Launch of the Equality and Diversity Strategy and Disability Equality Scheme

You are warmly invited to join the live official launch of the Open University’s new Equality and Diversity Strategy and its first Disability Equality Scheme. This 2 hour event will be web cast from the Old Lecture Theatre at the University’s headquarters in Milton Keynes. Participants will have the opportunity to join the audience of students, staff and guests to:learn more about and engage with key elements of the University's new 5 year Equality and Diversity Strategylearn more about the national context for achieving greater disability equality and why we need a Disability Equality Schemelearn more about the design, content and implementation of the scheme and its impact for disabled students and stafflearn what other Universities are doing to promote equality and develop their services for disabled studentsProgramme 10.00 Welcome and introductions: Derek Child, Head of Equality and Diversity 10.05 The Equality and Diversity Strategy: Derek Child and Tony O’Shea, Policy Officer for Equality and Diversity. 10.25 Short break 10.35 Will Swann, Director, Students introduces Lord Low of Dalston, CBE. 10.40 Disability Equality in the 21st century; the national/international view; disability rights in higher education: Lord Low of Dalston, Chair of the Royal National Institute of the Blind. 11.00 Introducing the Disability Equality Scheme: Will Swann, Director, Students. 11.15 The Disability Equality Scheme: Christine Tennent, Project Consultant for the Disability Equality Scheme and Angela Schofield, Regional Director of the Open University in the East of England, Chair of the Disability Equality Scheme Project Steering Group and Chair of the Disabled Students Advisory Group. 11.35 A disability equality sector perspective: Professor Alan Hurst, Department of Education and Social Sciences, University of Central Lancashire. 12.0 Closing remarks. You can see the Equality and Diversity Strategy and the Disability Equality Scheme on the Equality and Diversity website: equality-diversity Any enquiries prior to this event should be made to Lynn Watkinson in the Equality and Diversity Office - [email protected] phone 01908 652867 Equality and Diversity … making it happen! (Update: The text can now be re-sized in Internet Explorer)