NADSN RIDE Higher – About us

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A slightly overhead perspective of two disabled Black people (a femme wearing compression gloves and a non-binary person in a power wheelchair) holding hands while on sitting across from each other on a coffee date.

Realising the Inclusion of Disabled Employees in Higher Education

“Driving a journey towards greater equity”

About us

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How to Hub – under construction

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Stories – under construction

Join the RIDE

This is a free, open resource hub for disabled staff in Higher Education — and for everyone who wants to champion disability inclusion.

Whatever your role, you’re welcome here.

The Origins

RIDE Higher was borne following a meeting in January 2023 between Dr Mel Best (University of Wolverhampton), Dr Hamied Haroon (Director of NADSN) and Emma Nadin (University of Loughborough). With a disability charter, (akin to Athena SWAN for gender equality and the Race Equality Charter) conspicuous by its absence, they discussed whether a framework could be created to ensure that disabled employees were championed, instead of forgotten about, in Higher Education.

Today, led by Dr Mel Best, and operating as part of NADSN (the National Association of Disabled Staff Networks), they have been joined by more disabled academics and professionals, who form the Steering Committee and are committed to championing disabled staff within Higher Education. Alongside the wider Working Group, they represent over 30 Universities from across the sector.

RIDE Higher offers a mechanism for Universities to be apprised of and learn from best practices in the sector (pertaining to the inclusion of disabled staff). These pages provide a platform for resources and knowledge to be shared.

All materials are accessible and free for all, because disability inclusion is and should be everybody’s business, whether you are a disabled or non-disabled employee, estates worker or EDI lead, vice-chancellor or visiting lecturer, dean or director or anything in between. We welcome everyone who wishes to join us on this journey and be part of this movement.

We hope that RIDE Higher can be the ‘go-to’ for anyone in the sector wishing to listen, learn and lead their University towards a more inclusive future for their disabled staff.

“The National Disabled Staff Survey (2025) revealed that 44% of disabled HE staff had thought about leaving their University due to a lack of disability inclusion. 20% thought about this all of the time. This is not acceptable and it is high time that this changed. We hope that RIDE Higher can offer a mechanism and a platform to support shifting this landscape for disabled staff in HE. We invite everyone to join the RIDE.”

– Dr Melanie Best, Lead of RIDE Higher

“Our mission is to change the HE landscape so that disabled staff are seen, valued and can thrive.“

RIDE Higher does this by offering a window into best practices, policies, news and opportunities pertaining to the inclusion of disabled staff in the Higher Education sector.

Two Colleagues Collaborate in an Accessibility Solutions Center

A Man Sitting on the Chair while Talking on the Phone

Lower body crop of an Indigenous Two-Spirit person with a prothestic leg standing next to an open elevator and its floor-located call buttons. The word “free” can be seen tattooed across their knuckles, and the person is also holding a cane.

Where does RIDE Higher fit with other disability inclusion frameworks?

RIDE Higher supports and operates alongside other key stakeholders and frameworks in this space. This includes the Disabled Student Commitment and University Mental Health Charter – Student Minds Hub, as well as The Inclusive Institutions Framework of Advance HE. In complementing these charters, RIDE Higher seeks to support HE providers and staff to improve the inclusion of their disabled employees, by enabling them to establish key priorities and action these, thereby offering evidence to meet the required outcomes of these frameworks. In short RIDE Higher empowers Universities to choose what, when and how they take action, with the benefit of blueprints to follow and support from the wider RIDE Higher network.

RIDE Higher offers:

A bank of resources showcasing disability inclusion policies, practices and opportunities from Universities and other organisations connected to the HE sector
Research pertaining to disability inclusion in HE, including the National Disabled Staff Survey, yielding evidence-based recommendations
The opportunity to guide your institution’s efforts towards meeting sector standards and evidence this disability inclusion work
Support in aligning to multiple staff and student-focused frameworks

A disabled Asian genderfluid person types on a laptop while wearing compression gloves. The hands and keyboard are the focal point.

Close-up of a Black and Indigenous austistic non-binary person with pink ombré hair, black lipstick, black nail polish, tattoos, and bracelets using a tangle stim toy.

