I am delighted, on behalf of RIDE Higher, to share a webinar taking place to coincide with the start of Disability History Month, which will see the launch of the first ever National Disabled Staff Survey. Further details on RIDE Higher and the survey can be found below. It is hoped that the NDSS can reach as many disabled staff working in Higher Education as possible. Therefore, please feel free to share this event widely.
Who are RIDE HIGHER? And what is the relationship to NADSN?
RIDE HIGHER, stands for ‘Realising the inclusion of Disabled Employees in Higher Education.’ It was first conceptualised in 2022 by and for all disabled people working in the sector. Our Steering Committee comprises Deans, EDI leads, professional services staff, professors, cabinet advisors and disability researchers.
RIDE HIGHER was borne from a desire to improve the lived experience of all disabled staff within the sector and offers a formal mechanism for sharing best practice case studies between Universities, to bring about meaningful change.
Today RIDE HIGHER is proud to operate under NADSN (the National Association of Disabled Staff Networks), the super-network that connects disabled staff and focusses on tertiary education. With a pilot due for launch in 2025, RIDE HIGHER intends to shape the way Universities ‘do’ and ‘see’ disability inclusion, complementing the Disabled Student Commitment, University Mental Health Charter and Advance HE’s future holistic framework, but with a specific focus on the often-forgotten staff.
Why are RIDE HIGHER launching the NDSS (National Disabled Staff Survey)?
If RIDE HIGHER is to be meaningful and offer a valuable impact for those it intends to serve, namely disabled staff working in HE, first there is a need for us to consult with disabled people. The NDSS seeks to temperature check the sector and gain insights into the lived experience and difference in experience of disabled staff. It is hoped that the NDSS will help us to establish pockets of good practice as well as areas for development, thereby shaping the work of RIDE HIGHER, and our forthcoming pilot.
This NDSS is the only of its kind and an opportunity for disabled staff working within HE to share their voice. It is open to all staff who feel they have a disability, whether they have shared this with their University or not, and whether they have or are awaiting a diagnosis. Indeed, every disabled voice matters to us.
Many thanks
Dr Melanie Best (pronouns she/her)
Senior Lecturer Sport | HR EDI Disability Advisor | Co-chair Disabled Staff Network | Chair of RIDE HIGHER (NADSN)
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