Hannah is a DCU Journalism graduate who utilised the HEAR programme when accessing third level education and was an active volunteer with the access team. As an Access Ambassador in DCU she gained a drive for equality of access and experience in higher education. She is the current GetAHEAD Co-ordinator at AHEAD, a programme that works to up-skill graduates with disabilities by providing training events and valuable information covering a wide range of topics and resources. This includes regular workshops on disclosure where she hears directly from students and graduates about their concerns. On top of the issues of disability and socio-economic disadvantage, Hannah has a passion for other areas of social justice including LGBTQI+ rights.

Bukky Adebowale [Sí/í] (pronounced Boo-key Ha-Day-Boh-Wah-Lay) is the Vice President for Equality & Citizenship at USI. Bukky obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in Biological & Biomedical Sciences at Maynooth University.

She formerly held positions of Science & Engineering Faculty Assembly member, Bioscience Academic Representative and sabbatical position as the first Vice President Student Life at Maynooth Students’ Union. Bukky was the first Black woman to be elected to the executive teams of both Maynooth Students’ Union and the Union of Students in Ireland.

She has a flair for various interests from student rights, addressing the barriers students of colour face, student engagement and active citizenship.

Niamh is a WAM Project Officer with AHEAD. She studied Business and Arts Management at the Institute of Art Design and Technology and has a HND in TV and Film Production. Niamh is a former LGBTQ+ Rights Officer (2017-2018) and Vice President for Welfare and Equality (2018-2019) in IADT Students’ Union.

Catherine is a PhD researcher in the School of Communications, DCU. Her main interests lie in journalism and political communication, where she is now researching the media response to COVID-19 in Ireland.

Catherine uses her personal experience and research interests to discuss and frame accessibility, language and understanding of disability. She is a member of several DPOs (Disabled Persons Organisations) such as Independent Living Movement Ireland and Disabled Women Ireland.

Earlier this year, new legislation dubbed ‘Catherine’s Law’ came into effect on foot of her campaign which highlighted barriers faced by disabled students accepting PhD scholarships.

Hannah is a DCU Journalism graduate who utilised the HEAR programme when accessing third level education and was an active volunteer with the access team. As an Access Ambassador in DCU she gained a drive for equality of access and experience in higher education. She is the current GetAHEAD Co-ordinator at AHEAD, a programme that works to up-skill graduates with disabilities by providing training events and valuable information covering a wide range of topics and resources. This includes regular workshops on disclosure where she hears directly from students and graduates about their concerns. On top of the issues of disability and socio-economic disadvantage, Hannah has a passion for other areas of social justice including LGBTQI+ rights.

Lorraine Gallagher has a Masters in Fine Art. She has worked in the area of disability equality for many years and is currently the Information & Training Officer for AHEAD. Prior to working for AHEAD Lorraine worked as research assistant and co-facilitator to Peter Kearns at The Workhouse. She also worked as the disability equality trainer on Music Map, a music management course run by the City Arts Centre.

Trevor Boland is the Digital and eLearning Officer in AHEAD and has been involved in the National rollout of the UDL Badge with UCD and the Teaching and Learning Forum. He also co-delivers the AHEAD Start course, webinars and training regarding assistive technology. Prior to AHEAD, he worked as an Assistive Technology Officer in Higher Education supporting Students with disabilities and Lectured in the Access programme for non-traditional students in TU Dublin.

Dr Shivaun Quinlivan (She/Her) is the Vice-Dean for Equality, Diversity and Inclusion in the College of Business, Public Policy and Law at NUI Galway, and a Senior Lecturer in Law. Her research focuses primarily on the right to equality with a particular focus on the right to education for people with disabilities: The Right to Inclusive Education in International Human Rights Law: Cambridge University Press. She is a member of the Berkeley Center on Comparative Equality and Anti-Discrimination Law and the Irish Women’s Lawyers Association. Dr Quinlivan acted as an expert advisor to the States of Guernsey in relation to the development of new multi-ground equality legislation from 2018-2020. In 2016-17 she was an O’Brien Residential fellow in the Centre for Human Rights and Legal Pluralism in McGill University in Canada. With Dr Lucy-Ann Buckley she co-leads two inclusive learning projects at NUI Galway. She is a graduate of NUI Galway, King’s College London and the Honourable Society of King’s Inns, and Trinity College Dublin. Her doctoral research addressed the efficacy of public interest litigation in the context of the right to education for children with disabilities.