The Faculty of Health and Life Sciences played a pivotal role in the University's recent Neurodiversity Celebration Symposium, which was held at the Yoko Ono Lennon Centre to great success.
The inaugural event marked a crucial step forward in the University's dedication to promoting inclusivity and awareness, attracting significant participation from staff and students, both in-person and online.
The symposium was designed to be inclusive, running in a hybrid format. For those who attended in person, quiet rooms were available throughout the day, and traffic light badges could be worn to signal delegates communication preferences.
External speakers, including the CEOs of the ADHD Foundation and Do-IT Solutions, the lead for the UK&I Neurodiverse Centre of Excellence at EY, and the Director of Strategy Performance and Transformation at Glasgow University, gave valuable perspectives on how neuroinclusion can be achieved in the academic sector. Lizzie Acker, star of the Great British Bake Off, also delivered a funny, moving, and inspiring personal account of her life with dyslexia and ADHD as part of the opening address.
Professor Judy Coulson, Deputy APVC and Equality Diversity & Inclusion (EDI) Lead in HLS, said: “It was fantastic to see such enthusiasm for the symposium, with over 280 staff and students registering to attend in person or online. We were delighted that our Vice Chancellor and Katherine Fairclough (Chief Executive at Liverpool City Region Combined Authority) could join us to talk about continuing progress towards neuroinclusion at the university and more widely in our region. A huge thanks to all our speakers, and to Jenna Kenyani, Kate Hammond, Adele Curley, Chrissy Birch, the HLS EDI team, and colleagues from across the University who made this event such a success.”
Participants expressed their appreciation for the opportunity to learn more about neurodiversity, including how to better support neurodivergent individuals within the University community. Many shared stories of personal growth and newfound perspectives, highlighting the positive impact of the event on their outlook and approach towards neurodiversity.