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Keynote speaker presentation: Rachel Cowen

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Keynote speaker presentation: Rachel Cowen

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Blog: What does an inclusive economy look like?

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Blog: What does an inclusive economy look like?

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Written by Beth Sharratt, Project Manager at GMCVO
In a recent blog post, I wrote about the term 'inclusive economy', and what this means. In this blog, I will explore in more detail what an inclusive economy looks like, and the types of organisations and activity that contribute to it. Going beyond the concept of an inclusive economy to understand what alternative options exist that challenge the economic status quo, and what they look like for normal people in their day-to-day lives. As I mentioned in my last blog, this status quo contributes to the stark inequalities that the Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise (VCSE) sector seeks to address, the reason much of the sector exists.

As we get deeper and deeper into a cost of living crisis, the mainstream economic models we have come to accept as 'business as usual' are showing their weaknesses. Many are asking why, when the economy is failing, is it those who are most vulnerable who are feeling the effects the most? What does this say about our values as a society?

Many inclusive economy approaches have been created to counter the negative impact of the mainstream stuff we have become used to. The picture below demonstrates this. The 'clouds' are part of all of our lives, the things in the umbrella protect or guard against the damage caused by 'rain'.

During the economic good times these ideas may seem superfluous - particularly to those who aren't exposed to the very real challenges that marginalised communities face. However, as the current crisis begins to bite in a post-Covid and post-Brexit UK, these ideas don't seem so radical. We now need even more ways of working that have building resilience and protecting communities - not returns to shareholders - at their core.

What all of the organisations working to create a more inclusive have at their heart is putting people in charge of the decisions that affect their lives. From July 4th - 8th, we will be celebrating Communities in Control across Greater Manchester. We have invited community groups and organisations to take the opportunity to talk to a wide range of stakeholders about what they do and why it is part of an inclusive economy. Following the week, we will be building a portfolio of VCSE activity that contributes to an inclusive economy. This will be an important tool in ongoing conversations about the involvement of the VCSE sector in the delivery of the Greater Manchester Strategy, including its role in the shared prosperity fund. During August, we'll be supporting the VCSE sector to get involved in conversations about the implementation of the shared prosperity fund in GM.

Here are some examples of organisations working to create a more inclusive economy and where you can go to find out more, including some of the events taking place July 4th-8th:

Developer-led regeneration

Resident-led spatial planning prioritises the needs of local residents when decisions are being made about their area.

Firs Community Benefit Society

Event - Local engagement for community facility planning

Greater Manchester Community Led Homes

Event: Community Ownership in Action

High street banking

Credit unions are financial co-operatives which provides savings, loans and a range of services to its members. It is owned and controlled by its' members.

Greater Manchester Credit Unions

Casual, insecure jobs at minimum wage

Membership of an employee-owned cooperative gives individuals a stake in and power over their working terms and conditions as well as how the business operates.

Inclusive employment approaches tackle inequality by supporting those facing barriers to employment.

Good Employment Charter members offer the Real Living Wage and flexibility.

Middleton Cooperating - attracts and help new co-operatives and social businesses to grow in Middleton, employing local people and offering services that improve lives

Yes Manchester - supports people into work in North Manchester

Event: Inclusive Employment - Good for Business, Good for Communities

Greater Manchester's Hidden Talent - a youth employment programme working with young people aged 16 - 24, supporting hidden young people to progress towards employment and improve their self-esteem and wellbeing. Hidden young people are not in employment, education or training and not claiming any benefits.

Extractive business models removing money and resources from neighbourhoods

Social Enterprises are businesses who like traditional businesses aim to make a profit, but they reinvest these profits within their community.

Community wealth building is a model that transforms local economies based on communities having direct ownership and control of their assets.

Sawa BBQ - a Social Enterprise Catering Business which originated through Dynamic Support - an organisation bringing together BME women and their families across Greater Manchester to support their well-being.

Manchester Urban Diggers - urban community market gardeners based in Greater Manchester making spaces for people to grow food. We provide a network of hyper local, organically grown fresh produce to the local communities.

Event: Market Garden tour & lunch

Event: Launch of the Bolton and Stockport Proper Good Social Enterprise support programmes

Event: Greater Manchester community wealth building hub co-design

Environmentally exploitative practices

Just transition/net zero - ways of working that minimise carbon production and negative impacts on the physical environment

Carbon Co-op - an energy services and advocacy co-operative that helps people and communities to make the radical reductions in home carbon emissions necessary to avoid runaway climate change.

Wouldn't it be great if we can enable more of this kind of economic activity? That's a big part of GMCVO's mission, and a commitment under the VCSE Accord.

In my next blog I will take a deeper dive into the work these sorts of organisations do and the impact it has on the communities they are based within.

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Blog: What does an inclusive economy look like?

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Written by Beth Sharratt, Project Manager at GMCVO In a recent blog post, I wrote about the term 'inclusive economy', and what this means. In this blog, I will explore in more detail what an inclusive economy looks like, and the types of organisations and activity that contribute to it.

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The Greater Manchester Disabled People's Panel 

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The Greater Manchester Disabled People's Panel 

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Are you sick of filling in surveys and not seeing change? This survey is different, it is not just to gather research data. The Greater Manchester Disabled People's Panel is made up of 15 Disabled People's organisations, run by and for disabled people. We have a partnership agreement with GM Mayor Andy Burnham to influence policy to make Greater Manchester a better place to live for disabled people. This survey helps us do that, and the more disabled people fill it in, the stronger our voice for change becomes.

We are particularly looking at how disabled people are coping with the rising Cost of Living and our hopes for the future.

You don't have to answer every question. We have quite a lot of room to add comments and we love to hear what you have to say.

We have included demographic questions to better gather information of how different communities are experiencing the cost of living crisis. However this survey does remain anonymous. The evidence this survey provides will help us tell services in Greater Manchester how to improve. So please share it widely and encourage others to fill it in, and we'd be especially delighted if you can assist (safely over the phone) people without access to the internet to answer the survey.

Please Note: By Disabled People we mean anyone facing disabling societal barriers due to their impairments or conditions and this includes mental health, hearing or visual impairments, learning disability, neurodiverse people, and those with chronic illness or fatigue.

If you are filling the survey in on behalf of a disabled child or adult, please answer as them based upon their instructions/answers.

Our last survey in 2020 received a lot of support from the Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham and the Combined Authority Research Team. We will be having the same support this time to understand and present the results which we will share with key stakeholders.

If you have any further questions please email panel@gmcdp.com

The Deadline for completion of this survey is noon on Tuesday August 2nd.

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Greater Manchester Disabled People's Panel

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Are you sick of filling in surveys and not seeing change? This survey is different, it is not just to gather research data. The Greater Manchester Disabled People's Panel is made up of 15 Disabled People's organisations, run by and for disabled people.

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GM=EqAl Inclusive Language Guidance | www.gmcvo.org.uk

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The GM Equality Alliance (GM=EqAl) is a coalition of organisations and individuals drawn from a wide range of communities of experience across Greater Manchester. Our Inclusive Language Subgroup meets bi-monthly to produce guidance to help GM=EqAl members and staff be respectful and consistent in ou…

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Definition and support for staff and students at the University 

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Definition and support for staff and students at the University 

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We're here to help all staff who have a disability to access support. Our service is entirely confidential.

What do you mean by 'Disability'?

We know that not everyone uses our services thinks of themselves as disabled. We use the term 'disability' as it's used in Equality Law

This legislation says that the definition of disability is any condition which has a significant, adverse and long-term effect on a person's ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities.

Can you give me some examples?

We see staff with a range of difficulties including but not limited to:

Autism Spectrum Disorders/Asperger's Syndrome

Dyslexia, Dyspraxia and other specific learning difficulties

Mental health difficulties

Mobility impairments

Sensory impairment

Unseen disabilities like Epilepsy/HIV/AIDS/Chronic Fatigue

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Disability Advisory Support Service - Disabled Staff Support

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We're here to help all staff who have a disability to access support. Our service is entirely confidential. We know that not everyone uses our services thinks of themselves as disabled.

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Your actions required: 50 ways to inclusion

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Your actions required: 50 ways to inclusion

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Qualtrics Survey | Qualtrics Experience Management

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The most powerful, simple and trusted way to gather experience data. Start your journey to experience management and try a free account today.

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The University has held the Athena SWAN Bronze Award for over ten years demonstrating a continued commitment to equality of opportunity for all. Initially achieved in 2008, this was renewed in 2011, 2014 and 2018.

The Athena SWAN Self-Assessment Team work alongside the ED&I team to address the actions identified in the application.

Read our latest application - April 2018 (Silver application, Bronze awarded):

The University currently has three Faculties - Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health (FBMH), Faculty of Humanities (FHUM) and Faculty of Science and Engineering (FSE). Current awards and links to applications are below.

Please note the Faculty of Science and Engineering underwent a restructure in 2019 to create two Schools from the previous 9-School structure. Each of the previous Schools have now become Departments and their Athena SWAN Awards remain valid.

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The University has held the Athena SWAN Bronze Award for over ten years demonstrating a continued commitment to equality of opportunity for all. Initially achieved in 2008, this was renewed in 2011, 2014 and 2018. The Athena SWAN Self-Assessment Team work alongside the ED&I team to address the actions identified in the application.

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Keynote speaker presentation: Andrew Gilliver 

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Keynote speaker presentation: Andrew Gilliver 

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What it means to be non-binary - LGBT Foundation

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Help spread queer hope and joy by supporting your non-binary community.

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Increasing understandings of gender diversity to improve trans people's quality of life 

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Increasing understandings of gender diversity to improve trans people's quality of life 

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Gendered Intelligence is a registered charity (1182558) that works to increase understandings of gender diversity and improve the lives of trans people.

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LGBTQ+ publications from LGBT Foundation

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LGBTQ+ publications from LGBT Foundation

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Why do I have to complete a CAPTCHA?

Completing the CAPTCHA proves you are a human and gives you temporary access to the web property.

What can I do to prevent this in the future?

If you are on a personal connection, like at home, you can run an anti-virus scan on your device to make sure it is not infected with malware.

If you are at an office or shared network, you can ask the network administrator to run a scan across the network looking for misconfigured or infected devices.

Another way to prevent getting this page in the future is to use Privacy Pass. Check out the browser extension in the Chrome Web Store.

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Black Beetle Health is dedicated to promoting health, wellbeing and equality for LGBTQ+ Black and People of Colour.

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Black Beetle Health is dedicated to promoting health, wellbeing and equality for LGBTQ+ Black and People of Colour.

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Here at Black Beetle Health we hold a range of events, from virtual discussions, seminars, and interviews to more casual Instagram live events. If you're not able to join us live we often make our content available after the event. Keep an eye on our events page to keep up to date on what we have planned.

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Black Beetle Health is a public health community organisation dedicated to promoting health, wellbeing and equality for LGBTQ+ communities of colour by shedding light on important health disparities among these communities in the UK and around the world.

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In 2017, the Women's Programme began a pilot scheme to ensure that our work is relevant and representative of all the lesbian and bisexual women in Greater Manchester. This came about as a result of consultations with the community, and looking at our own data that showed the majority of women accessing our services were mainly white, cisgender and/or young(<50).

In 2019 we produced a resource about the importance of this work, with an aim to share some of the experiences of LGBT+ women with multiple minority identities and experiences. This resource is a result of the learning of the last 3 years and make it accessible to those looking to learn more and/or improve their services.

The resource does not cover all experiences, but hopes to start a conversation about how experiences can overlap, connect and should all be considered when looking to create truly inclusive spaces and services.

The guide can be downloaded as a PDF below or contact women@lgbt.foundation if you are interested in a printed copy.

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In 2017, the Women's Programme began a pilot scheme to ensure that our work is relevant and representative of all the lesbian and bisexual women in Greater Manchester. This came about as a result of consultations with the community, and looking at our own data that showed the majority of women accessing our services were mainly white, cisgender and/or young(<50).

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Resources and toolkits from Stonewall: how to make your policies LGBT inclusive 

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Resources and toolkits from Stonewall: how to make your policies LGBT inclusive 

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Best practice, toolkits and resources

Stonewall have spent more than 30 years working towards a world where all children and young people have access to an LGBTQ+ inclusive education.

Stonewall's dedicated team of education professionals work hard to bring you the resources and guidance you need regardless of whether you're just getting started with your LGBTQ+ inclusive work or whether you're looking to further embed and develop your practice. Whether you're looking for best practice guidance and policy templates, posters or lesson packs written by a qualified teacher, there's something here for you.

Search resources

Log in to access member-only resources

Learning with Stonewall

Stonewall have spent more than 30 years working towards a world where all children and young people have access to an LGBTQ+ inclusive education.

Stonewall's dedicated team of education professionals work hard to bring you the resources and guidance you need regardless of whether you're just getting started with your LGBTQ+ inclusive work or whether you're looking to further embed and develop your practice. Whether you're looking for best practice guidance and policy templates, posters or lesson packs written by a qualified teacher, there's something here for you.

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Stonewall have spent more than 30 years working towards a world where all children and young people have access to an LGBTQ+ inclusive education. Stonewall's dedicated team of education professionals work hard to bring you the resources and guidance you need regardless of whether you're...

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How to host an inclusive winter celebration

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How to host an inclusive winter celebration

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It is coming to the time of year where we are starting to think about how we celebrate the various Winter or religious festivals. Whilst for most this can be an extremely enjoyable time of year full of parties and celebrations, for colleagues with disabilities or health conditions or caring responsibilities it can feel a time when they are forgotten or not considered. In many instances this is not deliberate but hopefully we can help you stop and think before you organise your celebrations.

1. Location

When looking for a location for your winter celebration consider things like accessibility. Would a wheelchair user be able to access the building? Are there places for someone with mobility challenges to sit down? Is there disabled parking either at or near the venue? Whilst we know that you can't always control the bars and restaurants that you may look at, there are plenty of accessible venues that you can choose from. If you need help looking for accessible venues, you can use AccessAble

2. Invites

Ask your team what they want to do and where they want to go. You won't be able to please everyone but at least you will have an idea of what people do want and some considerations that you may not have thought of. Don't forget to include new starters, temporary staff and any staff that are working off site.

It should go without saying but don't forget to invite your disabled colleagues or colleagues who are not celebrating any festivals in the winter period. It's possible, they may say 'no' but the actual act of being invited to an event can often mean just as much as actually going to the event and they may also be able to contribute to the choice of somewhere to celebrate.

