ISEC Strive for Inclusivity and Social Equality with their 2021 Virtual Conference

Reconvening with the original 2019 conference theme, ‘Closing the Research to Practice Gap’, the UCL Centre for Inclusive Education (CIE) and the National Association for Special Educational Needs (nasen) hosted the Inclusive and Support Education’s (ISEC) ninth annual conference, held from the 3rd – 5th August 2021. The conference aims to create a more equitable, inclusive education, with 2021’s conference also factoring in the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

At the conference, 400 attendees internationally participated in 200 agenda sessions from 30 countries, benefiting from various dynamic presenters, including an introduction by Princess Anne, The Princess Royal; Paralympian Baroness Dame Tanni Grey-Thompson; and keynote speakers such as Dr. Lyman Dukes, who discussed the transition of disabled students into adult life.

Though COVID-19 posed unique challenges to vulnerable members of society – particularly those with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) – the conference’s postponement allowed for illuminating data to be gathered on topics such as innovations in online pedagogy, pupil wellness and engagement in remote learning environments, so that inclusivity in education overall might be improved. The conference hosted a valuable and timely range of reports, from the findings of Lucile Bottein’s (UCL) study on the effectiveness of recorded lectures, to a presentation on maximizing the accessibility of autism research for teachers by Joseph Mintz.