Amplifying, advocating and advancing: Disabled students' experience at UCL
Gaining authentic insights into the disabled experience and how to better support them at UCL.
Amplifying, advocating and advancing: Disabled students' experience at UCL
10 Dec 2025, 13:30 – 14:30
All students and staff of UCL are warmly invited to join us to:
- Amplify the voices of current students from across the UCL Institute of Education (IOE) – to gain valuable and authentic insights into the disabled experience,
- Advocate for what is currently working well to include and to support students,
- Identify and inform the development of new ways to advance the inclusion, experience and success of our students within the faculty and beyond!
Although our student speakers all share the characteristic of being disabled, under the Equality Act (2010), their experience of disability is as diverse and distinct as their life stories and their programmes of study (including Master's, doctorate and teacher training) within IOE. Equally, whilst our staff panellists each hold roles with a shared remit of advancing equity, diversity and inclusion at UCL, they will each share their differing, complementary perspectives, expertise and approaches.
During the online event:
- each student panellist will share something of their story and their experience at UCL as a disabled student.
- Staff representatives will share some approaches and/ or guidance within their field of expertise.
- We will close with a short time for questions and answers – any outstanding questions will be answered by panel members and published as FAQs, after the event.
Event facilitated by IOE Equity Leads for Mental Health and Wellbeing, Elisabeth Herbert, and for Disability and/or Neurodivergence, Catherine Brown.
Stacey Korsbrek
Student Support and Wellbeing Manager
Disability, Mental Health and Neurodivergence
Stacey brings 17 years of experience as a classroom teacher, school leader, and steering teams in professional support services across diverse educational settings and countries.
Professional passions and expertise include steering implementation of personalised learning adjustments and guiding inclusive pedagogical practices, strengthening student well-being, advancing data-driven assessment practices, and promoting anti-racist and decolonizing approaches in education and policy.
Alison Koslowski
Pro-Provost for Equity and Inclusion
UCL
Alison’s research focuses on policies and practices that can reduce gender inequalities, promote greater work-family balance, and improve family well-being.
She is passionate about increasing the sense of belonging and inclusion at UCL for all students and staff and is keen to make direct, meaningful change at UCL, ensuring it becomes a more accessible and inclusive place for everyone.
Danilo Paganelli
Disabled Students Officer
UCL Students’ Union
Working closely with UCL SSW and external organisations, he is committed to making meaningful change for disabled students, building community and improving accessibility.
Before being elected as a SU officer, Danilo was a committee member of the Disabled Students' Network and the Autism Society.
Victoria Showunmi
Professor of Interdisciplinary Studies in Gender, Race and Identity and Vice-Dean (EDI)
UCL
She champions policies and practices that create fair opportunities and foster belonging for both staff and students. Her leadership spans recruitment, promotions, and professional development, ensuring EDI principles are embedded across the institution.
Passionate about transforming perspectives, Victoria places critical conversations, interaction, and engagement at the heart of her approach—challenging norms and inspiring change around gender and race.
Kathleen Tripp
Senior Student Success Officer
UCL
She is an experienced educator and inclusion specialist with over 30 years in SEND (Special Educational Needs and Disabilities) leadership and advisory roles.
She is deeply committed to advancing neurodiversity and disability inclusion in the wider context of social justice. Alongside education in an international context, current interests revolve around looking at the Neurodiversity paradigm in relation to social justice and models of disability.
Further information
Ticketing
Pre-booking essential
Cost
Free
Open to
All
Availability
Yes
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