ADCET Webinar: Building Neuro-Inclusive Education with Diversified - The Power of Collaboration and Co-Production

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Diversified is a collective of neurodivergent students, academics and staff from UNSW working to embed neuro-inclusion into UNSW’s educational framework and policies. Through research, resource development and community education, they strive to include neurodivergent people in the conversations that impact them. In this webinar, they explored how neurodivergent UNSW students face unique barriers in education, the power of collaboration and how embedding lived experience and co-production into your practice can produce practical solutions that achieve real impact. 

Presenters took you through their journey, starting with the lived experiences that inspired Diversified’s formation. They also delved into the process of creating The Toolkit for Educators, a resource designed to help university staff implement inclusive practices that support neurodivergent students. The Toolkit includes checklists, implementation guides, and videos that provide practical advice on making courses more accessible. While the Toolkit is designed with higher education and UNSW in mind, it offers adaptable strategies for various learning environments.

The session also covered their latest research project, which will measure the impact of the Toolkit on creating neuro-inclusive learning environments at UNSW. They also shared their plans for the future and highlighted the goals for expanding their work.

This webinar is essential for educators, and anyone interested in inclusive education. It offered actionable insights and tools to foster greater inclusion in both higher education and beyond.

Presenters

Professor Terry Cumming (she/her) is Professor of Special Education in the School of Education, Deputy head of the School of Education at the faculty of Arts, Design and Architecture, the Academic Lead Education for the UNSW Disability Innovation Institute, and a Scientia Education Fellow at UNSW Sydney. Her research aims to improve the experiences of people with disabilities by working with educators to reduce the research-to-practice gap through the implementation of evidence-based practices. Terry is also one of the founding members of Diversified and is the lead researcher on our latest research project on the Toolkit for Educators.

Karen Kriss (she/her) is an artist, animator, and senior lecturer at UNSW Art and Design. She has over 10 years of experience in the animation and visual effects industry, holding roles such as Head of Production Management, Visual Effects Producer, Lead Animator, and CG Artist. Recently, she chaired the 35th Annual Society for Animation Studies Conference (2024) and served as the SIGGRAPH ASIA Computer Animation Festival Producer (2023).

Karen, along with her colleagues in the Diversified group (for which she is a founding member), received the ADCET Excellence Award for Accessibility in Action. She was also shortlisted for the UNSW 2023 Vice-Chancellor's Awards for her roles as Disability Champion and Disability Advisor at UNSW. Her research bridges disability studies and animation, using techniques such as motion capture and 3D animation to create inclusive, collaborative art projects that represent diverse individuals, while exploring art practices that move between digital and physical realms.

Chantel Le Cross (they/them) is a queer, non-binary, disabled, Autistic person with ADHD and dyslexia, with lived experience with chronic illness and dynamic disability. Chantel works across various fields, including project management, content creation, advocacy, workshop development, capacity building, and health promotion. They currently serve as the Engagement Coordinator at UNSW's Faculty of Arts, Design & Architecture in External Engagement, a Project Officer and Research Officer for Diversified and as a consultant and freelancer.

Chantel's background in Sociology, Policy and Governance, and Gender Studies shapes their work, with an interest on how power dynamics and social structures influence identity and are regulated by policy, social norms, and violence. They have collaborated with organizations such as The Butterfly Foundation on projects like the Paying the Price Report with Deloitte and the NEDC’s ED Safe Principles. Chantel has also presented at NSW and Federal Parliaments on healthcare access and the mental health challenges faced by LGBTQIA+, disabled, and neurodivergent communities.

Aaron Saint-James (he/him) is a third-year molecular biology student at UNSW. A mature-aged, queer, neurodivergent, and first-generation university student, Aaron brings his lived experience of chronic illness and C-PTSD to his advocacy work. As a founding member of Diversified, Aaron is dedicated to improving accessibility and inclusion for neurodivergent students. He consults on neurodiversity initiatives within UNSW and is passionate about ensuring equitable access to education for all.

(October 2024)

ADCET is hosted by the University of Tasmania