Why is RIDE Higher needed?

The percentage of disabled staff employed in Higher Education (HE) increased from 3.9% in 2012/13 to 7.2% in 2022/23 (Advance HE, 2024). However, given that 24% of working age adults have a disability, disabled staff appear to be vastly under-represented in HE (DWP, 2024). This is particularly the case for academics, with declaration rates consistently higher among professional and support staff (Advance HE, 2023). There is an interesting contrast with students, with 17.3% declaring a disability in 2020/21 (Hubble & Bolton, 2021). Disabled staff can be viewed the ‘unexpected workers’ of HE, the assumed recipients of professionals, rather than the professionals themselves (Waterfield et al., 2018), and yet their absence risks untapped potential that the sector can ill afford. RIDE Higher was created to support efforts to increase the representation and improve the lived experience, of disabled employees in Higher Education.

Legal requirements

Universities have proactive duties under the Equality Act 2010. Many are still falling short and legal precedent is changing. The Abrahart v Bristol case sent a clear message: institutions must act. RIDE Higher helps institutions:

Understand and respond to legal expectations
Embed inclusive practice early — before issues escalate
Protect staff (and students)
Prevent complaints and litigation

Better Outcomes

Inclusion isn’t just right — it’s smart. Getting it wrong leads to grievance, attrition, and reputational damage. Getting it right leads to:

Improved staff morale, retention, and productivity
Fewer conflicts, complaints, and absences
Greater belonging for disabled students through better role models and staff representation

The RIDE Higher website offers a hub for disabled professionals and for students making choices about where to work or study. It’s also a place for institutions to showcase their commitment to equity and inclusion.

Want to lead the change?

Start by exploring the resources or joining our network. No gatekeeping, just shared learning and action.

“It is no good taking a punitive approach to effect change in Universities, and trying to coerce leaders to better the inclusion of disabled staff. What we need is to highlight the huge advantages of doing so for all staff, whether they are disabled or not, and then offering tangible resources to get them started and keep going. We have to stop everyone working in siloes. Knowledge is power, collaboration is key and support is vital if we really want meaningful change for our disabled colleagues.”

– Lead of RIDE Higher, Dr Mel Best

Did you know?

Only 52.8% of disabled adults were in work in 2025 (Q2) compared to 82.5% of non-disabled adults. (DWP, 2025).
The Government set a goal to get 1 million more disabled people in work by 2027, their under-representation described as a scandalous waste of talent (DWP, 2023).
Professional services staff share a disability more readily than academic staff (Advance HE, 2021).
Disabled staff lack representation in senior HE positions. Whilst 6.7% of non-professorial academic staff – share a disability, only 4.1% of professors share this identity. Only 4.7% of academic senior managers share a disability. (Advance HE, 2023).
7.1% of academic staff on teaching-only contracts share a disability, compared to 5.5% of those on research-only contracts and 5.3% of those on teaching and research contracts, indicating that research responsibilities may be less sought by disabled academics, and/or impact the decision to share this identity (Advance HE, 2023).

29.7% of disabled academics were earning £50,000+, compared to 37.5% of non-disabled academics, with a 3.5% pay gap for those in the professional services (Advance HE, 2023).
The limited disabled workforce in HE, including in seniority, limits the role models, perceived accessibility of Universities and aspirations of disabled students.
Disabled students have worse outcomes in HE than non-disabled students, are more likely to drop-out of courses, tend to have lower degree results and have worse employment outcomes.
On average 1 disability student advisor is supporting up to 583 students (Borkin, 2023). However very few Universities employ any disability staff advisors.

Our Structure

Steering Committee

Our Steering Committee leads the strategic direction of RIDE Higher. This core group is responsible for delivering our vision and shaping our work. Committee members also contribute to sub-groups focused on key areas such as research, our website, legal guidance, and more.