3. Alcohol and Dietary Requirements

Whilst alcohol forms part of many celebrations there are people who prefer not to drink whether due to their religion, medication or just by choice. Be considerate of other people's choices and ensure that there are options for soft drinks. This also supports anybody who needs to drive. Also, take into consideration any dietary requirements whether for health or religion.

4. Alternatives

If some people feel that they can't attend your celebration, why not consider a get together in the office during the last week before shutdown. Encourage colleagues to bring in food or order in pizza and bring some soft drinks. It's a good excuse for your team to socialise without any of the pressure.

5. Covid-19

Covid-19 has changed many people's opinions about going out and socialising. Many people with health conditions or disabilities or those with caring responsibilities are still minimising contact with others and are working from home. If this is the case in your office why not organise an online social? Be creative - if you have funds available what about sending each of your team a gift box of things to help the celebration along. There are many companies who will do this at a reasonable price.

6. Wellbeing

This time of year can also be difficult for some people. Loneliness can be heightened when all around us are celebrating. If you require support for your wellbeing please go to Staff wellbeing | StaffNet | The University of Manchester

7. Colleagues of other Faiths or No Faith

We'd like to put your mind at rest about the traditional Christian connotations of Christmas along with wishing people a 'Merry Christmas'. As long as you are respectful and mindful of those who may have no faith or are of a different faith then of course you can give somebody your best wishes and most people will accept them in the way they were intended.

It is coming to the time of year where we are starting to think about how we celebrate the various Winter or religious festivals. Whilst for most this can be an extremely enjoyable time of year full of parties and celebrations, for colleagues with disabilities or health conditions or caring responsibilities it can feel a time when they are forgotten or not considered. In many instances this is not deliberate but hopefully we can help you stop and think before you organise your celebrations.

1. Location

When looking for a location for your winter celebration consider things like accessibility. Would a wheelchair user be able to access the building? Are there places for someone with mobility challenges to sit down? Is there disabled parking either at or near the venue? Whilst we know that you can't always control the bars and restaurants that you may look at, there are plenty of accessible venues that you can choose from. If you need help looking for accessible venues, you can use AccessAble

2. Invites

Ask your team what they want to do and where they want to go. You won't be able to please everyone but at least you will have an idea of what people do want and some considerations that you may not have thought of. Don't forget to include new starters, temporary staff and any staff that are working off site.

It should go without saying but don't forget to invite your disabled colleagues or colleagues who are not celebrating any festivals in the winter period. It's possible, they may say 'no' but the actual act of being invited to an event can often mean just as much as actually going to the event and they may also be able to contribute to the choice of somewhere to celebrate.

3. Alcohol and Dietary Requirements

Whilst alcohol forms part of many celebrations there are people who prefer not to drink whether due to their religion, medication or just by choice. Be considerate of other people's choices and ensure that there are options for soft drinks. This also supports anybody who needs to drive. Also, take into consideration any dietary requirements whether for health or religion.

4. Alternatives

If some people feel that they can't attend your celebration, why not consider a get together in the office during the last week before shutdown. Encourage colleagues to bring in food or order in pizza and bring some soft drinks. It's a good excuse for your team to socialise without any of the pressure.

5. Covid-19

Covid-19 has changed many people's opinions about going out and socialising. Many people with health conditions or disabilities or those with caring responsibilities are still minimising contact with others and are working from home. If this is the case in your office why not organise an online social? Be creative - if you have funds available what about sending each of your team a gift box of things to help the celebration along. There are many companies who will do this at a reasonable price.

6. Wellbeing

This time of year can also be difficult for some people. Loneliness can be heightened when all around us are celebrating. If you require support for your wellbeing please go to Staff wellbeing | StaffNet | The University of Manchester

7. Colleagues of other Faiths or No Faith

We'd like to put your mind at rest about the traditional Christian connotations of Christmas along with wishing people a 'Merry Christmas'. As long as you are respectful and mindful of those who may have no faith or are of a different faith then of course you can give somebody your best wishes and most people will accept them in the way they were intended.

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It is coming to the time of year where we are starting to think about how we celebrate the various Winter or religious festivals. Whilst for most this can be an extremely enjoyable time of year full of parties and celebrations, for colleagues with disabilities or health conditions or caring responsibilities it can feel a time when they are forgotten or not considered.

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Hundreds of meetings and events are organised at the University each week. You can make your events accessible to as many people as possible by taking into consideration different factors that are often overlooked. This guidance will assist you in making your event accessible to everyone by considering a number of different factors. These are simply guidelines and it is appreciated that not all events and meetings will be able to action each point mentioned, but they should be considered.

The guidance can be read by following this link:

Make Your Event Accessible

Remember that if you are organising an event it is good practice to complete an Equality Impact Assessment. If you require further help with these please contact Kathy Bradley.

Making accessible teaching content - The guides provide information on how to ensure teaching materials can be used to their full potential by all our students and colleagues, regardless of a disability or other needs. Accessibility of teaching and learning materials is playing a vital role in our values and vision for 'Inclusive Manchester'.

Hundreds of meetings and events are organised at the University each week. You can make your events accessible to as many people as possible by taking into consideration different factors that are often overlooked. This guidance will assist you in making your event accessible to everyone by considering a number of different factors. These are simply guidelines and it is appreciated that not all events and meetings will be able to action each point mentioned, but they should be considered.

The guidance can be read by following this link:

Make Your Event Accessible

Remember that if you are organising an event it is good practice to complete an Equality Impact Assessment. If you require further help with these please contact Kathy Bradley.

Making accessible teaching content - The guides provide information on how to ensure teaching materials can be used to their full potential by all our students and colleagues, regardless of a disability or other needs. Accessibility of teaching and learning materials is playing a vital role in our values and vision for 'Inclusive Manchester'.

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Hundreds of meetings and events are organised at the University each week. You can make your events accessible to as many people as possible by taking into consideration different factors that are often overlooked. This guidance will assist you in making your event accessible to everyone by considering a number of different factors.

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Working together: patients, staff and the public - Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health website

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Working together: patients, staff and the public - Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health website

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Public and patients

From involving patients in ground-breaking research to running educational events for the public.

From involving patients in ground-breaking research to engaging the public in educational events, there are many ways we carry out public and patient involvement and engagement at all points in our teaching and research.

Public engagement describes the ways in which higher education and research can be shared with the public, while involvement is an active partnership between research or teaching staff and patients or members of the public. Members of the public involved and engaged in our teaching and research are commonly referred to as public contributors.

Involving patients and the public and sharing our knowledge is important to us because so much of what we do as a faculty, from teaching clinical skills to scientific breakthroughs in the lab, has the potential to affect the lives of millions of people both in our local communities and further afield.

For the public

Anyone can get involved; whether you want to learn more about research and teaching going on at the University, or use your own experiences to help others, there are a number of ways you can take part.

Find out about existing opportunities to get involved and sign up to our fortnightly newsletter to be the first to know about new opportunities and events.

"I love the enthusiasm of the researchers. I find their work exciting and their genuine caring is very apparent. The opportunity to add the patient perspective to their research is welcome."
Maggie Wilcox / Advocate for Independent Cancer Patients' Voice

Resources

However you want to get involved, there is support and guidance available from the Faculty and University to help you.

Working with our communities

Discover how and why we actively involve and engage patients and members of the public in our research and teaching.

From involving public contributors in our ground-breaking research and teaching curriculum to engaging the public in educational events, there are many ways we carry out patient and public Involvement and engagement.

Patient and Public Involvement and Engagement (PPIE) Forum

The PPIE forum provides strategic direction to the Faculty's PPIE Action Plan.

The forum consists of about 35 members including public contributors, researchers, Faculty professional staff, and divisional leads.

It is a central point for members to receive information, advice and guidance on PPIE activities and initiatives.

The forum is co-chaired by Dr Stephanie Snow, Academic Lead for Community Engagement and Involvement, and Kay Gallacher, public contributor.

Members meet to evaluate the forum's outputs, discuss upcoming initiatives and future actions, and hear updates from the divisional leads.

Guest speakers are also invited to present on a topic of their choice relating to social responsibility or PPIE.

For staff and postgraduate researchers

Our work in the Faculty has the potential to make an impact on the lives of the public, both locally and globally. The benefits of including engagement and involvement activities in your research and teaching are numerous.

As a researcher, it can give you more relevant and better quality research, inform study design, improve recruitment, provide you with views you might not otherwise have considered and get your research seen by a wider audience. Plus, engagement and involvement are often common requirements of funding and ethical approval.

As a member of teaching staff, engagement and involvement helps you share the benefits of higher education with the wider community. It can inspire existing and prospective students, and provide innovative new ways of teaching.

"Discussing our research with as wide an audience as possible is vital and rewarding. For myself and my PhD students, discussing our research with doctors, patients and the public at large, reminds us all what this journey is about."
Professor Dan Davis / Professor of Immunology

Resources

There is support and guidance available from the Faculty and University to help you with your engagement and involvement activities.

Public and patients

From involving patients in ground-breaking research to engaging the public in educational events, there are many ways we carry out public and patient involvement and engagement at all points in our teaching and research.

Public engagement describes the ways in which higher education and research can be shared with the public, while involvement is an active partnership between research or teaching staff and patients or members of the public. Members of the public involved and engaged in our teaching and research are commonly referred to as public contributors.

Involving patients and the public and sharing our knowledge is important to us because so much of what we do as a faculty, from teaching clinical skills to scientific breakthroughs in the lab, has the potential to affect the lives of millions of people both in our local communities and further afield.

Anyone can get involved; whether you want to learn more about research and teaching going on at the University, or use your own experiences to help others, there are a number of ways you can take part.

Find out about existing opportunities to get involved and sign up to our fortnightly newsletter to be the first to know about new opportunities and events.

"I love the enthusiasm of the researchers. I find their work exciting and their genuine caring is very apparent. The opportunity to add the patient perspective to their research is welcome."
Maggie Wilcox / Advocate for Independent Cancer Patients' Voice

Resources

However you want to get involved, there is support and guidance available from the Faculty and University to help you.

Discover how and why we actively involve and engage patients and members of the public in our research and teaching.

From involving public contributors in our ground-breaking research and teaching curriculum to engaging the public in educational events, there are many ways we carry out patient and public Involvement and engagement.

The PPIE forum provides strategic direction to the Faculty's PPIE Action Plan.

The forum consists of about 35 members including public contributors, researchers, Faculty professional staff, and divisional leads.

It is a central point for members to receive information, advice and guidance on PPIE activities and initiatives.

The forum is co-chaired by Dr Stephanie Snow, Academic Lead for Community Engagement and Involvement, and Kay Gallacher, public contributor.

Members meet to evaluate the forum's outputs, discuss upcoming initiatives and future actions, and hear updates from the divisional leads.

Guest speakers are also invited to present on a topic of their choice relating to social responsibility or PPIE.

Our work in the Faculty has the potential to make an impact on the lives of the public, both locally and globally. The benefits of including engagement and involvement activities in your research and teaching are numerous.

As a researcher, it can give you more relevant and better quality research, inform study design, improve recruitment, provide you with views you might not otherwise have considered and get your research seen by a wider audience. Plus, engagement and involvement are often common requirements of funding and ethical approval.

As a member of teaching staff, engagement and involvement helps you share the benefits of higher education with the wider community. It can inspire existing and prospective students, and provide innovative new ways of teaching.

"Discussing our research with as wide an audience as possible is vital and rewarding. For myself and my PhD students, discussing our research with doctors, patients and the public at large, reminds us all what this journey is about."
Professor Dan Davis / Professor of Immunology

Resources

There is support and guidance available from the Faculty and University to help you with your engagement and involvement activities.

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Working together: patients, staff and the public

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Public and patients From involving patients in ground-breaking research to running educational events for the public. From involving patients in ground-breaking research to engaging the public in educational events, there are many ways we carry out public and patient involvement and engagement at all points in our teaching and research.

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BMH Patient and Public Involvement and Engagement

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In this blog series we will be featuring our award winners and highly commended recipients from the Faculty's 'Outstanding Contribution to PPIE' awards. Showcasing the inspirational and outstanding commitment to PPIE that has made a positive difference to our...

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Blog - BMH Patient and Public Involvement and Engagement

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In this blog series we will be featuring our award winners and highly commended recipients from the Faculty's 'Outstanding Contribution to PPIE' awards. Showcasing the inspirational and outstanding commitment to PPIE that has made a positive difference to our...

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Social Responsibility and Public Engagement Team

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Social Responsibility and Public Engagement Team

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Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health PPIE Toolkit

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Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health PPIE Toolkit

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Welcome to the Faculty's Patient and Public Involvement and Engagement (PPIE) toolkit. Here you will find information, templates and resources to support you with your PPIE either as a member of staff, student or Public Contributor (a member of the public involved and/or engaged with our research and teaching).

We actively involve approximately 800 patients and the members of the public each year in our research and education. From ground-breaking research to engaging the public in educational events, there are many ways we carry out public and patient involvement and engagement at all points in our teaching and research.

Our resources have been co-produced with Public Contributors and staff from across the University. We would especially like to thank the Faculty's PPIE Forum members, University ethics team and our People & OD and Information Governance team.

Discover how and why we actively involve and engage patients and members of the public in our research and teaching.

From involving Public Contributors in our ground-breaking research and teaching curriculum, to engaging the public in educational events, there are many ways we carry out PPIE at all points in our teaching and research.

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Welcome to the Faculty's Patient and Public Involvement and Engagement (PPIE) toolkit. Here you will find information, templates and resources to support you with your PPIE either as a member of staff, student or Public Contributor (a member of the public involved and/or engaged with our research and teaching).

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Providing advice, support and guidance on equality and diversity-related issues

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Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

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Equality, Diversity and Inclusion | StaffNet | The University of Manchester

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Providing advice, support and guidance on equality and diversity-related issues

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The University has a number of staff network groups which are co-ordinated by the Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion Team.

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The University has a number of staff network groups which are co-ordinated by the Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Team.

Each group meets regularly and have all individual agendas and terms of reference. They are a fantastic way to network with people from all over the University, build contacts, share experiences, arrange events and socialise. Many of the groups also offer confidential support and advisory services from their members to any member of staff. Every member of staff is invited to join any of the staff network groups and although you may not fall into any of the 'categories' represented in the current staff network groups, you may have an interest or simply wish to offer support or find out more about how the groups work.

