Recognised as the UK’s most influential disabled person and the BBC’s 100 Women Laureate of 2020, Dr Shani Dhanda sparks transformative change as a consultant, collaborating with businesses and brands to authentically embrace inclusion and accessibility. Her expertise in disability inclusion has had a profound global impact, collectively reaching over 1.5 million employees worldwide.

Professor Abigail Moriarty or ‘Abi’ was recently appointed as Pro Vice Chancellor (PVC) for Education and Students at the University of Lincoln. Previously, she held the role of PVC for Learning and Teaching at the University of Sunderland. From 2013 to 2019 she was the Associate Director of Teaching and Learning and then promoted to the Director of Teaching and Learning and Interim PVC (Academic) at De Montfort University (DMU), Leicester. 

From 2001 to 2013 she held various academic roles within the Faculty of Health and Life Sciences DMU, including Teacher Fellow, Programme Leader, Head of Division and had a faculty lead role in developing the student experience. She is a qualified nurse and midwife. Much of her recent work has been on improving the understanding of how students succeed in Higher Education, and what barriers prevent them from reaching their full potential. Therefore, ultimately designing a universally inclusive curriculum, that is student-centric and inspiring. Abigail has given numerous invited keynote presentations on UDL, to local, national and international audiences.  

Richard Jackson is an associate professor of special education in the Lynch School of Education and Human Development at Boston College and a consulting senior research scientist at the Center for Applied Special Technology (CAST). He is a person with life-long disabilities whose lived experiences parallel the evolution of inclusive education and assistive technology. His journey through transformative times offers a message of inspiration and hope for continued progress in the global pursuit of quality education for all.  Jackson is internationally recognized as a pioneer in the nascent field of UDL, having brought the UDL framework to Boston College in 1999 through a partnership with CAST and the Harvard Children’s Initiative to form the National Center for Accessing the General Curriculum. This government funded Center was established to provide the US with guidance on how best to include students with disabilities in a standards-based, public education. Today the design principles derived from the UDL framework are required by law and embedded in teacher education programs throughout the US.