Society.  Guest speakers include Mike Adams, Director of the National Disability Team (NDT).  Mike has been a member of the NDT since it was established in May 2000 to improve provision for disabled students in higher education. We are also pleased to welcome Mike Wray from the NDT, who has particular interests in developing and delivering professional development programmes related to disability, including production of online learning modules for teaching staff.

Conference sessions will cover a wide range of topics including an overview of the issues facing the HE sector and a choice of workshops based around eight individual ICP staff guides which are being produced as part of the project.  Five of the guides focus on specific disability areas, including dyslexia and hidden disabilities, mental health difficulties, and visual, hearing and mobility impairments. Three titles cover advice for different user groups - Heads of Department and Course Leaders, Lecturers, and Support Staff. There are two additional guides, an Overview and a guide aimed specifically at disabled students themselves.   

The conference programme is available on the website at www.glos.ac.uk/gdn/icp/confprog.pdf.  In addition to the opening presentations and workshops, there will be plenty of opportunities to raise specific issues, voice more general worries or share your experiences, with an open question and answer session included as part of the plenary session.  Further details are available on the project website at www.glos.ac.uk/gdn/icp/confer.htm.

A booking form is downloadable from the website. If you require a booking form in a different format, please contact the ICP Project Manager, Michele Hills, at [log in to unmask]


Professor Mick Healey BA PhD FRGS ILTM NTF
Director Geography Discipline Network
Co-Director Centre for Active Learning (CeAL) in Geography, Environment and Related Disciplines
Co-Director ESRC TLRP Project: Enhancing disabled students' learning in HE 
Senior Advisor LTSN Subject Centre for Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences
National Teaching Fellow

School of Environment
University of Gloucestershire
Francis Close Hall
Swindon Road
Cheltenham GL50 4AZ
UK

Tel:  +44 (0)1242 543364
Fax: +44 (0)1242 543283
Mobile: +44 (0)7952 095129

Email: [log in to unmask]
URL: http://www.glos.ac.uk/gdn/
        http://www.glos.ac.uk/environment/staff

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Please note change of 'unit' from GEMRU to School of Environment