Attendance at meetings is not a requirement to be a member of any group and many choose to be on the confidential mailing list, just so they can keep abreast of issues and activiites.

Each group has a place on the bi-annual Equality, Diversity & Inclusion Governance Group where issues can be addressed at a higher level.

The groups are always looking for new members, input and ideas, so please click through to the relevant group for more information. You will also find the relevant contact information for each group here.

In order to help colleagues participate in staff network activities, the University's Equality, Diversity & Inclusion Forum agreed in June 2016 that all members of staff (of all grades and all roles) should be allowed to attend up to 3 network meetings per year within normal working hours with permission from their line manager. However, you are not obliged to disclose to your line manager which specific network group. Additional time is also supported for chairs and people with a more active role in any of the networks.

If anyone faces any problems with this, please contact Patrick Johnson ( patrick.johnson@manchester.ac.uk ), Head of Equality, Diversity & Inclusion

On Wednesday 20 May 2020 we marked National Day For Staff Networks with a series of tweets highlighting the work of our varied groups

Throughout 2020 we are highlighting a different group through various StaffNet articles. You can read more about our International Group in this StaffNet article (May 2020)

Staff Benefits Fair - 28 November 2019 is the Staff Benefits Fair - you'll be able to learn all about the different network groups at the University. Book your tickets using this link.
SNG infographic poster
TA list of upcoming meetings for all network groups can be accessed using the following link: ‌

If you would like to discuss setting up a different network group, please contact a member of the Equality, Diversity & Inclusion team.
SNG infographic poster

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The University has a number of staff network groups which are co-ordinated by the Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Team. Each group meets regularly and have all individual agendas and terms of reference. They are a fantastic way to network with people from all over the University, build contacts, share experiences, arrange events and socialise.

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Equality, Diversity and Inclusion - Learning Pathways

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Equality, Diversity and Inclusion - Learning Pathways

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There are many ways in which you can expand your knowledge from an equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) point of view and some of these opportunities can be found here.

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There are many ways in which you can expand your knowledge from an equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) point of view and some of these opportunities can be found below.

Certain EDI training is mandatory for all new starters and anyone who is involved in any part of the recruitment process. By ensuring people undertake 'Diversity in the Workplace' and 'Unconscious Bias' training, we can make steps to ensuring our people are treated fairly for the entirety of their University career.

We have other modules for people to undertake including 'Supporting Trans Staff' and modules for students as well as guidance on Inclusive Language.

The team are also developing Active Bystander Training which will be rolled out university-wide 2021/2022.

There are many ways in which you can expand your knowledge from an equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) point of view and some of these opportunities can be found below.

Certain EDI training is mandatory for all new starters and anyone who is involved in any part of the recruitment process. By ensuring people undertake 'Diversity in the Workplace' and 'Unconscious Bias' training, we can make steps to ensuring our people are treated fairly for the entirety of their University career.

We have other modules for people to undertake including 'Supporting Trans Staff' and modules for students as well as guidance on Inclusive Language.

The team are also developing Active Bystander Training which will be rolled out university-wide 2021/2022.

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There are many ways in which you can expand your knowledge from an equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) point of view and some of these opportunities can be found below. Certain EDI training is mandatory for all new starters and anyone who is involved in any part of the recruitment process.

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 Unconscious Bias - Equality and Diversity training

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 Unconscious Bias - Equality and Diversity training

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Understanding unconscious bias takes an in-depth look at the nature of bias and its impact in the workplace,  providing useful psychological insights into how our own behaviour might be affected by bias and what we can do to reduce or eliminate its influence on our working relationships and the decisions that we make.

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Improving the online staff experience

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To logon click on the button below to be authenticated via the Central Authentication Service.

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Improving the online staff experience My Manchester uses the University's Central Authentication Service (CAS). When you attempt to logon you will be directed to the CAS logon page. When you have successfully logged on you will then be redirected to the appropriate page.

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My Computer My Way guides to make computers, laptops, tablets and smartphones easier to use

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My Computer My Way guides to make computers, laptops, tablets and smartphones easier to use

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Simple 'how to' guides to make your device easier to use | My Computer My Way

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Find step by step instructions on how to adapt your phone📱 or your computer🖥 to make it easier to use.

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Vision Impairment and Computing factsheet

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Vision Impairment and Computing factsheet

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This factsheet covers how assistive technology can help people with vision impairment. Many features are standard within computers, tablets, and smartphones.

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1. How many people in the UK are experiencing sight loss?

Almost 2 million people in the UK live with sight loss (1 in 30). Of these, 360,000 are registered with their local authority as blind or partially sighted. They have experienced some degree of irreversible sight loss, which glasses or contact lenses cannot correct. (Source: NHS)

The number of people with sight loss is set to increase dramatically, growing to 2.7m by 2030 and could double to 4m by 2050 due to an ageing population and the growing incidence of long-term conditions that cause sight loss, including obesity and diabetes.

2. Assistive technology for visual impairments and sight loss

Increasingly, assistive technology comes as standard with the devices you have on your desk or in your pocket.

Tech giants including Apple, Google and Microsoft are working hard to make devices accessible to all. So, you can adjust desktop computers, tablets, and smartphones to make them more accessible if you have sight loss and visual impairments.

In addition, you can buy add-on hardware and software to make devices easier to use.

3. Assistive technology in tablets and smartphones

Intelligent personal assistants - like Siri and the Google Assistant - are a key feature of all modern tablets and smartphones. You can simply 'ask' the assistants to carry out tasks including answering queries, sending messages and emails, adding events to your calendar, taking notes and setting reminders.

iOS (Apple) devices include a screen reader called VoiceOver, and a magnifier called Zoom; the latest versions of Android contain a reader called TalkBack.

Combined with the million-plus apps now available for iOS, Android and other mobile devices, such innovations are helping to transform education, work, and leisure opportunities for people with a visual impairment.

Many blind or partially-sighted people now use their smartphone more than any other computing device - with it offering a relatively low-cost and completely mobile solution to many of their requirements.

4. Standalone screen readers for blind or low vision computer users

New computers, and most smartphones, have a screen reader: Narrator, for Windows, and VoiceOver for Apple Mac (also on iPad and iPhone). There's also a range of specialist screen readers available for people who are blind:

JAWS (Job Access With Speech)

A popular, inexpensive screen reader providing text-to-speech and Braille output for a wide range of computer applications on Windows computers, including the most popular - Microsoft Office, Internet Explorer, Firefox and PDF documents. JAWS is also fully compatible with MAGic screen magnification software. Suppliers of JAWS include Adapt-IT, Keytools, RNIB, and Sight and Sound Technology.

A FREE alternative to JAWS. Hear the text on screen being read or have it converted into Braille on a compatible display. Users report that while it works extremely well with web browsers, it can be more problematic dealing with Office applications.

5. Screen magnification for low vision users

For those with low vision, investing in a larger screen is worth considering. There are also ways of magnifying on-screen information within operating systems and programmes.

How to adjust a web browser for low vision

You can adjust your web browser in several ways: zoom in and make text bigger (select View from the main menu). Popular browsers also allow you to adjust colour settings or to turn on a Reader mode and remove visual clutter.

Operating system accessibility options

People with low vision will benefit from the 'Accessibility' options in Windows and macOS to increase the display size of text, menus, folders, icons, and the mouse pointer. The high resolution will mean that even zoomed-in, the screen's contents should remain sharp and clear.

Many people with impaired vision can see some colour combinations (such as white text on a black background) better than others. Different colour options are available in most programmes. The majority of computer, tablet and smartphone operating systems have a wide range of pre-defined colour schemes to choose from, or you can create your own.

Zooming in

Zooming increases the size of whatever is displayed in the document window, and many programmes include easy-to-use options to achieve.

On a Windows computer: Press the "Ctrl" key, use the wheel on your mouse, or slide two fingers together down the mousepad to zoom in and out.

On an Apple computer: Place two fingers on the trackpad and opening out (like a pinch in reverse).

However, there are other options if these shortcuts are not practical for you. Zooming in does not affect the size in which the document is printed out.

6. Specialist screen magnification programmes

Specialist magnification software programmes enlarge and enhance everything on your computer screen. As the size of the enlargement increases, the amount of the original screen image being displayed reduces - but you can use the mouse (or cursor) to select where you want to focus. Many programmes also include options for enhancing and customising screen colours and pointers.

Specialist software options for Windows computers are ZoomText Magnifier Reader, Dolphin Supernova Magnifier and Screen Reader.

Compatible keyboards are also available for Dolphin. These include dedicated function keys for operating the programmes' most used features. Dolphin Supernova also provides full Braille support for blind users and is compatible with the latest Braille displays.

Specialist solutions for Mac users are ZoomText Mac and MagniLink iMax.

Suppliers of integrated magnification and reading software include Adapt-IT; Hands Free Computing; Inclusive Technology; Professional Vision Services; RNIB; and Sight and Sound Technology.

7. Adaptive hardware for people with low vision or who are blind

For those with vision impairment, alternative keyboards can be a big help. There are several different options:

High visibility keyboards

The letters on a standard computer keyboard are small and can be hard to see. A simple alternative option is to purchase a high contrast keyboard or modify the keys on your existing keyboard by covering them with high contrast stickers. These use larger letters and come in upper- and lower-case sets.

Larger keys

People with impaired vision who are learning to type often find it difficult to locate keys accurately on a standard-sized keyboard. It can be much easier for many to use a high-visibility keyboard with a smaller number of larger keys - such as the BigKeys, Jumbo, XL or KeyMonster keyboards.

TechSilver lists seven of the best keyboards for visual impairment.

Specialist keyboards

Some keyboards have been designed specifically to work with specialist software programmes to assist people with visual impairment.

These include Dolphin Large Print, The Jumbo Keyboard from Inclusive Technology, which features large print, high contrast keys - many of which give quick access to the associated software's most useful features.

Chording keyboards

Chording keyboards like the CyKey are another important option, especially for people with more limited dexterity. This is because they only require you to press a few keys in combination (like a chord on the piano) to generate letters.

8. Braille Displays

Another option for blind users is a Braille display. Although these can be very expensive, they serve a dual function. Utilising just a few keys, Braille displays allow you to enter data and control your computer and to read documents, web pages and email using Braille.

9. Touch-typing skills for inputting data

Using a keyboard is often faster than using a mouse, and for people with little or no vision, it can be the most practical way to input data and interact with a device. In addition, working with keyboard shortcuts or 'hotkeys' is an effective and efficient method for anyone to control a computer ( more about hotkeys at My Computer My Way).

Learning to touch type

There are many software programmes available aimed at helping people with sight loss learn how to touch type.

Dedicated reading machines will read out printed documents using a synthetic voice. They use a scanner or a camera with optical character recognition (OCR) software to convert printed materials into electronic text that can, in turn, be either displayed on a screen, or read out by a screen reader, or both.

10. Reading machines for printed materials

There are three main types of reading machines:

Standalone devices - combine a camera/scanner, OCR software, screen reader and/or monitor in a single device. They are easy (but not very flexible) to use and can be very expensive.

Computer-based devices - connect a camera/scanner and OCR software to your computer, allowing you to take advantage of your existing screen display options, as well as utilising screen reading.

Portable devices -are lightweight and easy to use on the move.

Suppliers include Adapt-it; Enabling Technology; Humanware; Sight and Sound Technology; and VisionAid.

Many apps run on standard smartphones and tablets that will provide very similar functionality to the above specialist options and are much cheaper if you already own a smartphone or tablet (see below for more details).

11. Video magnifiers

Video magnifiers (or closed-circuit televisions - CCTVs) connect a high definition camera to a monitor display. This allows you to magnify different types of printed documents or handwritten text to a high level.

You can read and navigate your document by moving it around on the table below the camera.

There are three different types of video magnifiers:

Desktop video magnifiers - have the highest degree of magnification and often allow you to adjust the text and background display colours.

Portable video magnifiers - can either be standalone devices or connect to a laptop computer, utilising software on the laptop to control the display, use OCR, or capture and store images of printed text. Some magnifiers enable distance viewing - for example, presentations.

Pocket video magnifiers - are small enough to use on the go for reading a wide range of everyday materials, including documents, letters, bills, menus, timetables and instructions etc. Typical features include the ability to take a snapshot of something that can subsequently be magnified, rather than having to hover with the magnifier in place.

The distinction between reading machines and video magnifiers has significantly reduced in recent years, with many video magnifiers now also including the option to hear documents and read aloud.

Suppliers include Adapt-it; Enabling Technology; Humanware; RNIB; Sight and Sound Technology; and VisionAid.

Please note that many apps run on standard smartphones that will provide similar functionality to the above specialist options. These apps make use of the camera on the phone to scan the page and will use text-to-speech to read it out. For example, Microsoft's "Seeing AI" is a free app that provides useful features for blind or low-vision users, including a text reader.

It can also identify objects in pictures and recognise handwriting. Currently, Seeing AI is only available on Apple's iPhones and iPads.

12. Notetakers

Notetakers are small computers designed for use by the visually impaired. They can either have a standard or Braille keyboard, with information being either read out, displayed in Braille or both.

Braille notetakers are portable devices, including email and internet capabilities, a calendar, and an address book. They can usually be connected to a computer or a printer for transferring information, and some can print to a Braille embosser. Notetakers also enjoy a shorter start-up time and a much longer battery life than conventional computers. They are, however, significantly more expensive in most cases and far more limited in the apps and functions they can include.

Suppliers include Humanware, Sight and Sound Technology, and VisionAid.

13. Useful apps for people with low vision or who are blind

It is only possible here to point to a few of the apps available from the App Store (for iOS devices) and/or Google Play (for Android devices). For more comprehensive information and reviews about specialist apps for the iPad and iPhone, visit the AppleVis website for blind and low-vision users at www.applevis.com

Blind and partially sighted people have found the following apps to be particularly useful:

Seeing AI

A free app (iOS only) provides features such as face and object recognition, international currency identification, text and handwriting recognition and a barcode scanner for product identification.

Be My Eyes

Connects blind or low-vision users with sighted volunteers who can give visual assistance with tasks such as product identification. Be My Eyes has also partnered with Lloyds Banking Group and Microsoft to provide trusted, specialist support in these areas.

KNFB Reader

Provides fast and easy access to any type of printed text, including letters, receipts, menus, books and many other documents, with high-quality speech or Braille output.

