Disability Coaches: Centring the Student Voice

Jennie Atherton, Hayley Rushton-Davies and Zack Walker

Tuesday 18th June, 15:30-16:15

This session will provide valuable insight into the process of setting up a pilot project to pioneer change at your institution. We will discuss everything from the challenges we experienced as a service before the project was in place, to how using a peer support model has revolutionised our way of working, and any challenges/lessons learnt along the way.

We will also provide opportunities for reflection on how confident you feel enacting change at work, and how much you feel the student voice is embedded within your institution, with an opportunity for practical idea sharing.

Jennie Atherton

Jennie started her career in education several years ago, training as a secondary school MFL teacher and later developing an interest in supporting disabled pupils in mainstream and specialist settings. She left her previous role to join the University of Liverpool around 18 months ago, where she works as a disability adviser, and leads on the Disability Coaches pilot, a pioneering new peer support scheme. Jennie is particularly interested in working to improve outcomes for all disabled students and uses her lived experience alongside her work on the Disability Coaches project to amplify the disabled student voice.

Hayley Rushton-Davies

With over 25 years’ experience in the education sector, Hayley embarked on her journey initially in Further Education, where she worked as a Student Adviser and then headed up a one-stop Student Support service, which integrated student funding, disability support and wellbeing. Hayley then spent a year in Cyprus, setting up and delivering a student welfare and administrative service for a small Arts-based HEI.  This experience provided valuable insights into the importance of fostering inclusivity within an international context.  Returning to the UK, Hayley embraced a new chapter at the University of Liverpool with the opportunity to lead the Disability Team, an area of student support she is passionate about.  Moreover, throughout her 15 years at the University, she has always strived to ensure that disabled students’ experiences are the focus used to drive positive, proactive changes.

Zack Walker

Zack is a recent Computer Science graduate from the University of Liverpool, where he championed the values of equality, diversity, and inclusion (EDI). Alongside his studies, Zack worked as a Disability Coach, helping to facilitate a drop-in desk on campus for disability support enquiries, and as a Liverpool Advocate, supporting campus visits from local primary and secondary schools from a widening participation background. Zack also volunteered in student voice as the Deputy Chair of the Student-Staff Liaison Committee in the Computer Science department, working with staff to raise student feedback and suggesting improvements to the course. He has been shortlisted for various equality awards at the University of Liverpool and the Liverpool Guild of Students in recognition of efforts. Beyond the university community, Zack led a project in a local technology start-up to raise their Disability Confident accreditation to Leader level. Zack is very passionate about EDI and aspires to work in the field.