EmpowerED; A University of Winchester-Sheiling College Inclusive Higher Education Initiative Unlike many universities in the USA and Europe, there are currently no university programmes in the UK that admit students with complex learning needs. This presentation will tell the story of how a university lecturer and a special needs teacher are working to change that culture, through providing opportunities for their students to interact. Students from Sheiling College, all of whom have complex needs and many of whom are pre-verbal, have undertaken work experience on the university campus, taken part in treasure hunts and supported presentations. Undergraduates from the University of Winchester have visited Sheiling College and joined in lessons. Both groups of students have had opportunities to eat together in the university caf, where they have had positive interactions with the wider university community. This project has grown from the work developed by Professor Susan Carpenter of CUNY when on sabbatical in the UK. The talk will set the context for this study. The vision and aspiration of the presenters will be outlined. There will be some discussion of the barriers they have encountered as well as the successes. It will include feedback from both neurotypical and neuro-diverse participants. The primary learning outcome for the presenters has been to keep the project small in order to ensure success.

Additional Presenter: Dr. Rachel Harrison