Talking Goggles

Can recognise almost any image and text in seconds and speak out what it finds, including logos, signs, landmarks, products, artwork and text.

iBrailler Notes

Offers an easy way for iPad users to type Braille notes and perform basic word processing on a touchscreen (for iOS only).

Google Maps

Helps you find your way to your destination by giving turn-by-turn spoken directions

AccessNote

A powerful and efficient notetaker that takes advantage of the built-in accessibility of Apple devices by working with VoiceOver (iOS only).

Synapptic

An all-in-one software package for people who are blind or partially sighted. It runs on Android tablets and smartphones and has been specifically designed to be very easy to use.

Synapptic's simple menu structure and intuitive design mean most new users can learn how to use its wealth of features in just a few minutes. Utilising text-to-speech and voice control includes sending and receiving texts and emails, making calls, browsing the web, taking photos, scanning and reading, making notes and voice memos, listening to music, and talking books, and watch YouTube and catch-up TV.

Users can customise the software to suit their particular needs and preferences, selecting from a wide range of viewing and listening options. It can be purchased ready installed on a tablet or smartphone or as a standalone product for installing on your own Android device.

Suppliers include RNIB; and Synapptic.

Guide Connect

A software package made by Dolphin Software and will run on several devices, including desktops, laptops and even TV's. Like Synaptic, the interface is straightforward to get to grips with, and this software has been designed to be as intuitive to use as possible. You can easily send and receive emails, browse the web, read newspapers and listen to radio stations. If you have access to a scanner, you can also have your mail read out to you! Users can even decide to access the system via remote control, which may be a really simple way to control their technology.

Suppliers: Dolphin, RNIB

In Your Pocket

In Your Pocket is the simplest way for blind and partially sighted people to access the RNIB Library and RNIB Newsagent services, as well as make phone calls. In Your Pocket is updated with new capabilities every month and now includes the Be My Eyes vision assistant. The "In Your Pocket" device is a subscription device that the RNIB provides.

Supplier: RNIB

Kapsys

A french-based company that offers an all in one package (Smart Vision 2) includes an Android smartphone with a straightforward and intuitive interface.

Supplier: Sight and Sound Technology

14. Guidance for employers and employees

It's important to recognise that there are adaptations your employer should make if you're working and experiencing sight loss. Training can also help people adjust to using technology if they have low vision or are blind.

What should employers do?

Under the Equality Act, employers have a duty to ensure that employees with a disability (including visual impairment) can perform effectively.

To meet the requirements of the Equality Act, employers may need to make 'reasonable adjustments to ensure that disabled members of staff have equal access to everything involved in doing and keeping their job as any non-disabled colleague. Employers who fail to meet their responsibilities under the Act may be vulnerable to discrimination claims and could be taken to an employment tribunal.

Any adjustments required do not necessarily need to cost a lot of money and depend partly on the size and nature of the organisation. For blind or partially sighted employees, reasonable adjustments could include:

* adapting the workplace

* introducing some changes to the work organisation

* providing personal training and support

* making use of relevant assistive technologies.

Advances in technology mean that anyone who is losing, or who has already lost, their sight can now overcome many of the barriers previously faced and continue to be a highly productive employee. Government schemes like 'Access to Work' can also help meet some of the additional employment costs.

Training for employees and students with sight loss

Students, employees and other users will only realise the full potential of some of the solutions outlined in this factsheet if they receive adequate training and have sufficient opportunity to become familiar and proficient with the products.

Training is most effective when it is spread over time and geared towards the individual, focusing on their particular tasks, abilities and challenges. Periodic training helps users to practice and consolidate new skills between sessions.

A wide range of private and voluntary organisations offer computer training services (some training costs). In addition, many specialist suppliers and software producers provide online guidance and tutorials about how to get the most from their products. There is also a wealth of free training resources available online, including on YouTube.

Useful tutorials, guides and reviews about assistive technology for people with sight loss are available from:

15. Useful contacts

RNIB

The RNIB is a UK-wide charity providing practical advice and emotional support to help blind and partially sighted people live independently, whether you need help with technology or ways to continue reading or advising on staying at work. The RNIB also has an online store (see 'Specialist suppliers' below) selling a wide range of assistive products. Visit www.rnib.org.uk

TAVIP (Technology Association of Visually Impaired people)

TAVIP (Technology Association of Visually Impaired people) - formerly BCAB (British Computer Association for the Blind) is a lively, self-help community of blind and partially sighted computer users of all skill levels, ages and interests. Visit https://www.tavip.org.uk/

Royal National College for the Blind (RNC)

The RNC is a specialist residential college of further education for people with a visual impairment. Visit www.rnc.ac.UK

16. Specialist suppliers - contact details

Adapt-IT

Suppliers of assistive technology and computer adaptations for special needs, mobility issues, visual impairment, learning difficulties and RSI.
www.adapt-it.co.uk
sales@adapt-it.co.uk
0208 736 0542

Bellaire Electronics

Enabling Technology

Hands Free Computing

Humanware

Inclusive Technology

Keytools

Optelec (part of Vispero)

Low vision solutions for people with macular degeneration and other eye conditions.
lowvisionshop.co.uk
0800 145 6115

Portset

Designers and manufacturers of products for the visually impaired, including EnglishType software.
www.portset.co.uk
01489 893919

Professional Vision Services

RNIB

Sight and Sound Technology

Synapptic

VisionAid

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This factsheet covers how assistive technology can help people with vision impairment. Many features are standard within computers, tablets, and smartphones. You can also use standalone products with devices to make them easier to use for people with a visual impairment or who are blind.

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This factsheet gives information about how computers, tablets and smartphones can be used to enhance listening for people with some degree of hearing loss.

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1. How can technology help?

A wide variety of devices are available to help people manage their hearing loss. Innovations and new products are being released all the time, and the latest assistive technology is smart, easy to use and relatively inexpensive. It can help you to get the best from your hearing aids, enabling you to participate far more fully in leisure, work and study activities.

Available equipment and services include:

text services

induction loops

assistive listening devices, including radio aids

You can also use a computer, tablet or smartphone to enhance your communications in many ways - including sound alerts, captioning and text services. An increasing array of useful apps are now available to assist people with hearing loss, while video calls can be extremely helpful for lip-reading and signing.

2. What should employers do?

Under the Equality Act, employers have a legal duty to make reasonable adjustments for people with deafness or hearing loss so that they are not put at a 'substantial disadvantage' with non-disabled people. Failure to make such adjustments renders employers vulnerable to claims of discrimination.

Employers therefore need to consider what reasonable adjustments they should make to ensure that any staff with a hearing loss enjoy equal access to everything involved in doing and keeping their job as any non-disabled colleague.

Any adjustments required do not necessarily need to cost a lot of money. What may be reasonable will depend, in part, on the size and nature of the organisation. For staff with hearing loss, reasonable adjustments could include:

installing relevant assistive technologies

making some changes to work organisation and the working environment

providing communications support - such as BSL interpreters, lip-speakers, electronic note-takers or speech-to-text reporters for meetings and training etc.

3. Adjusting your computer, tablet or smartphone

There are some very simple ways that people with hearing loss can adjust the settings on their computer, tablet or smartphone to make it easier to use. Potential options include:

changing the type of alerts so that you get a visual notification (such as the screen flashing) or a vibration when a sound is played

turning on captions so that these are displayed in all apps that use them, such as video apps with subtitles

connecting your hearing aid or cochlear implant directly to your device

enabling phone noise cancellation (to reduce ambient background noise).

Go to mcmw.abilitynet.org.uk/hearing/ for practical instructions on how to make these settings on different devices and operating systems.

4. Text services

Next Generation Text Service

Textphones are used by people who are unable to hear on a standard telephone. Users can either type or speak their part of the call and receive text back that they can read on the textphone's screen.

The Next Generation Text Service (NGTS) introduced by BT is the new national text relay service. As well as working with conventional textphones, NGTS allows you to make calls via your computer, tablet or smartphone. By using the NGT Lite app, you can communicate with another person either directly (if they also have the app) or through a Relay Assistant who will speak or type your words through to the other person and text you their response.

Visit www.ngts.org.uk for more information.

Speech-to-text reporters and electronic note-takers

Speech-to-text reporters (STTRs) help people with hearing loss to access spoken information via a laptop or computer / projection screen. STTRs use a special keyboard and system called Palantype or Stenograph to type words phonetically. This enables English translations to be provided in real time on your screen, and is most suitable for people who are capable of reading text quickly for long periods.

Electronic note-takers also produce notes onto a laptop, but with the communications support specialist providing a live, comprehensive summary of what is being said rather than a verbatim account. They are most commonly used in education.

5. Induction loops

The majority of modern hearing aids include a 'telecoil' which can be activated by an audiologist. By switching their device to the 'T' setting, users can access the Loop Programme. This enables their hearing aid to pick up sound signals from an induction loop. Switching to the Loop Programme switches off the hearing aid's microphone - blocking out background noise so that you can focus on the sound you want to hear.

Public loops are often found in large public buildings (theatres, cinemas and churches), as well as in banks, advice centres and shops displaying the standard sign.

A portable loop system may be the solution when a permanently fixed loop is not available or where usage is required in many areas within one building.

It is also possible to create room loops for use at home (for example, to pick up sound from your TV or Hi-Fi). These can provide sound for everyone in the room whereas personal neck-loops only work for the individual wearer.

6. Assistive listening devices

Radio aids

Wireless radio aid systems offer a very effective way of improving the signal-to-noise ratio (and, therefore, speech intelligibility) for people with a hearing aid or cochlear implant. They enhance your listening experience by delivering the sounds you want to hear directly to your hearing aid, unaffected by background noise and distance. The user wears a very small, discreet receiver while a transmitter with a microphone is worn by the person speaking.

The Connevans fmGenie is a very flexible, multichannel FM radio system that is widely used in the workplace, in schools and by university students. It can easily be integrated with other equipment including TVs, computers, voice recorders and phones. The Comfort Contego is a similar portable system developed by Comfort Audio.

The Phonak Roger is an easy to use digital system that also offers excellent speech quality - but without any need to change radio channels (to avoid possible interference).

A variety of transmitters are available, including the Roger EasyPen. This can be worn around the neck; or be directed 'interview style' towards the person speaking; or be placed in the middle of a table 'conference style' to listen to a group of people. The EasyPen is an intelligent product that detects the situation you are in and automatically adapts its microphone settings.

The Roger Pen offers all the same features as the EasyPen but with the addition of Bluetooth - providing a mobile phone facility to make and receive calls - and a manual microphone select function. As well as recharging the microphone, the Roger Pen docking station can also transmit audio from your TV, or computer/tablet directly into your hearing aid. Clip-on, table and touch-screen mics are also available for the Roger system, while Comfort Audio's DigiSystem offers similar functionality.

The Roger Select mic is a recent addition to the Phonak offering. It is disc shaped with multiple microphones facing in six directions, each of which can be selected individually. This can be used on a table during a group discussion or attached to a speaker's clothing. It can also be used for phone calls via a Bluetooth® connection.

Go to www.connevans.co.uk/catalogue/102/fmGenie-Radio-Aid-Systems for more information about the fmGenie system.

Go to www.phonak.com/uk/en/hearing-aids/accessories/roger.html to find out more about the Roger system.

Go to www.comfortaudio.com/ for details of the Comfort Contego and DigiSystem.

Personal listening devices

Personal listening devices are mobile phone or remote control sized products that help you to hear more clearly, whether you have a hearing aid or not. You point them in the direction you want to listen, and they amplify and transfer the sound direct to your hearing aid(s), or ears, via a variety of options (such as neckloops and headphones).

Some devices have an omni-directional microphone which can help improve speech intelligibility in more difficult circumstances, such as meetings etc. Many assistive listening devices are equally suited for TV and audio listening and have different input options, enabling you to change between microphone, direct audio and loop pickup.

Assistive listening for TV and audio

A wide range of infra-red and digital systems are available specifically to assist with listening to TV, radio and hi-fi. These include neckloop options for hearing aid wearers or stereo headsets for people who don't wear a hearing aid.

A mains-powered transmitter base station is placed in a prominent position near the source. Most commonly this is connected directly (using SCART or audio connections) but it can also be operated with a wired microphone attached to the loudspeaker. The rechargeable wireless receiver worn by the listener is placed in the transmitter's charging cradle when not in use.

7. Useful software and apps

The range of apps and specialist software designed to assist people with hearing loss (some of which utilise voice recognition) is expanding all the time. Many of these are available on different platforms, with potential options including:

Sonocent Audio Notetaker for capturing live recordings (or imported audio) and converting these into accessible chunks of text for subsequent editing. Sonocent Recorder is a free companion app that works with this software on both Android and iOS.

Roger Voice for captioning telephone calls and voice messages (rogervoice.com/en/)

Vox Sciences for transcribing voicemails and delivering these to your mobile as a text message or email (www.voxsci.com/)

MobileSign and BSL Finger Spelling for learning British Sign Language

Braci, OtoSense and TapTap provide are sound recognition applications that provide visual and sensory alerts to draw attention to nearby sounds

Signvideo (Merged with IntepreterNow)-an instant video-relay service that allows Deaf people to make a video call in sign language, with an interpreter voicing what the Deaf person says in real-time (https//signvideo.co.uk).

8. How important is specialist advice and training?

People with hearing loss will only realise the full potential of any of the solutions outlined in this factsheet if they receive specialist assessment and support. One size does not fit all, and each person's abilities and needs are unique.

Getting the most out of assistive technology also often requires receiving adequate training and having sufficient opportunity to become familiar and proficient with the products. Generally, training is most effective when it is spread over time and specifically geared towards the individual and their specific circumstances and requirements.

9. Useful contacts

British Deaf Association (BDA)

The BDA is a UK-wide membership organisation and registered charity run by Deaf people for Deaf people. It delivers a range of services to achieve its aims of empowering Deaf people to overcome difficulties that they face on a daily basis.

Hearing Link

Hearing Link is a UK-wide charity for people with hearing loss, their families and friends. It aims to help people adjust to the practical and emotional challenges that hearing loss can bring - offering shared experiences, practical support and guidance.

RNID

RNID (formerly Action on Hearing Loss) is a UK-wide charity providing practical support and advice for people with hearing loss and tinnitus. It also provides day-to-day care, communication services and training, as well as campaigning to change public policy around hearing loss issues and supporting research into an eventual cure. Visit www.rnid.org.uk.