Meet the team

Dr Melanie Best

Lead of RIDE Higher

University of Wolverhampton

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Mel was instrumental in the conceptualisation of RIDE Higher and now leads the work. She stepped out of a senior academic role to dedicate her time to promoting the inclusion of disabled staff within HE. She now focusses her time on driving forward the work of RIDE Higher, whilst working as a Senior HR Advisor in Equality, Diversity & Inclusion (Disability). Mel leads on the University’s Disability Equality Action Plan with this work helping the University’s DSN to win ‘Outstanding Ability Network’ at the 2025 Employee Network Awards, and ‘Highly Commended’ at the 2025 British Diversity Awards. Mel is also a disability researcher, having focussed research on Paralympic athletes and HE communities. She is part of the NADSN Steering Committee.

Dr Hamied Haroon

NADSN Director Representative

University of Manchester

Chair of NADSN.

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Dr Hamied Haroon is a Research Fellow at The University of Manchester. Hamied is a proud life-long Disabled person, Mancunian, husband, and father of two, and a Muslim of Pakistani heritage. Apart from his “day job”, Hamied is Founder and Chair of the National Association of Disabled Staff Network (NADSN). His profile was included by The Royal Society in a selection of past and present Disabled scientists in 2019. As 2021 began, He delivered the Annual Disability Lecture at the Universities of Cambridge (2018) and Oxford (2021). He served on the Steering Committee for The Royal Society’s new report on “Disability Technology” in 2025. Hamied served as a Judge for the Shaw Trust Disability Power 100 from 2021 to 2024 and the Nature Awards for Inclusive Health Research from 2022 to 2024. In July 2025, Hamied was presented with the first ever Christabel Pankhurst Medal at The University of Manchester President’s Distinguished Achievement Awards.

Emma Nadin

Secretary

University of Loughborough

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Emma is Co-Chair of The Disability and Inclusion Network, Neurodiversity Champion, a Neurodiversity Workplace Needs Assessor and NADSN’s East Midlands Regional Lead.

Prof. Gayle Brewer

University of Liverpool

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Gayle is Equality, Diversity, Inclusion, and Wellbeing co-Lead and Athena SWAN Lead for the Institute of Population Health. In 2022 she published Disability in Higher Education: Investigating identity, stigma, and disclosure amongst academics, and was subsequently shortlisted for the British Educational Research Association (BERA) Educational Research Book of the Year. She holds doctorates in Psychology and Education.

Prof. Jackie Carter

Independent Consultant

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Jackie is a Professor of statistical literacy and the Academic Lead, EDI Disability. She was named one of the top 100 in the Shaw Trust Powerlist in 2023 (top 10 in the Education category). Jackie is a staunch advocate for disability-inclusion, having introduced the Sunflower lanyard into the University of Manchester and led them to Disability Confident Leader status. She is committed to developing a disability framework that is better suited to Higher Education. She initiated a ‘Let’s Talk Disability’ series of recorded conversations with senior staff, disabled staff and PGRs, at the University.

Dr Francesca (Frankie) Doddato

Lancaster University

She/Her

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Frankie is a teaching assistant in Lancaster University’s Physics Department. She has a PhD in particle cosmology, having built a model on the production of supersymmetric dark matter and the baryon asymmetry. While a PhD student she found a side interest in disability inclusion and EDI. This set her on the path to her joining the Lancashire and Cumbria branch of the Institute of Physics (IOP) in 2017.

On joining the committee, she created the Diversity Representative role; this grew into her national Inclusion and Diversity Advocates initiative, which she leads. In recognition of this, she was awarded the IOP Phillips Award in 2023, for distinguished service to the institute. She has sat on numerous IOP national committees and groups, including the Membership and D&I committees, and has been described as a “shining light” to the IOP on EDI matters.

Her work with the IOP led to her being commissioned to write a book on supporting disabled physicists in universities (still a WIP), which in turn led to her joining NADSN and the STEMM Action Group. As co-leader of the group, she is a co-author of the NADSN White Paper, “Towards a fully inclusive environment for disabled people in STEMM”. She is interested in applying the White Paper’s recommendations to HE and advocating for better inclusion for disabled educators. She joined the RIDE Higher steering committee in January 2026.

