From insight to action - tackling ableism in higher education

Uncover the hidden impact of ableism and learn how to challenge it.

Key Information:

Date and time: Tue 18 November 2025
11:30 - 12:30
Location: Online: Microsoft Teams
Contact: Katie Carson DisabledStaffNetwork@uwe.ac.uk
Cost: Free
Attendance: Booking required

Past

This event has now passed.

Description

Uncover the hidden impact of ableism and learn how to challenge it.

Ableism often goes unseen, but its impact is deeply felt. Through personal stories and expert guidance, this event explores how ableism can shape the university workplace.

Programme

The Disabled Staff Network welcomes all UWE Bristol staff to explore what ableism is and how they can help to dismantle it.

Opening remarks from Sir Steve West CBE, Vice-Chancellor, President and Chief Executive Officer.
Expert-led talks by Nicole Brown and Gayle Brewer on identifying and tackling ableism in university settings, with a focus on disclosure.
A dynamic panel discussion featuring members of the Disabled, Neurodiverse, and Mental Wellbeing Staff Networks

Whether you're new to the topic or already an advocate, you'll leave with practical actions to help dismantle ableism and foster a more supportive environment for all.

Speakers

Nicole Brown

Nicole is Associate Professor at University College London in the department of Culture, Communication, and Media of UCL Institute of Education. A leading voice in embodied research, she draws on creative, arts-based methods to challenge conventional approaches to researching ableism, disability, chronic illness, and neurodivergence in higher education. Her research highlights lived experience and advocates for new ways of listening, speaking, and representing experience that drive cultural, institutional, and structural change. Nicole’s publications include Photovoice Reimagined, Lived Experiences of Ableism in Academia: Strategies for Inclusion in Higher Education, and Ableism in Academia: Theorising Experiences of Disabilities and Chronic Illnesses in Higher Education. Her next book will be the creative anthology Exceptionally Able.
Gayle Brewer

Gayle is a Professor of Psychology and Education at the University of Liverpool. She holds doctorates in both disciplines and has worked in higher education for over 20 years. Gayle has published over 100 journal articles and in 2022 published a book entitled 'Disability in Higher Education: Investigating Identity, Stigma, and Disclosure Amongst Disabled Academics'. Her next book, entitled 'The Dark Side of Academia: Competition, Inequality, and Violence in the Ivory Tower' will be published in 2026. The book examines a range of issues including the academic role and environment, representation and inequality, and violence and aggression.