Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Training

Past EDI sessions

• LGBTQIA+ Awareness
  • Tuesday 18 October - 10:00-12:30
  • Online via Zoom
  • Delivered by Cara~Friend

  What does LGBTQIA stand for? Sexual orientation; sexuality and gender identity explained will be explained in this awareness session. The transgender experience in NI will also be considered, as well as issues facing the LGBTQIA+ community, including mental health implications.

  Participants should have a greater understanding of key terminology;  awareness of how to be more inclusive and therefore how to be more responsive to the needs of staff and students.

• Hearing Loss Awareness
  • Thursday 3 November - 10:00-11:30
  • Online via Zoom
  • Delivered by Employers for Disability NI

  This training will provide staff with an introduction to disability discrimination law, with hearing loss examples. The training will consider the prevalence of hearing loss and signs to look for; common adjustments and communication aids. The session will also look at good communication practice including supporting lip reading and sign language, as well as communicating with someone who is deafblind.

  Participants should recognise the legal requirements to provide reasonable adjustments related to disability; have an understanding of deaf communities and be able to apply effective communication tactics.

• Hidden / Non-Visible Disabilities
  • Tuesday 8 November - 10:00-11:30
  • Online via Zoom
  • Delivered by Employers for Disability NI

  Topics covered in this session: Definitions and legislative context; Main Hidden Disabilities Awareness; Overcoming Barriers; Disability Positive Language; and Valuing and Celebrating Individuals.

• Neurodiversity Awareness - Autism, ADD and ADHD
  • Thursday 10 November - 10:00-11:30
  • Online via Zoom
  • Delivered by Employers for Disability NI

  This session will provide information on what neurodiversity means in general and will focus particularly on Autism, ADD and ADHD. Attendees will have a greater insight into how people experience these conditions, as well as common adjustments and good practice in supporting students and colleagues with Autism, ADD and ADHD.

• Neurodiversity Awareness - Dyspraxia, Dyslexia and Dyscalulia
  • Thursday 17 November - 10:00-11:30
  • Online via Zoom
  • Delivered by Employers for Disability NI

  This session will focus on three neurodiverse conditions - dyslexia, dyscalculia and dyspraxia. Attendees will gain an insight into how people experience these conditions, as well as common adjustments and good practice in supporting students and colleagues with either dyslexia, dyscalculia or dyspraxia.

• The Disability Duties and Ulster University Disability Action Plan
  • Monday 5 December - 10:00-11:30
  • Online via MS Teams
  • Delivered by Cara McShane

  Under Disability Discrimination legislation, Ulster University, as a public authority, is required: to have due regard to the need to promote positive attitudes towards disabled people; and to encourage participation by disabled people in university / public life. This session will look at those two positive duties in further detail and review how the University proposes to fulfil those duties through a series of cross-functional actions in the new 5-year draft Disability Action Plan 2022-2027.

  Participants of this short course will have a greater understanding of the two positive duties as detailed under Section 49A of the Disability Discrimination Act 1995, as amended. The session will also provide a greater understanding of the University's commitment to fulfilling the two positive duties through a detailed review of the draft Disability Action Plan 2022-2027. The session will provide an opportunity for people to provide feedback on the Action Plan.

• British Sign Language (BSL)

  The University Staff disAbility Network in association with EDI are providing fun, interactive inclusion sessions where attendees will learn how to communicate and bid seasonal greetings with the d/Deaf community this Christmas, by joining in basic BSL signs.

  Sessions will take place via MS Teams on:

  • Friday 9 December 2022 - 13:00-14:00
  • Monday 12 December 2022 - 12:00-13:00
  • Wednesday 21 December 2022 - 13:00-14:00

  Sessions are open to all staff and PhD researchers.

  To register attendance for any of these sessions, please use the Learning Management System ‘LEARN’ which is accessible within the Access People XD Employee Self Service platform on the Staff Portal.

  Alternatively, please email equality@ulster.ac.uk for joining instructions.

• Staff Protocol for making reasonable adjustments for disabled staff
  • Wednesday 14 December - 14:00–15:30
  • Online via MS Teams
  • Presenter - Angela Getty (EDI Section Leader)

  The Disability Discrimination Act recognises that various barriers exist within society which may present practical difficulties for disabled people who are currently in employment.

  This awareness session will examine the positive duty on the University created under the legislation, to make ‘reasonable adjustment’ to its policies and premises where reasonable and appropriate. This session is particularly useful for Line Managers.

  The session is open to all staff and PhD researchers.

  To register attendance, please use the Learning Management System ‘LEARN’ which is accessible within the Access People XD Employee Self Service platform on the Staff Portal.

  Alternatively, please email equality@ulster.ac.uk for joining instructions.

• Disability Equality Training
  • Tuesday 24 January - 10:00-11:30
  • Online via MS Teams
  • Delivered by Disability Action

  The session encourages participants to think about disability differently. The programme will discuss the definition of disability – what does disability actually mean and who does it refer to. The training will also consider how disability is viewed; a short quiz around facts and statistics about disability in NI; a discussion about words and actions; and finally rights and responsibilities from the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA).

  Participants will increase their understanding of disability equality and access issues. They will have a greater understanding on what the law says about disability discrimination.

  Register for Disability Equality Training