Prof. Carol Evans

University of Salford

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Carol is the Pro-Vice Chancellor Education and Student Experience and Professor of Higher Education. She is a global leader in research-informed inclusive practices and pedagogy. She has held many senior leadership positions within higher education including Principal Assessor for England’s Office for Students (OfS), Pro Vice-Chancellor (Learning and Teaching) at Griffith University (Australia), Chair of Higher Education and Academic Lead of HEFi at the University of Birmingham, Professor and Co-Director of Southampton’s Centre for Higher Education, and Board member at the University of Bournemouth. Carol has produced world-leading research in assessment and individual differences and is a strong advocate for disability inclusion for staff and students in higher education. She is a member of the Office of the Independent Adjudicator’s Disability Experts Panel. Working with Transforming Access and Student Outcomes (TASO) and colleagues in the UK and Australia she developed a sector-leading disability inclusion framework and integrated approach to inclusion (IIF). She works closely with the British Council to promote disability inclusion for students.

Angela Getty

University of Ulster

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Angela has 22 years’ experience as an equality practitioner at Ulster University in a research and management capacity. She is responsible for leading the equality, diversity and inclusion section at Ulster University, ensuring compliance with employment equality legislation and delivery of statutory equality reports.

Angela is currently Chair of the Board of Employers for Disability Northern Ireland and is the main contact between the University and the Equality Commission for Northern Ireland.

Prof. Dan Goodley

University of Sheffield

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Professor of Disability Studies and Education and co-director of iHuman. Dan’s research seeks to theorise and contest the processes of disablism and ableism. He works in collaboration with disabled researchers and disabled people’s organisations. Two current projects include the Wellcome Anti-Ableist Research Culture and Disability Matters, both funded by the Wellcome Trust, which position disability as the driving subject for rethinking universities, research and practice.

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Dr Elisabeth Griffiths

Northumbria University

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Elisabeth is an Associate Professor and a qualified Solicitor (non-practising) specialising in Employment and Equality Law. Elisabeth’s research interests are equality law and disability discrimination in the workplace, in education and as a lived experience. She has written about ableism in academia and the lived experience of disability for law students.

Julian Gwinnett

University of Wolverhampton

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Julian is a Disability and Inclusion Advisor within the directorate of Student Life. He has worked in the HE Sector for over 25 years. He is also a Co-Chair of the University of Wolverhampton’s Disabled Staff Network (DSN). He a tireless advocate for disabled people. He is also a cohost of the D.I.I.verse Hub – a podcast channel that explore a range of topics under the umbrella of Diversity, Inclusion & Intersectionality.

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Rachel Heyes

University of Manchester

She/Her

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Rachel is a Learning Technologist in the Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health at the University of Manchester. She works with staff and students to design accessible, engaging, and inclusive digital learning experiences, drawing on her background in teaching, content design, and accessibility practice.

Rachel brings both lived experience and professional expertise to her work in equity, diversity, and inclusion. She is a former Co-Chair of the Disabled Staff Network at the University of Manchester and contributes nationally through NADSN as Engagement and Communications Lead, the Disabled Leaders Network (DLN), and Diversity in Medicine and Health Group (DIMAH). She is also involved in various University of Manchester EDI committees and consultations, helping to shape policies and practices that support disabled and neurodivergent staff and students.

With a background in film and A-level Media Studies, Rachel brings creativity to her work. She works from home alongside her much-loved pets and is passionate about art, crafts, reading, accessible Pilates, and being the best ally she can be in working towards disability equity and amplifying under-represented voices.

Alan Humphries

University of Coventry

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Alan works as an Advice Caseworker at the Your SU Advice Service at the Students’ Union at Coventry University. He has worked in the HE Sector for 13 years. Before that he worked in Local Government and briefly as a Solicitor. He was a keen disability activist and can remember chaining himself to buses to make the case for equality as well as attending countless marches and demonstrations!

Pip Jackson

University College London

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Pip has worked across the university providing in-house expertise on inclusive design and access, and embedding inclusive environments in to their education programme. She sits on a number of industry led committees and panels, including the British Standards Institutions’ B559 committee which is responsible for BS8300 Design of an accessible and inclusive built environment. Pip has over twenty years’ experience of working on access and inclusion in the public sector, in both planning (working on strategic planning applications for the Mayor of London as principal advisor- access) and building control settings (Camden Council). Pip was the National President of the Access Association.

