Dr Andrew Angus-Whiteoak: Designing for Access – Why Inclusion Should Never Be an Afterthought
Learning has always felt urgent to me. – In my early twenties, I experienced a significant head injury that left me with lasting cognitive effects. I lost around five years of memories. Entire chapters of my life now exist only in stories told by other people. Since then, memory has never felt guaranteed. I have had to rebuild confidence in my ability to retain, connect and understand.
Dr Anna Forringer-Beal: Why Neuro-inclusive Universal Design Learning Matters for Students and Staff Alike
Curious how small changes in teaching practice can make a big difference for neurodiverse students? This post introduces Universal Design for Learning (UDL) – a proactive, compassionate approach that helps educators create learning environments where every student can thrive. From simple communication tweaks to more accessible classrooms and clearer feedback, UDL shows that designing for neurodiversity ultimately benefits everyone. Dive in to see how inclusive design can transform both teaching and learning.
Lin Ma: My Aurora journey – how one programme reshaped my confidence, network, and leadership “voice”
This honest reflection explores what Aurora really feels like from the inside – not as a generic leadership course, but as a space that helps you rethink how you show up, make decisions, and lead with confidence. From surprising moments of clarity in Action Learning Sets to the gradual, grounded shifts that change how you work, this piece shares what drew me to Aurora, what I learned, and how it reshaped my approach to leadership. If you’re curious, hesitant, or wondering whether Aurora is “for someone like you,” this is a story to help you decide.
TIN-Bee Staff: The Manchester Method – How Trans Activists Reshaped UK Law
What happens when a handful of determined people decide the law should finally recognise their lives? This article tells the powerful story of Manchester’s trans activists who quietly, yet radically, changed the UK forever. Through legal grit, strategic lobbying, and relentless gathering of real world stories, Press for Change proved that you don’t need marches or megaphones to rewrite the rules. Their “Manchester Method” shows how courage, evidence, and human connection can move governments, reshape legislation, and protect the dignity of thousands.
Dr Roshila Moodley: Small Steps, Structural Shifts – How Chemistry is Re-engineering EDIA from the Inside Out
In conversations about Equality, Diversity, Inclusion and Accessibility (EDIA), we often talk about bold strategies and ambitious plans. Yet real cultural change in academic departments usually starts with a single, small act — one that may seem inconsequential to many, but means everything to those who finally feel recognised. Over time, these small acts accumulate into something far more powerful: a transformation.
Helen Kreissl: EDI in Practice – How the Thomas Ashton Institute Builds Inclusion Through Everyday Actions
At the Thomas Ashton Institute, our mission is rooted in improving the safety, health and wellbeing of people in work and society. But that commitment extends far beyond our research. It shapes how we work together, the way we create our events and meetings, and the culture we aim to build every day. For us, Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) is not just a formal strategy — it’s present in the small, thoughtful decisions that collectively make a big difference
David Cross: LGBT+ History Month – Manchester’s Section 28 Protest
Manchester is a city well-known for being at the forefront of the struggle for equality in the United Kingdom. Examples in history that may come to mind include the brave people who campaigned for political representation in 1819, resulting in the Peterloo Massacre and the female suffrage movement, notably the suffragettes led by Manchester’s Pankhurst family. For LGBT+ History Month, we should pause to consider another example of Manchester-based activism. The Section 28 Demonstration that took place on 20 February 1988.
Sami Karamalla Gaiballa: Why Our Values Need EDI Data to Come Alive
As we adapt for what’s to come, who we are and what we stand for won’t change. Our motto – Knowledge, Wisdom, Humanity – continues to guide us as we chart our next chapter as a globally recognised civic university. But here’s the truth: we cannot fully live these values without robust Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) data. Why? Because values without evidence risk becoming aspirations rather than actions.
Mahayana New Year – 3rd January 2026
The Mahayana New Year on the 3rd January 2026, marks the beginning of the New Year for many Buddhists who follow the Mahayana tradition, one of main branches of Buddhism. The Mahayana New Year coincides with the first full moon of the first month. It is a period to...
TIN-Bee 2025 Round-Up
As the New Year draws near, we're looking back at the first year of UoM's first trans+ network, and what a year it's been. Following our foundation, as described in our first StaffNet Article, we were quickly thrown into the harmful political battles brought about by...
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