Specialist suppliers - contact details

Specialist suppliers of assistive technology for people with hearing loss include:

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This factsheet gives information about how computers, tablets and smartphones can be used to enhance listening for people with some degree of hearing loss. It does not aim to be comprehensive but provides a useful introduction to some of the key assistive technology available.

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Inclusive and Accessible Learning - 19th July

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Inclusive and Accessible Learning - 19th July

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Join our free upcoming webinar on Tuesday 19th July at 1pm BST and learn from the University of Greenwich and AbilityNet on how to support your disabled employees and students in a post Covid world.

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Join our free upcoming webinar on Tuesday 19th July at 1pm BST and learn from the University of Greenwich and AbilityNet on how to support your disabled employees and students in a post Covid world.

Covid-19 changed the way universities and public sector organisations work. This webinar will show you ways you can respond to create an inclusive and accessible learning and working environment.

Register your place for the webinar
The webinar will last 60 minutes. We encourage you to register for the webinar even if you're unable to attend live, as both attendees and absentees will receive automated emails linking to the recording and supporting materials.

Speaking on the webinar will be:

Dr Melanie Thorley from University of Greenwich. Melanie leads the STAART (formerly *AccessAbility) initiative, providing useful information, advice, and guidance to prospective and current university students.

Amy Low, the Service Delivery Director at AbilityNet. Amy provides services and support to a wide range of institutions and organisations to ensure their digital practices are accessible to a wider audience.

The webinar will also give you the opportunity to ask questions to the panellists.

The speakers will discuss:

The impact Covid-19 has had on disabled students and staff experiences and expectations in Higher Education settings.

Findings from the recent Disabled Students UK report, 'Going back is not a choice'

Examples of initiatives and approaches that can help increase accessibility and inclusion for students and staff.

Register your place for the webinar
Further resources

AbilityNet provides a range of free services to help disabled people and older people. If you can afford it, please donate to help us support older and disabled people through technology

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Free webinar: Inclusive and Accessible Learning and Working with the

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Join our free upcoming webinar on Tuesday 19th July at 1pm BST and learn from the University of Greenwich and AbilityNet on how to support your disabled employees and students in a post Covid world. Covid-19 changed the way universities and public sector organisations work.

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Our work on social inclusion is all about tackling the social inequalities, prejudices and barriers that continue to affect people’s lives and choices locally, nationally and internationally.

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How we are tackling social inclusion

Mon, 08 Mar 2021 09:32:00 GMT

Our work on social inclusion is all about tackling the social inequalities, prejudices and barriers that continue to affect people's lives and choices locally, nationally and internationally. We do this through engaging, involving and inspiring different communities locally and around the world. This not only helps to develop our understanding of social inclusion, but allows us to foster inclusive and effective solutions.

Our social inclusion impact film explains what we have achieved over the past three years.

A large amount of our work has been delivered through four signature programmes: our School Governor Initiative, the Manchester Access Programme (MAP), our employment and training initiative, The Works; and our Equity and Merit Scholarships.

We have worked hard to enhance social inclusion in both the local area and wider community.

Here's just a few examples of what we've achieved to date:

Our Manchester Access programme has supported more than 2,000 local students from families with no experience of higher education into our University.

Invested over £15 million each year in financial support for students from disadvantaged backgrounds.

More than 1,000 staff and alumni have contributed to leadership in state education through our School Governor Initiative

Became a University of Sanctuary for refugees and asylum seekers

Supported more than 4,000 local people into work

Hold a charter mark for race equality

Check out the rest in our social inclusion impact film
Find about more about our social responsibility activities.

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How we are tackling social inclusion (The University of Manchester)

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Mon, 08 Mar 2021 09:32:00 GMT Our work on social inclusion is all about tackling the social inequalities, prejudices and barriers that continue to affect people's lives and choices locally, nationally and internationally. We do this through engaging, involving and inspiring different communities locally and around the world.

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Email is now a daily method of communication. It is an easy and fast way to communicate with someone but when you are speedily sending off an email, are you making sure your emails are accessible for your receiver?

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This blog has been updated! Originally published 20/12/16. Amended 16/06/22

Email is now a daily method of communication. It is an easy and fast way to communicate with someone but when you are speedily sending off an email, are you making sure your emails are accessible for your receiver?

People read emails in different ways, on different devices and sometimes with assistive technologies. For example, blind people may read emails using a screen reader to navigate through your email via a smartphone's speech output.

Wouldn't it be a good idea to remember to make your emails accessible for everyone? Especially when emails can be easily forwarded and widely shared with many people. We've compiled some top tips on how to make sure your next email is accessible.

Here are some top tips to make emails accessible to all:

1. Subject lines matter

It's important to ensure that you make your subject lines are relevant to the email content. This can make it useful for someone using a screen reader as this is the first thing they 'hear', so you want to ensure the email is worth reading.

2. Add structure to your emails with headers

Descriptive semantic heading styles can break up your emails and can help reduce the size of larger paragraphs. Correctly marked-up headings can help users to scan emails both visually and when using assistive technology. They make it easier for users of assistive technology to read and navigate through your content - for example, screen reader users can call up a list of headings and use it to quickly navigate to sections of interest.

3. Accessible fonts and formats

Using an inaccessible font can slow your receiver from reading your message, for example, they might need to enlarge your email because the size is too small or copy and paste your message into a word document and change the font because it has poor readability.

Serif fonts such as Times New Roman, Garamond, and Georgia can sometimes be difficult to read for someone with a vision impairment. So, when typing up your emails, select sans serif fonts such as Arial or Calibri. These fonts are also widely recognised by most devices and are more likely to send and appear on screen for your receiver, compared to unique customisable downloaded fonts from the internet.

Your text also needs to be large enough so all users can access it easily. We recommend 12pt at a minimum.

4. Avoid using all capital letters and excessive italics or underlines

Writing in all capital letters and italic letters can sometimes be difficult to read and difficult to understand the meaning behind the text. Readability is reduced with all caps because all words have a uniform rectangular shape meaning readers may find it challenging to identify words by their shape.

It's also best to stick to using underlined words only for your hyperlinked text, this can be particularly useful for those who are colourblind know that the text is linked.

5. Contrasting colours for backgrounds and text

Some colours might look nice but don't work in terms of readability for visually impaired users. Ensure there is sufficient colour contrast between the foreground text and the background colour.

6. Meaningful link text

Avoid labelling a hyperlink with the phrase "click here", "see this page" and "go here" in your emails. Links should convey clear and accurate information about the destination.

If there is also an option to include a 'link title', don't forget to do this as it helps people who use their cursor to hover over the link to find out more information about the link.

7. Images and alt text

If you're including images in your emails, make sure you add descriptive alternative text to your image. Not all users can see the image. Disabled receivers of your emails may be using assistive technology like screen readers or other text-to-speech software which will read the alt text instead of the image. There are other situations when the alt text is used too, for example, if a user has images turned off then they will see the alt text instead of the image.

Learn more about alt text in our blog.

8. Clear and inclusive language

When writing your email, make sure to use clear simple language so everyone can understand. Use shorter sentences that are concise. Avoid using jargon and abbreviations or explain any terms or abbreviations that may be unfamiliar when they are first used.

Providing a clear summary may also help users with cognitive impairments which affect reading and may also be helpful to screen reader and screen magnification users to help them get to important information quickly.

Want to learn more about inclusive language? You can find out about language dos and don'ts of disability in our eLearning modules.

Further Resources

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This blog has been updated! Originally published 20/12/16. Amended 16/06/22 Email is now a daily method of communication. It is an easy and fast way to communicate with someone but when you are speedily sending off an email, are you making sure your emails are accessible for your receiver?

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Equality & Diversity Policy

The Equality & Diversity Policy can be accessed using the following link:

The Equality & Diversity Policy

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Equality & Diversity Policy | Equality, Diversity and Inclusion | StaffNet | The University of Manchester

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The Equality & Diversity Policy can be accessed using the following link:

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As another step towards full inclusivity at the University, we would like to encourage people to include their gender pronoun on their e-mail signature and Zoom screen.

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As another step towards full inclusivity at the University, we would like to encourage people to include their gender pronoun on their e-mail signature and Zoom screen. Listing pronouns helps remove another barrier for our non-binary and trans communities, which is why it's important that people include their pronouns on their profiles as well.

When people include their pronouns in their email signatures or Zoom screen, it helps normalise the practice and is an easy way to prevent misgendering. It also helps demonstrate the point that whether someone is cis or trans, their pronouns should never be assumed.

How to set your email signature in Microsoft Outlook

For step-by-step instructions on how to create and add an email signature in Outlook, visit:

How to Update your Pronouns in Zoom and Teams

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Pronouns on Zoom and Teams
W‌hilst we encourage people to display their pronouns, there is no obligaiton to do so. People may have different reasons for this. If you do not wish to display them an alternative could be to add to your signature:

Name (ask about my pronouns) or Name (prounouns: ask me). This still demonstrates inclusivity.

Pronouns on Identity cards

Whilst we don't print pronouns or titles on id cards, many people are choosing to put theirs on the reverse of their badge holder - another way we can show full inclusivity.

T‌he pronouns landscape is fast evolving with the non-binary community using a varierty of different pronouns, the table below shows just a few:

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As another step towards full inclusivity at the University, we would like to encourage people to include their gender pronoun on their e-mail signature and Zoom screen. Listing pronouns helps remove another barrier for our non-binary and trans communities, which is why it's important that people include their pronouns on their profiles as well.

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Patient and Public Involvement and Engagement Toolkit

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Patient and Public Involvement and Engagement Toolkit

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Welcome to the Faculty's Patient and Public Involvement and Engagement (PPIE) toolkit. Here you will find information, templates and resources to support you with your PPIE either as a member of staff, student or Public Contributor (a member of the public involved and/or engaged with our research and teaching).

We actively involve approximately 800 patients and the members of the public each year in our research and education. From ground-breaking research to engaging the public in educational events, there are many ways we carry out public and patient involvement and engagement at all points in our teaching and research.

Our resources have been co-produced with Public Contributors and staff from across the University. We would especially like to thank the Faculty's PPIE Forum members, University ethics team and our People & OD and Information Governance team.

Discover how and why we actively involve and engage patients and members of the public in our research and teaching.

From involving Public Contributors in our ground-breaking research and teaching curriculum, to engaging the public in educational events, there are many ways we carry out PPIE at all points in our teaching and research.

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Welcome to the Faculty's Patient and Public Involvement and Engagement (PPIE) toolkit. Here you will find information, templates and resources to support you with your PPIE either as a member of staff, student or Public Contributor (a member of the public involved and/or engaged with our research and teaching).

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Professor Kimberlé Crenshaw, American civil rights advocate and professor at the UCLA School of Law and Columbia Law School defines Intersectionality in this TedTalk video

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Theme: Intersectionality and Inclusivity what do these terms mean

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Theme: Intersectionality and Inclusivity what do these terms mean

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Angela has been a Public Contributor at the University for many years and has been involved in many research activities; including PRIMER and the H@PPI patient forum.

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Jess is a recent Biochemistry graduate and an RSC scholar

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Hamied works at the University as a Research Associate in Biomedical Magnetic Resonance Imaging

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Andrew works for LGBT Foundations as a Pride in Practice Coordinator - Community Involvement

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Accenture Inclusion & The Power of Diversity | Accenture

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Accenture Inclusion & The Power of Diversity | Accenture

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#InclusionStartsWithI is a discussion around the importance of a positive, inclusive work environment. This video demonstrates that bias can appear in both expected and unexpected ways—and that each of us has the power to make a difference.

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Health inequalities mean that there is often a greater burden of ill-health on people from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) communities. Inclusive translational health research has the potential to improve health outcomes by involving people from BAME backgrounds in the design of research and by ensuring that clinical studies include people from diverse populations.

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Working with the BAME Research Advisory Group

Health inequalities mean that there is often a greater burden of ill-health on people from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) communities. Inclusive translational health research has the potential to improve health outcomes by involving people from BAME backgrounds in the design of research and by ensuring that clinical studies include people from diverse populations.

The process of patient and public involvement happens when researchers work with people to design and plan their research. However, NIHR research shows that the majority of people who get involved in research are over 50 years old, female and white. Also only 35% of ethnic minority respondents believe they would be treated with dignity and respect in health research, compared to 52% of white respondents ( HRA, 2017). A recent study of attitudes towards COVID-19 vaccine research, found that there was apprehension, scepticism and low levels of trust about clinical trials expressed by a wide range of people from BAME communities ( NIHR Applied Research Collaboration East Midlands, 2020).

The BAME Research Advisory Group (BRAG) was set up in 2019 following a joint initiative between Vocal and the Greater Manchester Black and Minority Ethnic Network. All BRAG members are established community leaders. The group has already had an impact on a wide range of research.

The feedback from BRAG was invaluable and resulted in a substantially improved design of the test.
-Karolina Kluk-de Kort, Researcher, Hearing Health

Researchers can attend BRAG meetings to get feedback from the group or, where appropriate, work more closely with an individual BRAG member. For example, Ehinor Otaigbe-Amedu worked with NIHR Manchester BRC researcher Sarah Bellhouse who was planning a study on breast cancer prediction. Ehinor recruited a group of young black women to discuss the research and the feedback from the group resulted in more accessible language in study materials, a change to recruitment methods and as well as greater understanding about possible barriers about engaging communities in cancer prevention.

BRAG is particularly interested in supporting NIHR Manchester BRC research about cancer, respiratory conditions, dermatology, and musculoskeletal conditions all of which have a significant impact on people from BAME backgrounds. Currently there is little data available about BAME participation in clinical research across these topics.

To find out more about how you can work with BRAG please get in touch with Tracy Grey tracy.grey@mft.nhs.uk

Many thanks to Tracy Grey for contributing to this blog.

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Working with the BAME Research Advisory Group Health inequalities mean that there is often a greater burden of ill-health on people from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) communities. Inclusive translational health research has the potential to improve health outcomes by involving people from BAME backgrounds in the design of research and by ensuring that clinical studies include people from diverse populations.

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Just because you can’t see it, doesn’t mean that it is not there.

Hidden Disabilities Sunflower, making the invisible visible.

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In December 2021 as part of Purple Light Up Day The University of Manchester registered to become members of the Hidden Disabilities Sunflower Scheme.