Louise Pepper-Kernot

University of Manchester

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Louise has been a Disability Practitioner in Higher Education since 2002 and served on the Board of Directors at the National Association of Disability Practitioners from 2022 to 2025. Louise was the founder of the Staff Disability Service at the University of Manchester in 2009. She has also managed Disability and Disabled Students’ Allowances Assessment Centre Services. Currently, Louise is the Head of Disability Services at the University of Manchester. In this role, she leads a team of Disability Advisers that supports both staff and students, a Specialist Mental Health and Autism Mentoring team, as well as a group of students employed to provide direct transition, note-taking, and engagement support to disabled students. As an individual with experience as a disabled undergraduate, postgraduate, and staff member, Louise brings invaluable lived experience to her work. She is deeply passionate about enhancing inclusion and raising awareness of the challenges faced by disabled colleagues and students in Higher Education, leading to improved experiences.

Prof. Geoff Layer

University of Coventry

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Geoff works on strategic development for Coventry University as the Vice Chancellor’s Envoy. He has worked at Sheffield Hallam University, been Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academic) at the University of Bradford and became the longest standing Vice Chancellor at the University of Wolverhampton. He has been a Professor of Lifelong Learning since 1995, with numerous research projects, publications and sector leading developments. He was a board member of AdvanceHE, Chair of the Advance HE EDI Committee and led the Disabled Student Sector Leadership Group. In 2019 the Universities Minister appointed him as Chair of the newly formed Disabled Student Commission and in 2021 he was appointed the Disability Ambassador for Universities.

Lucinda Matthews-Jones

Liverpool John Moores University

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Lucie is a Reader (Associate Professor) in Victorian History. She is the project lead on LJMU’s Disabled Researchers Hub, funded through the Research England’s ‘Enhancing Research Culture’ initiative. She regularly talks to higher education practitioners on inclusive research culture and working with and for disabled researchers including PGRs and academic staff. She is on the advisory board of History UK’s Disability and History Project. She is also an equity champion for the EDI Caucus.

Prof. Stuart Prior

University of Bristol

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Stuart Prior is Professor of Archaeological Practice, Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy and Member of the Chartered Institute for Archaeologists (MCIfA). He is also a broadcaster specialising in heritage, castles, landscapes and ancient technology. He is Co-Chair of the Disabled and Well-being Network (DAWN) at University of Bristol and has a student facing role as School Disability Officer in the School of Arts.

Dr Sue Wilbraham

University of Cumbria

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Sue is a Senior Lecturer in Applied Psychology at the University of Cumbria. She is also a Chartered Psychologist and Senior Fellow of the HEA, a Schwartz round facilitator and an advocate for creating compassionate workplace communities. With expertise in wellbeing within HE, Sue

contributed to the development of the University Mental Health Charter. She is passionate about understanding the way the environment impacts people and is also UCU green rep for the University. Sue represents the Disabled and Neurodiverse staff network (DANN) on the University’s EDI and Wellbeing committee.

Dr Meredith Wilkinson

De Montford University

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Dr Meredith Wilkinson is a Senior Lecturer in Psychology at De Montfort University. She is co-chair of the DMU DisAbility and Wellbeing Network and is the chair of the Disabled Women in Academia Group which is a sub-group of the National Association of Disabled Staff Networks (NADSN).

Prof. Anica Zeyen

Royal Holloway, London

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Professor in Entrepreneurship and Inclusion in the School of Business and Management. Anica chairs the Disability and Mental Health Staff Network and serves as Vice Dean for Equality, Diversity and Inclusion for her School. She actively drives university-wide initiatives to foster more inclusive practices and policies, focusses her research on disability-inclusive workplaces/ entrepreneurship and leisure activities. Anica is a disability rights advocate and campaigns with local and national disability rights organisations as well as giving talks on sight loss awareness, guide dogs and disability awareness.

Working Group

Our Working Group are a collection of individuals with various disabilities, who work across the HE sector in a variety of positions, that offer a disabled voice and ear, supporting the work of the steering committee. Meeting every 3 months, the working group are a window into the sector and share updates, ideas and challenges, which are taken back to the steering committee in inform actions. In turn progress updates are shared and feedback sought from the working group, as RIDE Higher continues to evolve. It is a symbiotic and important relationship, that seeks to ensure that the needs and views of disabled staff remain at the heart of RIDE Higher’s work.

