RIDE Higher
Nominee Profile
Location: Wideopen
RIDE Higher was created by disabled academics and professionals within the Higher Education sector in response to the challenges facing disabled employees. Run by the National Association of Disabled Staff Networks (NADSN) its mission is to change the HE landscape and ensure that disabled employees are seen, valued and thrive. With a disability charter, (akin to Athena SWAN for gender equality and the Race Equality Charter) conspicuous by its absence, RIDE Higher seeks to ensure that disabled employees are championed, instead of forgotten about, in HE. However, rather than being a charter itself, or adopting a punitive approach to force change, RIDE Higher takes a different approach. It will offer a mechanism for Universities to be apprised of and learn from best practices in the sector (pertaining to the inclusion of disabled staff). The RIDE Higher website and its case studies will be accessible and free for all, and it is hoped that it will 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.
Moreover, RIDE Higher supports and seeks to operate alongside other stakeholders in this space, including The Disabled Student Commitment and The University Mental Health Charter. It is part of a movement to improve the inclusion and aspirations of the whole disabled University community. It has also been designed to complement the holistic EDI framework of Advance HE (the IIF, due to launch in 2025), by supporting Universities, irrespective of where they are on their disability inclusion journeys, to establish their key priorities and action these. Taking one issue at a time, without the pressure to achieve accreditations, RIDE Higher will empower Universities choose what, when and how they take action, with the benefit of blueprints to follow and support from the wider RIDE Higher network. The website is currently under construction, with a pilot planned later this year.
Moreover, RIDE Higher supports and seeks to operate alongside other stakeholders in this space, including The Disabled Student Commitment and The University Mental Health Charter. It is part of a movement to improve the inclusion and aspirations of the whole disabled University community. It has also been designed to complement the holistic EDI framework of Advance HE (the IIF, due to launch in 2025), by supporting Universities, irrespective of where they are on their disability inclusion journeys, to establish their key priorities and action these. Taking one issue at a time, without the pressure to achieve accreditations, RIDE Higher will empower Universities choose what, when and how they take action, with the benefit of blueprints to follow and support from the wider RIDE Higher network. The website is currently under construction, with a pilot planned later this year.