The Hidden Disabilities Sunflower exists to support those with non-visible disabilities such as autism, chronic pain, dementia, sight or hearing loss. Wearing the Sunflower lanyard enables individuals to discreetly indicate that they have an invisible disability and may need additional assistance, kindness, or simply a little more time.

Since the Sunflower was established in the UK in 2016, it has been adopted globally by organisations to support both their colleagues and customers. The Sunflower is recognised across a broad range of sectors - ranging from retail, financial services, transport including over 130 airports, travel and tourism as well as over 450 universities, schools and colleges, all of the UK railway network, theme parks, supermarkets, leisure facilities, healthcare, financial services, emergency services, theatres and over 350 charities. The Sunflower has been launched locally in Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Ireland, the Netherlands, New Zealand, the UK and the USA.

We will be recognising the Sunflower in all our staff, student and public spaces.

TRAINING

In association with Hidden Disabilities Sunflower we have made some very short videos available on Blackboard that explain the meaning behind the Sunflower logo and what you should do if you come across someone who needs assistance. These can be accessed via Content - LAOD150 Hidden Disabilities Sunflower Scheme ... (manchester.ac.uk)

LANYARDS

Sunflower lanyards are available to purchase, either individually or by the box in the Hidden Disabilities Sunflower Store. They also stock marketing material which can be bought and used to promote the Sunflower in your area. If you wish to purchase any products from the Hidden Disabilities Sunflower Store please contact equalityanddiversity@manchester.ac.uk who will set you up as a user on the website which will enable you to do this. Please note that these are chargeable to us as an Institution but must be issued to people who need them free of charge.

RESOURCES

There are many resources on the Hidden Disabilities Sunflower website which can help you understand certain conditions. There is a section where people can share their stores which can be accessed through Sunflower Conversations. This is something we would love to start doing at The University of Manchester, if you are willing to share your story please contact us.

Globally, 1 in 7 of us live with some form of disability. That's more than 1 billion people with disability in the world. While some experience a disability that is visible, many have a non-visible impairment or condition. And often, many people experience a combination of both. To help with understanding these conditions Hidden Disabilities Sunflower provides an Invisible disabilities index where you can find information about many of the disabilities that you may come across.

Just because you can't see it, doesn't mean that it is not there.

Hidden Disabilities Sunflower, making the invisible visible.

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In December 2021 as part of Purple Light Up Day The University of Manchester registered to become members of the Hidden Disabilities Sunflower Scheme. The Hidden Disabilities Sunflower exists to support those with non-visible disabilities such as autism, chronic pain, dementia, sight or hearing loss.

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This was a Wellcome funded engagement project which aimed to engage Jewish women in discussions about stillbirth and stillbirth research. We were particularly keen to engage with Jewish women because they were not already engaged in our centre’s research despite a notable number of Jewish women attending our specialist antenatal clinics. Stillbirth is a taboo subject with additional cultural/religious factors in the Jewish community where the Torah says ‘we do not mourn for anything which does not live for 30 days’

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Maternal and Fetal Health Research Centre

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Stillbirth occurs when a baby dies after 24 weeks of pregnancy before or during birth. It is a devastating event affecting up to 1 in every 225 pregnancies in the UK.

Research being carried out at The University of Manchester's Maternal and Fetal Health Research Centre (MFHRC) aims to understand the reasons why stillbirth happens and how it can be prevented. A lot of this research focuses on the placenta, the organ that is formed in the womb during pregnancy that is essential for supporting the life and growth of the baby.

The Still Life project was created to:

raise awareness of stillbirth;

provide a safe space for women who had experienced the loss of a baby to explore this and help break the taboo around talking about stillbirth;

provide an opportunity for women who had experienced the loss of a baby to meet with researchers and to learn from each other;

help understand the Greater Manchester Jewish community's opinions and priorities for future pregnancy research.

The Still Life project involved 12 women from Greater Manchester's Jewish community who had experienced miscarriage, stillbirth and/or the death of their baby shortly after birth.

Watch the videos below to hear from those who took part in the project. For optimal viewing, we recommend expanding the videos to full screen.

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Still Life project gallery - Maternal and Fetal Health Research Centre

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Stillbirth occurs when a baby dies after 24 weeks of pregnancy before or during birth. It is a devastating event affecting up to 1 in every 225 pregnancies in the UK. Research being carried out at The University of Manchester's Maternal and Fetal Health Research Centre (MFHRC) aims to understand the reasons why stillbirth happens and how it can be prevented.

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Autistic involvement in research: Online Learning Activity

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Autistic involvement in research: Online Learning Activity

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Contact - emma.gowen@manchester.ac.uk

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What is this Online Learning Activity (OLA) about?

In this OLA you will learn about different ways of involving the autistic community in research, understand why it is important for your research to include autistic people and find out how you can involve and engage the autistic community in your research.

Who is this for?

Any researchers currently working with or considering working with the autistic community. The aim of this OLA is to contribute to achieving certain standards of research practice when working with and relating to the autism community. This is important to maintain and increase trust between the autism and research communities. All researchers have a duty to cultivate this trust.

Who has developed this OLA?

This OLA has been developed by Drs Emma Gowen, Daniel Poole and Ellen Poliakoff.

If you have any questions, please email Emma: emma.gowen@manchester.ac.uk

Start the OLA.

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Autistic involvement in research: Online Learning Activity

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In this OLA you will learn about different ways of involving the autistic community in research, understand why it is important for your research to include autistic people and find out how you can involve and engage the autistic community in your research. Any researchers currently working with or considering working with the autistic community.

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Guidelines for presenting to an autistic audience

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Guidelines for presenting to an autistic audience

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Contact - emma.gowen@manchester.ac.uk

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Written in collaboration with the Autism@Manchester Expert by Experience Group.

While we are aware that most researchers will already be experienced professional presenters in their own right, not everyone may be experienced in addressing an audience drawn directly from the autistic community. We are also aware that there is quite a range of conflicting perspectives on general good practice. We have now been running the Autism@Mancesther Expert by Experience group since 2017, four times a year, and our own understanding of best practice when presenting to an autistic audience continues to develop and adapt.

Below are a few suggestions drawn from our own experience and those of previous guests which we hope you will find helpful in adapting your usual style to gain best advantage when speaking to an autistic audience. We hope you will find them useful.

Please do try to:

Use analogies to illustrate complicated/technical points.

Include a content warning at the beginning of your presentation if it may include any content or imagery which may concern, alarm or otherwise have a negative impact on an audience member.

Expect to have your preconceptions about autism challenged, but don’t feel threatened by it – the group is there to help educate you, not to undermine you.

Consider that some topics may be particularly sensitive. For example, research suggests that gender variance is more common in autistic individuals and that gender diverse individuals have higher rates of autism (see George and Stokes, 2017, Autism). However, there is a variance in belief on gender identity. Therefore, it may be more appropriate to collect both biological sex and an optional component of gender in research studies to allow participants to identify with their preferred identity, and also to capture contextual data relating to both aspects that could be directly relevant for the current or future analysis.

Please try to avoid:

Deficit model terms in your presentation (e.g. disorder, abnormal, deficit, impairment) - some researchers have made the mistake of assuming that any difference between non-autistic participants and autistic participants represents a deficiency rather than variation (see Mottron, 2011, Nature). Please consider this when writing and making your presentation, as you are likely to be challenged on this by the audience. It is quite a contentious issue in the community. Researchers should avoid viewing the whole of the autistic person as disabled, but understand that many autistic people do recognize that some of their traits are disabling and would like them researched more.

“Person first” language - research shows that most autistic people tend to prefer being referred to as “autistic people” rather than “people with autism” (see Kenny et al 2015 Autism).

Large amount of information presented on screen while talking – this can be distracting.

Technical terms, jargon, acronyms, circumlocution, or any other “forms of speech” that do not say exactly what they mean and mean exactly what they say - where specific technical terms must be used, please italicise where used and give a clear, precise, concise explanation on first use.

Acronyms if the viewer has forgotten what the acronym stood for it makes for very confusing listening later on.

Large blocks of text - larger font with double spacing are easier to read and it is best to use bullet point notes

Multiple fonts, font sizes, and formatting (e.g. for headers, including variability in underlining, italics, bold). Sans serif fonts (e.g. Arial) are generally considered most easily read.

Cluttered slide layouts.

Lots of moving graphics.

Bright, contrasting colours e.g. pure black text on pure white background (dark/navy blue/indigo helps on a white background; the background being a pale pastel colour also helps, even with black fonts).

Extraneous/excessive clip art etc. - images that are not specifically relevant to / necessitated by the text can be distracting, as autistic people may focus on trying to understand why those particular images have been selected rather than the content/message of the presentation.

Flashing lights and/or sudden loud noises may upset and or alarm some autistic people and render the presentation use.

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Guidelines for presenting to an autistic audience | University of Manchester

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Written in collaboration with the Autism@Manchester Expert by Experience Group.

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Understanding Optometric and Orthoptic conditions in autistic adults, without learning disabilities, and how eye examinations can be made more accessible.
Contact - emma.gowen@manchester.ac.uk
ketan.parmar@manchester.ac.uk

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Are you an autistic adult?

Are you an eyecare provider?

Project background

Sensory issues have a severe impact on the lives of many autistic people and their ability to communicate and function, leading to stress and anxiety.

Our project aimed to better understand vision and eye conditions in autistic adults who do not have learning disabilities.

To achieve this, we conducted a number of studies that included focus groups, interviews, online questionnaires and eye examinations with autistic adults. The studies took place between September 2018 and December 2021 as part of Ketan’s PhD project.

The eye conditions we investigated included:

visual sensory issues (or hypersensitivity/ sensory overload);

problems with level of vision;

the need for spectacles;

issues with the coordination of the eyes (for example, a lazy eye).

Why was this project important?

If not treated correctly, eye conditions affect a person’s quality of life. Research suggests that, among autistic people, there are more people who need spectacles and experience eye coordination problems.

However, the majority of existing research focuses on autistic children with learning disabilities rather than the population of autistic people as a whole.

Vision problems are common among people with learning disabilities so, from this existing research, it is difficult to determine whether autism is specifically related to eye conditions. We therefore needed to do research to understand if certain eye conditions are more common in autistic adults without learning difficulties.

What were the aims of this project?

This project aimed to:

find out which visual issues and symptoms are experienced by autistic adults;

investigate how treatment impacts vision, visual symptoms and quality of life;

develop guidelines, training and changes in policies for optometrists to make eye examinations and practice environments more autism-friendly.

Our studies

We conducted 3 studies with a total of 364 autistic adults:

Study 1 – focus groups: To understand how eye conditions impact autistic adults’ daily lives and discussing their experiences of eye examinations.

Study 2 – online questionnaire: To investigate whether anxiety is a barrier to accessing eye examinations for autistic adults.

Study 3 – eye examinations and interviews: To describe eye conditions (for example, a requirement for spectacles, variations in eye muscle balance and perceptual issues) in autistic adults. To explore how eye examinations can be made more autism-friendly.

Read more about our studies.

Meet the team

This study was carried out by members of the Body, Eyes and Movement (BEAM) lab and the Division of Pharmacy and Optometry in the Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, The University of Manchester, along with an expert advisory team of autistic people.

Our team members

Ketan Parmar

Ketan is a fully qualified optometrist. He graduated in 2018 with a master’s degree from The University of Manchester and began his PhD in September 2018.

He also works in practice, supervises undergraduate students and is a research assistant. His research interests stem from working with academics and influential individuals in the field of optometry in his pre-registration year. He wants to conduct research that will impact current optometry practice.

Dr Emma Gowen

Emma is a Senior Lecturer at The University of Manchester who co-directs the Body Eyes and Movement (BEAM) lab, researching sensory motor control in autistic adults.

She is a keen advocate of participatory research, with much of her research benefitting from involvement and co-partnership of the autistic community. She also chairs the Autism@Manchester network.

View Dr Gowen’s research profile

Professor Chris Dickinson

Professor Chris Dickinson is Professor of Clinical Optometry. Chris’s main research interest is in low vision, and how individuals with low vision can be helped in their everyday life.

Her work often involves investigating the effectiveness of different types of visual aids.

View Professor Dickinson’s research profile here

Dr Catherine Porter

Dr Catherine Porter is a Senior Lecturer in Optometry at The University of Manchester where she teaches binocular vision and further investigative techniques. Her PhD was entitled An Investigation of Reading in Dyslexia and she continues to have a specialist interest in patients with reading difficulties, binocular vision problems and those with visual stress.

She has presented workshops and lectures nationally and internationally on clinical aspects of binocular vision, and has authored several continuing education and training articles on the same topic.

Peter Baimbridge

Peter Baimbridge is an autistic adult with a career in technical sales and marketing and business management. Since diagnosis in 2011 he has created Salford Autism, a unique autism support group led and run by people with their own diagnosis of autism. The group works in the community with all types and ages of autistic people and their families to achieve effective solutions to the practical problems they experience living with autism.

Peter joined Autism@Manchester in 2015 to add a voice for the autistic population and inform research from his own unique perspective and personal experience, as well as his experience of the problems of others.

In 2016, he became Coordinator of Autism@Manchester and was acknowledged by The University of Manchester as an honorary visiting academic. Peter was diagnosed with diabetes in early 1992 and so has had annual eye checks at a local optician’s practice since then.

James Pelham

James Pelham was diagnosed with autism in April 2015 at Sheffield Adult Neurodevelopmental Service.

Since then he has immersed himself in study about autism and has taken part in many research trials, in the hope that it will improve life for other autistic people.

He holds a joint honours degree from The University of Manchester in French and Russian and several diplomas in music performance and theory.

James is an active performer and composer. He is also a Director on the board of Autscape, an autistic-led organisation which provides retreats and conferences for autistic people.

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Contact details: Ellen.Poliakoff@manchester.ac.uk

Twitter @BEAM_manchester, @TabletopE

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'Experience in Action' is an interdisciplinary collaborative art-science project with Body Eyes and Movement Lab [ BEAM Lab] Led by Ellen Poliakoff and Emma Gowen] and artist Antony Hall. The project explores sensorimotor processing in older autistic adults and people with Parkinson's. In both conditions, movement and coordination problems can be issues that have implications for mobility, independence and quality of life. Therefore, it is important to understand how movement is affected and under what conditions it may be improved to inform support and future interventions.