Our Roots

RIDE Higher is a national initiative proudly delivered as part of the National Association of Disabled Staff Networks (NADSN). We are deeply aligned with NADSN’s mission to advance equity and inclusion for disabled staff across all sectors, with a specific focus on higher education.

It’s important to emphasise that all members of RIDE Higher participate on a voluntary basis. This collective effort reflects the dedication, lived experience, and determination of our community to drive change across the sector.

Language and models

At RIDE Higher, promoting disability inclusion within the Higher Education sector begins with transparency about our values, the language we use, and the models that shape our work.

RIDE Higher was co-created by and for disabled employees working in higher education. Our steering and working group members are disabled staff—both academics and professional services colleagues who volunteer their time.

We are proud to advocate the social and affirmation models of disability, which challenge the view that disability is a personal shortcoming. Instead, these models focus on the barriers created by society, including those within education, and recognise the value and insight that disabled people contribute. We believe disabled people should be supported to enjoy the same successful and fulfilling careers as their non-disabled peers.

We know that inclusion is not a final destination—it’s a learning journey. As we advocate for systemic change, we also commit to evolving and improving ourselves. The RIDE Higher Steering Committee understands the importance of flexibility, reflection, and the need to adapt, especially as new or evolving models of disability emerge.

While we’ve worked hard to ensure this website is accessible and inclusive, we know it may not be perfect. If you spot something we can do better, please use the email at the bottom of the page to reach out to us. Your suggestions help us improve.

Disability is complex, and people’s relationships to it are deeply personal and varied. While RIDE Higher uses the terms ‘disabled people’ and ‘disability’ in line with the social model and for consistency, we fully acknowledge that other terms may resonate more with different individuals in different contexts. Everyone has the right to self-describe.

Under the Equality Act 2010, disability is defined as:

“A physical or mental impairment which has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on a person’s ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities.”

However, we recognise that disability can be fluid, situational, and self-defined. For some, it’s a fixed identity. For others, it changes over time. It may include (but is not limited to) people who are:

neurodivergent
living with chronic illness or mental health conditions
experiencing long COVID or fatigue
blind, visually impaired, or d/Deaf
undiagnosed but feeling ‘disabled’
unsure whether the label applies
feeling like an ‘imposter’ for identifying with it
choosing not to disclose

We welcome and support you all.

We will not get everything right, but we are committed to listening, learning, and improving. Please be patient, be kind, and help us build something better, together.

inforidehigher@jiscmail.ac.uk

Join the RIDE

There’s no official sign-up required — just a commitment to doing better.

By engaging with RIDE Higher, you and your institution can gain valuable insights, resources, and a platform for driving meaningful change in disability inclusion.

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If you’re interested in learning more, please get in touch with us at: inforidehigher@jiscmail.ac.uk.

Feedback your thoughts

Whilst every effort has been made to ensure the accessibility of this website, we fully accept that there will be areas we can improve. Please tell us (kindly) so that we can improve.

National Disability Staff Survey

The National Disabled Staff Survey (NDSS), launched by RIDE Higher and the National Association of Disabled Staff Networks (NADSN), focuses on the experiences of disabled staff in the UK tertiary education sector. The survey aim is to identify, address, and improve disability inclusion, with a 2024-2025 pilot aimed at understanding lived experiences.

National Disabled Staff Survey infographic

What the first National Disabled Staff Survey tells us

The first National Disabled Staff Survey exposes the deep structural barriers faced by disabled staff in higher education. Susan Wilbraham, Ruth Gilligan, and Jackie Carter draw on the voices of the sector to explain more.

WonkHE Blog

NADSN RIDE Higher – About us

Realising the Inclusion of Disabled Employees in Higher Education

The Origins

Where does RIDE Higher fit with other disability inclusion frameworks?

Why is RIDE Higher needed?

Did you know?

Our Structure

Working Group

Our Roots

Language and models

Join the RIDE

Get Involved

Feedback your thoughts

National Disability Staff Survey

What the first National Disabled Staff Survey tells us

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