What happened on the day
We began with an opening speech from our own project lead Dr Zoe Lee. Zoe introduced a shared commitment to disability inclusion and the importance co-production research which is very much anchored in the voices and lived experiences of disabled students and staff.
Following the opening speech, Professor Debbie Foster (Cardiff Business School and Welsh Disability Rights Taskforce) continued by reflecting on engagement with local government and disability rights policy in Wales. She highlighted the importance of co-production with disabled people, showing how meaningful change happens when lived experience shapes policy rather than being added as an afterthought.
Dr Lanny Hartanti and Wahyudi Wibowo (UKWMS, Indonesia) shared insights from the Indonesian higher education context. They spoke about building disability inclusion from the ground up through leadership commitment, the role of disability support units, staff training, and cultural change while navigating structural and policy challenges.
D Zoe Lee (Cardiff) and Professor Nathalia Tjandra (Edinburgh Napier) presented early findings from the SAHABAT ID project. Their talk focused on intersectionality, highlighting how disability, gender, and culture shape everyday experiences in higher education, and why focusing on physical accessibility was not sufficient. There was more work to be done in understanding hidden disabilities in Higher Education context.
Julie Budgen shared the role of staff disability networks in creating safer spaces, reducing stigma, and influencing institutional practice. Her reflections emphasised how peer support and visibility can drive change from within universities.
