Dear Colleagues 

The Forum for Research into Equality and Diversity would like to invite you to a workshop on inclusive teaching and assessment practices for students with dyslexia in Higher Education. 
The Disabled Students Allowance, which has provided much needed support for dyslexic students has recently been changed, cutting or reducing funding for many dyslexic students. 
In light of this there is an increased need to ensure that practises within Higher Education are as accessible as possible for students with Dyslexia. 
The workshop will set out the legal obligations that need to be met for students with Dyslexia. It will provide practical advice for making your practice inclusive, delivered by Dr. Ross Cooper a leading Dyslexic and inclusive practitioner in Higher Education. 
For more information please see details below and the attached flyer. 

Warm regards

John Morrow 
Visting Lecturer and PhD student
Law School, University of Chester, Parkgate Road, CH1 4BJ
Researcher, Forum for Research into Equality and Diversity (FRED) 
01244 512946


 


 
Responding to the cuts to Disabled Students Allowance: Inclusive teaching for students with Dyslexia



Wednesday 9th March 2016
University of Chester
Westminster building CWE 125/2
Parkgate Road, CH1 4BJ
 
 
2:00pm - 4:00pm
 
 
                              
About the workshop:
 
The workshop will provide an overview to the legal requirements that exist for provision of students with dyslexia, alongside a review of the implications of the changes to Disabled Student Allowance. The workshop will consider this, in light of research currently being undertaken at the University of Chester into the experience of students with dyslexia.
The main element will be an interactive presentation that will argue that underlying characteristics of dyslexic (and most other neurodivergent) students predispose them to being excellent deep learners.  Unfortunately, the barriers imposed by arbitrary teaching and assessment strategies disable them, leading to a dispiriting experience of apparent learning difficulties and the development of ‘compensatory strategies’.  The evidence for excellence in learning will be presented, and how this is translated into learning failure in our education systems will be identified.  Finally, a simple way of eliminating unnecessary barriers to learning and assessment will be outlined for discussion.
 
Dr Ross Cooper:
Dr. Ross Cooper is a neurodivergent sociologist, educationalist and creative entrepreneur, with 4 adult neurodivergent children. He has worked as a qualified teacher in special  schools, in an  inner city college of FE as inclusive learning manager, a learning and teacher coordinator at Southampton University, and course director of an MA in Adult Dyslexia Diagnosis and Support at London South Bank University.  Ross gave the 8th annual disability lecture at Cambridge University (2010) on ‘neurodiversity and dyslexia‘, where he introduced his Bagatelle Model of specific learning difficulties.  Ross was a keynote speaker at the 1st Disability Identity conference at LSE (2011), where he introduced his Holist Manifesto.  Ross has presented throughout England as well as Tokyo, Milan, Bari, Como, Cyprus and Vienna. Ross is a director of AchieveAbility, and Outsider Software (which is orchestrating the national roll out of SuperReading courses in HE).  He is also the Director of the Festival of Dyslexic Culture – to celebrate who we are through what we create
 
John Morrow
John graduated from the University of Chester with a BA (Hons) in Law with International Development. He is currently completing a PhD in the area of discrimination law, which is examining the deliverance of law degrees to students with specific learning difficulties in light of the Equality Act 2010. He has provided evidence for the recent Quality Assurance Agency review of Law in Higher Education, which  helped lead to significant changes in the QAA’s benchmark statement for law becoming more inclusive for dyslexic students.  John has presented the findings of his research at conferences including the Association of Law Teachers Annual Conference, Society for Research into Higher Education newer researchers conference and the Festival of Dyslexic Culture. He also works as a visiting lecturer at the University of Chester, teaching on the Human Rights and Discrimination Law modules.
 
Forum for Research into Equality and Diversity:
The Forum for Research into Equality and Diversity focuses on and specialises in research and knowledge transfer activities in the area of diversity and equality across a range of disciplines.  The Forum provides a much needed knowledge transfer resource for local voluntary organisations, lawyers, HR practitioners, academics and businesses across the North West and beyond. During 2015/16, the Forum will be working with recognised experts to present a series of events on issues relating to equality and diversity.  For further details of these events see the Forum website at: www.chester.ac.uk/FRED.
  

 
Attendance is free, but places are limited. Please book via email [log in to unmask] 


 
www.chester.ac.uk/fred