Big Picture Seminar - Melanie Thorley

14th Feb 2024 5pm - 6pm

Greenwich Campus

King William - LT002

Please note, this session is HYBRID.

Register for the seminar here

JOIN THE SEMINAR VIRTUALLY HERE

Melanie Thorley - Introducing the STAART Principles of Disability and the Importance of Disability-Inclusive LangBig Picutre Seminar - STAARTuage and Attitudes.

Learn about Melanie Thorley:

Dr Melanie has worked within the disability sector of further and higher education since 1998. She regards herself as fortunate to have been taught by Professor Mike Oliver during her sociology undergraduate degree. Melanie also holds a MA in SEND, a MSc in Education Research Methods and a doctorate in supporting D/deaf university students. Melanie was appointed to manage the STAART (formerly *AccessAbility) initiative in 2007 providing information, advice and guidance for prospective and current disabled university students. Melanie has disseminated STAART at numerous conferences across the UK, and has also provided staff training in Egypt and Trinidad.
On a personal level, Melanie has lived with clinical depression and fibromyalgia for all of her adult life and therefore has a lived experience of disability.

Learn about the session:
The University of Greenwich is the only higher education provider in the UK to have their own principles of disability, a soft-touch model of disability. Disability, in a higher education context includes physical disabilities; long term health conditions; neurodivergence (autistic and dyslexic spectra); and/or mental health difficulties. The STAART Principles of Disability (SPoD) were created by over two hundred self-selected, self-identifying University of Greenwich disabled students, disabled staff and disabled graduates. This seminar will provide a synopsis of the three main theories of disability in the UK; the importance of disability-inclusive language and attitudes. The seminar will conclude with a number of examples of how some of our disabled students;, students and staff have thrived in their chosen fields. We will be utilising Mentimeter software to provide an interactive seminar.

Sustainable development includes the requirement to meet human needs whilst balancing the needs of our economy within environmental limits. This event illustrates the work our university community is doing to deliver UN Sustainable Development Goal 10, Reducing Inequalities. Find out more here.

STAART events are mostly delivered in a hybrid format which reduces  the necessity to travel.; minimising environmental impact and enabling those who may otherwise face access restrictions.