{"id":3334,"date":"2026-05-29T13:44:20","date_gmt":"2026-05-29T12:44:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.manchester.ac.uk\/itl\/?p=3334"},"modified":"2026-07-28T14:07:46","modified_gmt":"2026-07-28T13:07:46","slug":"reflection-matters-a-reflective-blog-on-disability-workshops","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.manchester.ac.uk\/itl\/2026\/05\/29\/reflection-matters-a-reflective-blog-on-disability-workshops\/","title":{"rendered":"Reflection Matters – A reflective blog on Disability Workshops"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Alayna is a final year student of BA Drama and English Literature. She serves as a Student Partner on the Representation Matters project, facilitating workshops, writing and assisting in the working of the project. Graduating in July, she aims to pursue a career in people-centric work including education, social care and human development.<\/em><\/p>\n

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Facilitating the Representation Matters workshops revealed\u00a0the merit and necessity of creating\u00a0time, trust, and space\u00a0for both students and staff at universities\u00a0to speak openly about their experiences. What began as conversations about assessments and accessibility quickly unfolded into broader reflections on exclusion, communication, and the emotional realities of navigating higher education for both students and staff.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

From the outset, the\u00a0methodology\u00a0of the workshops\u00a0was\u00a0intentional\u00a0to ensure openness and support for the participants. Student discussions were\u00a0facilitated\u00a0by student assistants, while staff groups were guided by staff facilitators. This peer-led structure created an atmosphere that felt noticeably open and collaborative. As facilitators, we were not positioned above the discussion, but within it. Participants spoke candidly about frustration, exhaustion, uncertainty, and\u00a0even\u00a0hope\u00a0and appreciation.\u00a0This openness was\u00a0perhaps\u00a0possible\u00a0as participants\u00a0were not simply being asked for \u201cfeedback\u201d\u00a0but rather, were\u00a0invited into a shared reflective process.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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Infographic on staff perspectives of assessment issues for the Representation Matters project<\/p><\/div>\n

In order to\u00a0maintain\u00a0the richness of these conversations\u00a0in our data,\u00a0verbal summaries as well as visual images served as the output from these workshops. In the context of our workshops, artwork\u00a0not only serves as a method of recording, but also an\u00a0interpretive, synthesising tool.\u00a0The artists at the workshops worked hand in hand with us, intently listening to all discussions,\u00a0engaging\u00a0and chiming in on certain conversations. It was important for us to make sure nobody in the room was outside or above the process, everyone from the students, staff,\u00a0artists\u00a0and research associates were entrenched in the process.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

What struck me from these conversations was not only the contrast between staff and student perspectives but also the parallels.\u00a0Students spoke about assessments as spaces that often feel exclusionary rather than supportive. A recurring theme was\u00a0<\/span>disconnect<\/span><\/b>;\u00a0disconnect between students and staff, between staff and DASS, and even between students and the support systems designed to help them. Students described struggling to know where to go, who to contact, or how to access accommodations. Beneath many of these discussions was the shared sentiment that \u201cone size does not fit all.\u201d Students wanted flexibility, but more importantly, they wanted to be listened to as individuals rather than filtered through rigid administrative processes.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

At the same time, staff perspectives revealed their own frustrations and limitations. Many staff members expressed genuine care for students but also described feeling constrained by institutional systems, large class sizes, and evolving concerns around academic integrity and AI. There was a noticeable tension between wanting to create inclusive assessments and feeling unsure how to do so fairly or sustainably. What stood out to me most was that staff also described feeling disconnected from systems like DASS, often struggling to navigate processes themselves. In many ways, both groups\u00a0seemed to be\u00a0grappling with the same structural barriers from\u00a0different positions.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

In the second workshop\u00a0we\u00a0shifted the focus of conversation\u00a0solutions. Discussions focused on clarity, communication, and accessibility\u00a0such as,\u00a0clearer assessment briefs, centralised support systems,\u00a0timely\u00a0information, and more flexible approaches to assessment.\u00a0Students\u00a0call for\u00a0timely\u00a0information, consistent structures, and clear points of contact, practical changes that could significantly reduce stress.\u00a0Both staff and students\u00a0came up with\u00a0several ideas for alternatives to traditional assessments\u00a0and also\u00a0acknowledged the\u00a0potential challenges\u00a0of their ideas. We discussed\u00a0possible issues\u00a0that may arise in the implementation of our ideas as\u00a0too many options can\u00a0be helpful but also cause students to be\u00a0overwhelmed, group work can\u00a0be both beneficial and detrimental, and well-intentioned changes can have unintended consequences.\u00a0Students and staff both showed nuance in their consideration of each other\u2019s\u2019 perspectives which is reflected in the many tensions highlighted in the illustrations.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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Infographic on ‘solutions’ for inclusive assessments for the Representation Matters project<\/p><\/div>\n

Taken together, these insights point toward the need for systemic\u00a0improvement\u00a0rather than piecemeal change. Themes like communication, flexibility, and stigma are deeply interconnected and addressing one in isolation is unlikely to be effective. There is an opportunity here to map these relationships more explicitly and\u00a0identify\u00a0where institutional shifts could have the greatest impact.\u00a0At the same time, the workshops themselves offered a glimpse of what a more inclusive university culture could look like. Simply creating a space where people felt listened to\u00a0demonstrates\u00a0that inclusive, participatory approaches does\u00a0more than generate richer data,\u00a0it\u00a0fosters\u00a0a sense of agency and collaboration. In many ways, the workshops model the kind of collaborative, responsive culture that participants are calling for. The method is not separate from the\u00a0message\u00a0but rather,\u00a0is part of\u00a0it.<\/span> \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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Related<\/h1>\n

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Responsible AI in Learning: A Student-Informed Approach<\/h2><\/div><\/div><\/a><\/div>
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+44 (0) 161 306 6000<\/p>\n

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