Programme

Power of Disability 2022

AHEAD and the Union of Students in Ireland are happy to present the Power of Disability Conference 2022.

This two day event will include discussions, presentations and feedback sessions encouraging students with disabilities to be leaders on their own campuses and provide information for students and Students' Union officers on the issues facing students with disabilities.

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Full Programme

Click the dropdowns below to explore the two-day schedule

Day 1 - Education

Welcome and Introduction (11.30am-11.40am)

Hannah Kelly, Student and Graduate Engagement Officer, AHEAD

Hannah Kelly Student and Graduate Engagement Officer, AHEAD

Hannah (she/her) is the Student and Graduate Engagement Officer in AHEAD. Her role involves working to include the student voice in the work of AHEAD and creating inclusive environments for disabled students in extracurricular settings. As part of her role, she was the co-founder and now coordinator of the USI/AHEAD Students with Disabilities Advisory group. This group helps to inform the strategy and policy of AHEAD and USI concerning the inclusion of students with disabilities in HE and FE. Outside of her work with AHEAD, Hannah is a volunteer with Dublin Lesbian Line and is a public speaker, particularly in the areas of intersectionality and inclusion.

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Language and Disability (11.40pm-12.30pm)

Catherine Gallagher,

Catherine Gallagher
@Cather_i_ne

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.

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Amy Hassett,

Amy Hassett
@AmyHassett

Amy Hassett is a 23-year old Master’s student studying Neuroscience in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. Originally from Wexford, Amy studied Physiology in University College Dublin and during her time there, got involved with advocating on behalf of students with disabilities. Currently she is involved with the setup of a new organisation, Disabled Women Ireland that will seek to represent and campaign on behalf of women and non-binary people with disabilities.

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LaocÃn Brennan, AHEAD

Laocín Brennan AHEAD
@Laochiin

Laocín Brennan is AHEAD's Team Support Officer. His time in AHEAD began in June 2021 as GETAHEAD's first intern. Since joining the organisation Laocín has been involved in many projects with AHEAD. He takes particularly great pride in his work on events (Building the Future, Better Options and, now, Power of Disability), content creating (Allyship and GetAHEAD blogs) and public speaking (Language & Disability WAMinar, training events and, soon, Power of Disability)

Laocín's passion for advocacy dates back farther than his involvement with AHEAD. He was the founder of DCU’s Neurodivergent Society, the first of its kind in Europe. During his time in DCU, he found that his vocation was not in engineering and found himself gravitating towards his volunteer work, which continues to give him purpose, pride and joy.

He is passionate about human rights and believes intersectionality is the only way towards a just, equal and idyllic society. Laocín valued his morals from a young age, but only began to become cognisant of ableism in 2013, upon receiving the first of many diagnosises. Now, Lao?ín is pursuing a career in disability advocacy with vigour in the hopes of being the change he wants to see in the world.

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UDL In Tertiary Education (12.30pm-1.10pm)

Break (1.10pm-1.30pm)

Knowing Your Rights (1.30pm - 2.30pm)

Dr Shivaun Quinlivan, NUI Galway

Dr Shivaun Quinlivan NUI Galway

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.

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