A series of workshops took place at Manchester Art Gallery where participants were invited to try a series of interactive artworks and experiments inspired by research at BEAM Lab. Participants talked talk to scientists about their experiences and the research at BEAM Lab. The activities included new versions of 'Alien Hands' and 'Mirror Hand' experiments and a self-seeing (autoscopic) experimentusing a 360 camera and VR goggles.

Highlights from workshops at Manchester Art Gallery

Workshop Development

Here is an extract of us testing some ideas with the Mirror Hands experiment at BEAM Lab...
See more details and development here: http://antonyhall.net/blog/experience-in-action-work-in-progress/

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'Experience in Action' is an interdisciplinary collaborative art-science project with Body Eyes and Movement Lab [ BEAM Lab] Led by Ellen Poliakoff and Emma Gowen] and artist Antony Hall. The project explores sensorimotor processing in older autistic adults and people with Parkinson's.

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Increasing Diverse Populations in Health and Social Care Research

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Increasing Diverse Populations in Health and Social Care Research

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This free, online toolkit provides researchers with a framework to improve the participation in research, making it more diverse and inclusive.  It will help you develop more relevant research questions, consider engagement of different ethnicities in a more structured way and provide tips on better participation and dissemination of research findings

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This free, online toolkit provides researchers with a framework to improve the participation in research, making it more diverse and inclusive. It will help you develop more relevant research questions, consider engagement of different ethnicities in a more structured way and provide tips on better participation and dissemination of research findings.

The course can be accessed via this link: http://bit.ly/EMresearchdiversitytraining.

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Increasing Diverse Populations in Health and Social Care Research

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This free, online toolkit provides researchers with a framework to improve the participation in research, making it more diverse and inclusive. It will help you develop more relevant research questions, consider engagement of different ethnicities in a more structured way and provide tips on better participation and dissemination of research findings.

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The Centre for Ethnic Health Research has one clear vision: “To reduce ethnic health inequalities”. We do this by working with patients, the public, community and voluntary sectors, researchers, health and social care organisations.

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The Centre for Ethnic Health Research has one clear vision: "To reduce ethnic health inequalities". We do this by working with patients, the public, community and voluntary sectors, researchers, health and social care organisations. Learn More

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Centre for Ethnic Health Research - Home - National centre for tackling health inequalities

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The Centre for Ethnic Health Research has one clear vision: "To reduce ethnic health inequalities". We do this by working with patients, the public, community and voluntary sectors, researchers, health and social care organisations. Learn More

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BETTER HEALTHCARE THROUGH MORE INCLUSIVE RESEARCH

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BETTER HEALTHCARE THROUGH MORE INCLUSIVE RESEARCH

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NIHR-INCLUDE was commissioned by the NIHR CRN to address the lack of representation in health and care research with the following vision:

‘provide better health and care through more inclusive research’.

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NIHR-INCLUDE was commissioned by the NIHR CRN to address the lack of representation in health and care research with the following vision:

'provide better health and care through more inclusive research'.

NIHR-INCLUDE has developed guidance to implement findings and achieve the vision, by ways of:

a harmonised approach to inform key stakeholders of their roles and responsibilities to deliver inclusive health and care research ;

being adopted into policy within, and beyond, the NIHR ;

achiev ing widespread reach and impact to make health and care research more inclusive ;

ensuring our findings are informed and relevant , by w orking collaborati vely with under-served communities and the public ;

inform ing the NIHR Under-Served Communities programme and the wider work of the NIHR through the NIHR's Equality Diversity and Inclusion Strategy;

form ing a key cornerstone of the NIHR's Strategy - ' '. Best Research For Best Health: The Next Chapter

a strategic overview of potential points for intervention to improve inclusion of under-served groups across the life course of research ;

key objectives to improve inclusivity ;

guiding principles for stakeholders to apply the guidance.

Some areas have been addressed at the level of individual communities or projects , whereas other areas require action at national or supra-national level, to provide appropriate regulatory, funding, governance guidance and support.

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NIHR-INCLUDE was commissioned by the NIHR CRN to address the lack of representation in health and care research with the following vision: 'provide better health and care through more inclusive research'. NIHR-INCLUDE has developed guidance to implement findings and achieve the vision, by ways

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This resource has been developed to support researchers to better understand how to embed EDI in research design and to meet the NIHR's EDI requirements. The toolkit advocates for best practice that goes beyond the NIHR's current requirements.

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Equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) are part of the core business of the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR). They relate directly to the NIHR's operating principle of inclusion:

"We are committed to equality, diversity and inclusion in everything we do. Diverse people and communities shape our research, and we strive to make opportunities to participate in research an integral part of everyone's experience of health and social care services"

NIHR definitions of equality, diversity and inclusion

Equality

Ensuring that everyone is given equal access to resources and opportunities to utilise their skills and talents

Taking a systems approach to what we do and how we do it and identifying and removing long standing, structural barriers to success

Diversity

Being reflective of the wider community

Having a diverse community, with people from a broad range of backgrounds represented in all areas and at all levels

Inclusion

An approach where groups or individuals with different backgrounds are welcomed, culturally and socially accepted, and treated equally

Engaging with each person as an individual and making colleagues feel valued

A sense of belonging that is respectful of people for who they are

Feeling supported to enable us to do our best

These definitions are the draft definitions from the NIHR's EDI Strategy, written by the NIHR's Director of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion, Dr Esther Mukuka. They may differ slightly from the final published version, expected later in 2022.

In addition to defining equality, diversity and inclusion, another key concept is equity. NIHR defines equity as "Trying to understand and give people what they need to achieve their potential; promoting notions of fairness, justice, entitlements and rights".
What aspects of EDI does this toolkit cover?
This toolkit recognises the inequalities which people face due to their protected characteristics. The Equality Act 2010 recognises nine protected characteristics:

In addition, this toolkit recognises other dimensions of EDI including:

Socio-economic status (or social class)

Neurodiversity

Geography

Literacy

Caring commitments

This is not an exhaustive list.

We recognise that language and terminology related to our identities is very personal and that not everyone will relate to the terms used in this document. We have sought to be as inclusive as possible and informed by current debates. For example, we avoid using the term 'BAME' (Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic) as a shorthand for all groups who are not White or White British because it can fail to recognise the differences between groups, reducing them to an acronym. When quoting from the work of other researchers or organisations, we honour the language that they use, even if that might sometimes be dated or at odds with how others would self-define.

In the rest of this toolkit, we focus on how to make health and social care research more inclusive by considering eight aspects of the research process.

Last updated March 2022

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This resource has been developed to support researchers to better understand how to embed equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) in research design and to meet the NIHR's EDI requirements. The toolkit advocates for best practice which goes beyond the NIHR's current requirements.

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Ruling Passions podcast (about autistic special interests)

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Ruling Passions podcast (about autistic special interests)

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Contact - katherine.twomey@manchester.ac.uk

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The third episode of the Ruling Passions Project’s podcast is now live on the podcast page, and also on spotify, apple, google podcasts, amazon podcasts, audible and probably most other podcast places!

Katie Twomie (left) talking to me (right) for Episode 3.

In this episode I talk to Katie Twomey (she / her) about her interests. Katie was diagnosed autistic at age 37. She is a Lecturer in Language and Communicative Development at the University of Manchester. We talk here about language, Chernobyl, pattern recognition and making connections, alternative futures, the global pandemic, working conditions, lacking inner voices, aphantasia, synethesia , maths, reading, podcasts, collecting conkers, challenges around communication, autistic movement, masking, gendered conditioning and… being a magical unicorn.

Additional multimedia links and transcript available below…

The second episode of the Ruling Passions Project’s podcast is now live on the podcast page, and also on spotify and apple.

Jason Arday (left) talking to me (right) for Episode 2 of the podcast.

In this episode I talk to Jason Arday (he/him) about his love of music and how it has helped him understand the world. Jason was diagnosed autistic at 3 years old. He has recently been appointed professor of the sociology of education at the university of Glasgow. In our discussion we touch on a range of topics including race, autistic masking, vulnerability, intrinsic / extrinsic motivation, expectations of academia and the importance of music.

Additional mulitmedia links and transcript available below…

The first episode of the Ruling Passions Project’s podcast is now live on the podcast page, and also on spotify and apple.

Portrait images copyright Pip Brown.

In episode 1 I talk to Pip Brown (they / them) about their ‘intense interests’ in Music and Portraiture. During the discussion we touch upon several topics including sensory experience, alexithymia, embodiment, LGBTQ+ heroes, visualisation, parallel play, flow and burnout… Some of the cultural reference points include David Byrne, Billy Tipton, Paul Ekman, Steve Reich and Csikszentmihalyi’s concept of ‘flow’.

Additional multimedia links and transcript available below…

You can subscribe to the podcast via the following podcast platforms:

Links to each of the episodes, including extra multimedia content and full transcripts, are available on this website here:

https://ruling-passions.com/category/podcast/

I have been very fortunate to speak with several autistic adults about their ‘ruling passions’. Before I close this stage of data generation I would especially like to speak to any autistic people of colour about their lived experience in relation to what are often called ‘special interests’. Participants must be age 18+ and autistic (self dx or otherwise).

Participation is via zoom interview, text-based conversation or questionnaire.

There is also a concise summary of the project here: https://rulingpassions.wordpress.com/participant-information/

If you are interested, please use the link below. Thank you!

There is not much room in a tweet, so I am directing people here!

I am seeking autistic individuals (age 18+, formal dx OR self dx) to participate in this small scale, qualitative study around what are often referred to as autistic ‘special interest’. Participation is via either interview or questionnaire (dependent on participant preference / requirements). I am now particularly interested in perspectives from autistic people who identify as being from any of the following communities:

Non-Speaking

A member of a minoritised ethnic group

Women

LGBTQ+

having a learning disability

Information for participants is here (including a quick summary of the project): https://rulingpassions.wordpress.com/participant-information/

More detailed information about the project is here (including information about aims, methods and outputs): https://rulingpassions.wordpress.com/more-info/

You can read about me (the researcher on this project) here: https://wordpress.com/page/rulingpassions.wordpress.com/72

Thank you for your time.

Chris

Having put out a call for participants on Twitter (below) I have been really pleased with the response, and am currently interviewing the first round of participants. Thank you to those who have expressed an interest – your input is very much appreciated. It has been great to talk in depth about other people’s interests and passions.

I am seeking participants for my research project around autistic special interests. You can find the project website here. If you are interested and an autistic adult (self dx included), please register as a participant. https://t.co/e5myMYTe5R #AskingAutistics Please RT 👍
— Chris Bailey (@drchrisjbailey) August 4, 2021

Once I have conducted the first round of interviews I will put out another slightly more targetted call for participants in September.

The National Autistic Society list a number of sources for support for anyone experiencing mental health issues:

https://www.autism.org.uk/what-we-do/help-and-support/urgent-help

This includes the following:

Help with mental health issues

If you are having a difficult time, you can call the Samaritans any time, day or night, on 116 123 or email jo@samaritans.org

Other helplines and listening services:

Mind Infoline: 0300 1233393 for information and signposting (9am to 6pm, Monday to Friday)

SANEline: 0300 304 7000 for anyone experiencing a mental health problem or supporting someone else (4.30pm to 10.30pm, every day)

Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM) – for men 0800 58 58 58, (5pm to midnight every day).

Shout 85258 a free, confidential, 24/7 text messaging support service for anyone who is struggling to cope.

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A project exploring autistic adults' interests and passions ]

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It’s Hip to be Square: the Highs and Lows of Being an Autistic Academic

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It’s Hip to be Square: the Highs and Lows of Being an Autistic Academic

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Contact - katherine.twomey@manchester.ac.uk

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We detected a high number of errors from your connection. To continue, please confirm that youâ€™re a human (and not a spambot).

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Find out more about our speakers and our event theme in a short blog here: https://blogs.manchester.ac.uk/bmh-ppie/2022/07/04/ppie-celebration-event-2022-theme-and-guest-speakers/ 

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Find out more about our speakers and our event theme in a short blog here: https://blogs.manchester.ac.uk/bmh-ppie/2022/07/04/ppie-celebration-event-2022-theme-and-guest-speakers/ 

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BMH Patient and Public Involvement and Engagement

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On Tuesday 12th July, the Faculty is hosting its annual Patient and Public Involvement and Engagement (PPIE) Celebration Event. For this event we have a great line up of speakers - keep reading to find out more.
This year's celebration event titled 'From Buzz Words to Reality' will explore the themes of intersectionality and inclusivity, and how together we can create an inclusive and supportive environment for all.

Intersectionality - We are all made up of a range of social identities, for example; race, religion, age, gender, sexuality, disability, etc. Choosing just one of these identifiers is impossible, which is why intersectionality is so significant. Intersectionality is the complex way these many social identities overlap, affecting the discrimination and prejudice a person experiences. For example, a BAME woman may face sexism and racism in the workplace. Find out more about intersectionality on this TedTalk 'What is intersectionality' by Professor Kimberlé Crenshaw, American civil rights advocate and professor at the UCLA School of Law and Columbia Law School.

Inclusivity - Is the idea that everyone should be able to use the same facilities, take part in the same activities, and enjoy the same experiences, including people who have a disability or other disadvantage. Find out more in this short video here

Co-Hosts

Professor Stephanie Snow, Co-Host

Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health's (FBMH) Academic Lead for Community Engagement and Involvement.

Stephanie is a historian of medicine and the project director of NHS at 70: The Story of our Lives, which is collecting stories and memorabilia from people who worked and were cared for by the NHS since its creation in 1948 to mark the 70th anniversary of the NHS. Her work on stroke has led to an ongoing collaboration with the Stroke Association to produce a series of workshops where undergraduate students from different healthcare courses and stroke survivors explore stroke together through art. Stephanie is also is Co-Chair of the Faculty's Patient and Public Involvement and Engagement (PPIE) Forum.

Kay Gallacher, Co-Host

Public Contributor and Co-Chair of the Faculty's Patient and Public Involvement and Engagement (PPIE) Forum.

Kay is Co-Chair of the Faculty's PPIE Forum and has been a Public Contributor on many research projects. Kay is the lead Public Contributor on a project developing a handbook and app for users of primary care services, a member of PRIMER and is currently involved with six other projects. Having a marketing and communications background, Kay likes to apply her skills to ensure that research findings are written in plain English and are accessible to the general public. One of her personal objectives is to get more members of the public involved in research, particularly those from under represented communities.

