STAART Workshop: Introduction to  Accessibility Features in Microsoft

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Event overview

STAART at Greenwich University.  This online and in-person, free workshop is aimed at post-16 SEND/disabled students considering and/or attending college or university.  The session may also be relevant for school, college and university staff who work with prospective and current disabled students. The session will provide an introduction to the free accessibility features in Microsoft such as assistance with vision, hearing, dexterity and focus. We have promoted free learning technology software for many years as many of our STAART folk do not have medical and/or psychological evidence of their disability, mental health and/or neurodivergence. Due to lack of evidence, many disabled university students were not eligible for Disabled Students’ Allowances (DSAs) which funded a variety of different software. From September 2026, DSA no longer fund the majority of software and hardware to save money. There are also going to be cuts in Access to Work (A2W) funding for some working disabled folk who may have previously been eligible for accessibility software. Although this workshop will not replace all of the technology which has been cut/about to be cut, there will be elements within Microsoft which may be beneficial.  You can book your free place here: https://app.onlinesurveys.jisc.ac.uk/s/greenwich/microsoft  

Authentic Student Engagement in Contemporary Higher Education: RAISE Annual Conference

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Event overview

This two-day hybrid conference will focus on the theme of ‘Authentic Student Engagement in Contemporary Higher Education’ – 200+ delegates and 80+ presentations.  RAISE’s flagship event bringing together students, professional services and academics from across the world to share best practice, research findings and network with peers. Conference sub-themes are below: responding to GenAI (including playful and purposeful learning) Embedding Employability into Assessment and the Curriculum Ensuring Education remains People Focused: Balancing Attendance with Inclusivity Partnering with Students as Co-Creators of a Future Higher Education Evolving Roles and Third-Space Practices for Authentic Engagement. A Call for Papers for submissions for the following session formats: Presentations of Practice Campfire Conversations (in person only Storytelling Posters:Interactive Workshop (in-person only Podcast    

NERUPI convention 2026: Confronting Educational Inequality in Turbulent Times

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Event overview

Please note this event is for Members only. You should check here – your institution is likely a NERUPI member. The purpose of higher education is under scrutiny as never before.  The value it represents is in question with other routes being championed as more relevant and posing less financial risk.  There is an imminent danger that the progress made in increasing HE access and participation, along with the social mobility it underpins, will be undermined.  Young people from working class backgrounds, and other already underrepresented groups are likely to be disproportionately affected while their more privileged peers continue to take up higher education opportunities and progress into professional careers.  This could have serious consequences for both individuals and whole regions of the UK. The NERUPI Convention 2026 will start the day with Professor Sam Friedman, LSE and Dr Pere Ayling, University of Suffolk, considering some of the underlying causes of educational inequality, class, identity and the reproduction of privilege. The afternoon will hear from Higher Education Access and Participation Task and Finish Group, meeting between November 2025 and January 2027 to create practical, evidence-based proposals to help more students from disadvantaged backgrounds and under-served areas access higher education (level 4 and above) and progress on to positive destinations.  Delegates will have the opportunity to discuss the emerging proposals and feed back their, thoughts, opinions and suggestions to Professor Chris Millward, Interim Director for Fair Access, and Participation, OfS and other members of the Task and Finish Group. Due to the number of places available, at present, only two participants per organisation can book. The first call for papers is open, enabling a space for NERUPI members to share their work in presentation workshops, so if you have an interesting initiative relating to access, participation or progression you should contact the organisers.  Call for Papers (Practice Examples): to submit a paper for the convention please complete a submission form before the 17th July.  

Inclusion Beyond SEND

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Event overview

Inclusion Beyond SEND is a one-day conference from Moon Hall School, exploring AT, AI, skills and the future of access to learning.  The event brings together education, SEND, assistive technology, inclusive AI, curriculum, careers, widening participation and future pathways.  The central question for the day is: How do we design access, confidence and independence into learning from the start, rather than adding support later? The five strands the event will discuss are: early help, SEND reform and designed-in access assistive technology and digital independence AI, bias and inclusive practice curriculum, creativity and future-ready learning careers, skills and future pathways.