Keynote speakers and panel members

Dr Rachel Cowen (She/Her), keynote speaker and panel member

University's Academic Lead for Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (Gender and Sexual Orientation Equality)

Rachel has 25 years' experience as a cancer researcher, academic and researcher developer and equalities champion in Higher Education. She has led institutional strategy, policy and practice developments and works with a network of inspirational colleagues to support academic excellence and equalities progress. In particular she has been a vocal and passionate advocate for inclusive culture change working towards a system that rewards and values diverse researchers and academics at all levels and promotes inclusive academic practice. Rachel is a national Athena Swan panel chair and Principal Fellow of the Higher Education Academy.

Andrew Gilliver (He/Him), keynote speaker and panel member

Pride in Practice Coordinator (Gtr Mancs), LGBT Foundation

Andrew is part of LGBT Foundation's Pride in Practice team, working with primary care services across Greater Manchester to support their LGBTQ+ patients. LGBT Foundation is the largest service provider of its kind in the country where Andrew is proud to have worked for over twenty years.

He primarily works with organisations to discuss specific issues around LGBT+ inclusion and health inequalities and regularly supports organisations to discuss how services can harness the lived experience of individuals, best practice guidelines and community assets to initiate meaningful and sustainable change. Twitter: @andrewrgilliver & @LGBTfdn

Angela Ruddock, panel member

Angela has been a Public Contributor at the University for many years and has been involved in a number of research activities during that time. This includes chair of PRIMER (the Primary Care Research in Manchester Engagement Resource) which is a diverse group of patients, carers and members of the public with an interest in primary care research and the H@PPI patient forum.

Dr Hamied Haroon (He/Him), panel member

Research Associate in Biomedical Magnetic Resonance Imaging, The University of Manchester.

Dr Hamied Haroon works as a Research Scientist in quantitative biomedical magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) at The University of Manchester where he gained his PhD in 2005. When Hamied became a member of staff he was shocked to suddenly lose all the support he had as a disabled student! He helped to establish the University's Disabled Staff Network in 2007 and became its first Chair. The Network's first proud success was to achieve a dedicated University support service for disabled staff! In 2013, Hamied became Co-Chair of the Network with Melanie Sharpe, and together they organised the "What Are We Hiding?" national conference for disabled staff on 6 th June 2014 focusing on hidden disabilities and the hidden contribution of disabled people to the economy. Based on the success of this conference, they won the University's inaugural " Making A Difference Award for Equality & Diversity " in May 2015.

At this conference, Hamied launched the National Association of Disabled Staff Networks (NADSN), a super-network that connects and represents disabled staff networks in universities and colleges, NHS trusts and other sectors, which he currently chairs. Hamied won the University's Staff Volunteer of the Year Award 2019 for being a "tireless campaigner". The Royal Society highlighted the profiles of a selection of past and present disabled scientists to celebrate the International Day of Disabled People in 2019, which included Hamied. As 2021 began, Hamied was co-opted onto The Royal Society's Diversity Committee, and featured in a new children's book called " Superhero Scientists"! He delivered the University of Oxford's Annual Disability Lecture in May 2021.

Jess Baxter (They/She), panel member

Recent Biochemistry graduate at The University of Manchester

Jess is a Biochemistry graduate and an Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) scholar entering the education industry, focusing on promoting inclusivity and equality in science teaching. They have experience in teaching and in social justice groups, working to provide safe spaces for those with marginalised identities and being a voice on how sexual orientation and gender identity in particular, intersect with current scientific knowledge and communication. Jess' experience includes writing, public speaking and social media activism.

Dr Hawys Williams (She/Her), Activity Lead

Faculty Social Responsibility and Public Engagement Manager.

Hawys manages the Social Responsibility and Public Engagement Team which enables, engages and embeds Social Responsibility and all aspects of PPIE within the Faculty. Hawys trained as a research scientist working in labs and has since worked in project management, ethics and governance and PPIE in Higher Education, the NHS and in the third sector. When not at work she volunteers as a Girl Guiding Leader.

Find out more about the event in this padlet here

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PPIE Celebration Event 2022: Theme and Guest Speakers - BMH Patient and Public Involvement and Engagement

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On Tuesday 12th July, the Faculty is hosting its annual Patient and Public Involvement and Engagement (PPIE) Celebration Event. For this event we have a great line up of speakers - keep reading to find out more.

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Rachel is the University's Academic Lead for Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (Gender and Sexual Orientation Equality)

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Guidelines for conducting research with the autistic community

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Guidelines for conducting research with the autistic community

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This guidance covers the considerations that researchers should take into account when conducting research with the autistic community (autistic adults, parents of autistic children, family members and carers).

It promotes effective communication and equal partnerships between the autism and research communities so that the needs of participants pre, during and post research are taken into account and that they are supported through the research pathway. Although the focus is on research with the autism community, it is anticipated that the recommendations will be helpful for all participants, not just those with autism. This guidance is based on discussions with the autistic community and it is anticipated that they will be reviewed and modified with further discussion over time. In particular, we would like to acknowledge that although Autism@Manchester aims to follow these guidelines it is likely that we are not achieving all the recommendations and there is always room for improvement.

Who is it for?

Researchers in the field of autism

The autistic community

Recommendations

This guidance provides practical recommendations in four areas:

Pre-study considerations

Recruitment of participants

Study visit considerations

Post-study considerations

More about this guidance

Researcher responsibilities

Researchers are asked to take this guideline into account, alongside the individual needs, preferences and values of their participants and their research. The application of the recommendations in this guideline is not mandatory.

In addition to these guidelines, all individuals involved in research are expected to ensure that the highest standards of integrity, honesty and professionalism are adhered to, in respect of their own actions and how they respond to the actions of others. This relates to the whole extent of research work including, but not limited to: designing studies and experiments; generating, recording, archiving, analysing and interpreting data; sharing data and materials; applying for funding; presenting and publishing results; training new researchers, staff and students; and peer reviewing the work of other researchers. The direct and indirect involvements of colleagues, collaborators and others should always be acknowledged.

Where applicable, the group expects researchers to observe the standards of research practice set out in guidelines published by scientific and learned societies, and other relevant professional bodies. All researchers should be aware of the legal requirements which regulate their work including health and safety legislation, the Data Protection Act, the Freedom of Information Act and the Declaration of Helsinki – Ethical Principles for Medical Research Involving Human Subjects.

How was this guidance developed?

The recommendations in this guideline represent the view of Autism@Manchester, based on workshop consultations with the autistic community.

Background on workshop consultations

Autism@Manchester is a community of academics, clinicians, practitioners, autistic individuals and their families and carers working together to achieve quality research with real meaning for people with autism. It encourages and facilitates a more holistic approach to research so the autism and research communities can come together more easily to work and share knowledge about autism research. The ultimate goal is to enable researchers to produce quality research with real meaning for autistic people. In order to forward this goal, Autism@Manchester conducted a series of workshops with the autism community in order to improve mutual understanding around the research process, look at the impact of research on participants and explore how the academic and autism communities could better work together on research. These were conducted as a collaboration between Autism@Manchester and Salfordautism, an autism support group led and run by autistic professionals serving the autistic community in the Greater Manchester area.

This guideline reflects the discussions and suggestions made in the focus groups held with the autistic community during the workshops in consideration of their role as ‘expert by experience.’ Workshop participants were also consulted during the drafting of this document and their views incorporated.

Authors

Emma Gowen1*, Rachel Taylor², Thomas Bleazard, Anat Greenstein, Peter Baimbridge1,3, Daniel Poole¹

1.Division of Neuroscience and Experimental Psychology, School of biological Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health Sciences, The University of Manchester

2.The University of Bolton

3.Salfordautism

Download the guidelines

Download a full copy of the guidelines below.

Gowen. E, Taylor. R, Bleazard. T, Greenstein. A, Baimbridge. P and Poole.D (2019). Guidelines for conducting research with the autistic community. Autism Policy and Practice. Vol 2 No 1.

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Guidelines for conducting research with the autistic community | Autism@Manchester | The University of Manchester

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Guidelines for conducting research with the autistic community

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Kay is a Public Contributor and Co-Chair of the Faculty's PPIE Forum

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Transitioning gender is a very personal and potentially expensive journey that can take years. Transgender and gender non-binary people can encounter ignorance, discrimination and hate crime, as well as a lack of resources – there are only seven Gender Identity Clinics open in the whole of the UK to serve a community estimated at up to 500,000 people.

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"The biggest reward for me is seeing the trans community being recognised and ultimately the notion that we can support the most vulnerable groups in our society."

Student participation

One big obstacle that has hindered these sorts of schemes in the past has been the stigma attached to working with trans community, as well as the perception that the work is 'too niche' and complex.

"When it comes to this area of SLT, many speech therapists often don't want to do it because it's too specialised. I think this is an excuse because it's straightforward voice work. Yes, you need to know about trans issues, but it really isn't that complicated", says Sean.

So, how do you work around these issues? Get students involved.

"I thought if I could get SLT students involved they would be less frightened about trans work in the future, and the response we got from them is terrific. The students are giving up weekends for free. Although they're getting a lot from it too, that attitude to helping people for free is fantastic."

To say that the students have embraced it with open arms and an open mind would be an understatement.

"A lot of the attendees were really overwhelmed that the students wanted to help and get to know them. They were really supportive and genuinely interested in their lives and, on the flipside, it's really benefitted the students in a learning capacity," says Sean.

"Students get to help a client group who generally receive a poor level of service whilst also learning vital skills along the way. They are trained by the LGBT foundation in sessions run by Louie Stafford, a trans man, and he talks about how to address trans people and how to make them feel comfortable."

Awards

Sean's work hasn't gone unrecognised. In 2017 he won a University of Manchester Making a Difference Award for Social Responsibility and then more recently he picked up a Staff Volunteer of the Year Award. Both awards were given to him on the basis of his voice and communication work with the trans community.

"First and foremost it was great to be nominated by the students and fellow staff, it wasn't expected at all," Sean insists.

"When we won I was absolutely gobsmacked. It's lovely to be recognised for your work but the biggest reward for me is seeing the trans community being recognised and ultimately the notion that we can support the most vulnerable groups in our society."

Looking ahead

Sean's work with trans and gender non-binary individuals is far from done, especially with the support he continues to receive from the University. He's looking to provide more services for the community and has joined the LGBT Foundation's committee to help gauge what more can be done.

A new website is also up and running which gives SLT students access to vital work materials while, on a more national scale, Sean has joined the transgender non binary CEN at the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists to get as many therapists equipped with this knowledge as possible.

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"The biggest reward for me is seeing the trans community being recognised and ultimately the notion that we can support the most vulnerable groups in our society." One big obstacle that has hindered these sorts of schemes in the past has been the stigma attached to working with trans community, as well as the perception that the work is 'too niche' and complex.

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Stephanie is the Faculty's Academic Lead for Community Engagement and Involvement and Co-Chair of the Faculty's PPIE Forum

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contact: srbmh@manchester.ac.uk

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At Manchester, we are working towards a world in which more of us survive cancer. Our research focuses on the prevention and early detection of the disease, as well as pioneering new and experimental treatments.

But we couldn't do this work without the input of patients and the public, who contribute to our world-leading research in a variety of ways.

Exchanging knowledge

Effective public engagement is a valuable tool for both researchers and the public to learn and to share expertise.

Involving the public in biomedical research brings in knowledge and experience from a wide range of backgrounds. These different perspectives can result in research that is more meaningful to patients and carers, and improves their experiences.

Maggie Wilcox is an advocate for Independent Cancer Patients' Voice (ICPV) and a breast cancer survivor. In her role with the University's Manchester Breast Centre she works with PhD students and post-doctoral researchers.

"I love the enthusiasm and keen interest of these early career researchers", explains Maggie.

"The opportunity to add the patient perspective to their research is welcome. I find their work exciting and their genuine caring is very apparent."

From her experience in research she has found that there needs to be a mutual respect and willingness to learn from each other, which requires trust and the recognition of different skills.

"Patients were all people before becoming patients and we have a wide range of experience to bring to research.

"But by becoming involved in research, patients also have the responsibility to become informed and acquire basic knowledge of biology, so that they can make a more meaningful contribution", says Maggie.

The value of gaining patients' perspectives and building strong working relationships between researchers and public contributors is also evident to researchers themselves.

Dr Cliona Kirwan is an NIHR Clinician Scientist in Surgical Oncology and a Consultant Oncoplastic Breast Surgeon. She runs a research study interviewing patients and the public to find out what they think priorities in breast cancer research should be.

"For my team, the direct interaction with patients and the public through focus groups is really valuable to help shape our research priorities", says Dr Kirwan.

Dr Suzanne Johnson, Lead for Social Responsibility for the Division of Cancer Sciences, describes the relationships built up between researchers and patients through public involvement as "mutually insightful, beneficial and informative bringing reciprocal understanding and a valuable exchange of knowledge".

"Patient involvement and engagement allows the public to see the human side of research and allow the researchers to see the real-life impacts of their work. "

Humanising research

Working in a laboratory away from the direct care of patients, biomedical researchers don't often get to meet with the people whose lives are impacted by their research.

Patient involvement and engagement in research can provide a means to bridge the gap between researchers and patients. It can allow the public to see the human side of research and allow the researchers to see the real-life impacts of their work.

Dr Denis Alferez is a post-doctoral research associate at Manchester Breast Centre and has been involved in a number of lab open days, which allow the public to experience a lab environment and interact with researchers.

"It gives me and other researchers further encouragement as to why we have dedicated ourselves to such a vocation as science", says Dr Alferez.

"It reinforces our passion when we speak to patients who underwent or are experiencing cancer treatments. It simply broadens the mind, as to how important our work can be despite the timelines."

In her work as a post-doctoral research associate with the Children's Cancer Group, Dr Johnson has also experience these benefits. She was able to offer a former lymphoblastic leukaemia patient work experience in her lab.

"It was such a positive experience and very humbling to be spending time with someone who had received treatment which we were exploring in our lab at the time. It gives a unique and personal perspective to the research we are involved in on a daily basis and that is hugely motivating", says Dr Johnson.

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Patient power: Involving the public in cancer research

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At Manchester, we are working towards a world in which more of us survive cancer. Our research focuses on the prevention and early detection of the disease, as well as pioneering new and experimental treatments. But we couldn't do this work without the input of patients and the public, who contribute to our world-leading research in a variety of ways.