Executive Committee
Ros Lehany – Chair
Learner Support Tutor – Northern School of Contemporary Dance.
Between 2000-2005 I worked for the Dyslexia Institute (now Dyslexia Action) in Leeds. As the Adult Dyslexia Coordinator I worked with dyslexic adults in a variety of settings including the workplace and education. Part of my role was to help others to work effectively with dyslexic learners and I was involved in advising and training in a wide range of settings including local colleges, training agencies, the city council, the police force, the fire and rescue service, the probation service, YOI and prisons.
In 2005 I became the part-time Learner Support Tutor at the Northern School of Contemporary Dance. This is a small specialist HEI that forms part of the Conservatoire for Dance and Drama (CDD). I have responsibility for all the disabled students in the college (20% of whom are dyslexic) and as our numbers are small I am involved in the whole student experience from audition through screening, assessment, applications for DSA, support on placements, 1:1 and group support and eventually support for transition into the workplace.
As an independent consultant I deliver training to staff in other educational establishments, carry out assessments to support DSA applications and continue to support students on Open University courses.
I am involved in the Northern regional group of ADSHE which now meets twice a year and has active members in Sheffield, York, Leeds, Newcastle, Teesside and Edinburgh.
Email: ros.lehany@nscd.ac.uk
Sally Freeman – Deputy Chair
Dyslexia Support Specialist. Nottingham Trent University (NTU).
I have been working at NTU since January 2001 I spent the previous 12 years in the FE sector where I had reached the giddy heights of Additional Support Manager.
At NTU I am fortunate to work in a team of dyslexia specialists which makes for very stimulating team meetings! The team offers screening assessments, top up reports, specialist support to students across our three campuses and regular staff development. NTU is also a registered Access Centre for DSAs. I regularly attend meetings of the Midlands Regional ADSHE Group which has membership from universities in Nottingham, Leicester, Loughborough, Coventry, Birmingham and the Open University.
Email: sally.freeman@ntu.ac.uk
Kate Dresser – Treasurer
Dyslexia Co-ordinator, Cardiff University and Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama.
I have been Dyslexia Co-ordinator since 1996, during which time the service has expanded greatly – both in numbers and resources. With the establishment of Cardiff Assessment Centre I have been able to cast aside my needs assessor hat with immense relief and can once again concentrate on the needs of students with SpLD. However, the managerial and networking experience I have gained within the wider umbrella of disability has given me a better understanding of the context within which dyslexia specialists operate in HE. For the past year I have been attending ADSHE meetings in London , acting as an informal link between ADSHE and the Welsh regional group.
Email: dresser@cf.ac.uk
Julia Kender – Deputy Treasurer
I have worked across all sectors of education and for the past 10 years have worked in further and higher education, as a lecturer, a manager in additional services provision and as a dyslexia specialist assessor and tutor.
I have long-standing interests in access and inclusion and recognise the need to equip staff with specialist knowledge and skills to enable them keep abreast of the demands placed on them by political and legislative developments while addressing the very particular and individual needs of all learners. I am committed to working collaboratively within the HE sector to promote best practice within an inclusive learning environment.
Email: j.kender@soton.ac.uk
Atif Choudhury – Membership / Publicity Officer
I am an assistive technology trainer and a study skills tutor. Having completed a BA (Hons) in Sociology and an MSC in Social Development, I went on to complete a advanced national diploma in teaching dyslexic adults in 2002.
I have provided learning support for dyslexic students for over five years with a wide ranging portfolio of providing Study Skills support and AT training at CLASS, Middlesex University, London Met & Central School of Speech and Drama. I have developed a number of empowering teaching techniques to ensure that my students can integrate study skills tuition with enabling technology.
Whilst working as a Dyslexia support tutor, I have worked to campaign on number of social justice issues, which in 2005, led me to help set up Zaytoun, a co-op designed to market fair trade produce from communities affected by the conflict in the Middle East. I am also a founder member of EDEN Skills, a social enterprise company designed to support and provide study skills and IT Training support to all learners with Dyslexia.
Email: atif@edenskills.co.uk
Judy Turner – Regional Representative
I have a great interest is learning development in students and academics and passionately believe in providing the support necessary to enable students to develop as independent learners and to achieve their personal potential in higher education. At present I work as a chartered psychologist assessing individuals for specific learning difficulties at the University of Reading. I also provide training in specific learning difficulties for academics and am involved in policy development for disability within the university. I started the Thames Valley local ADSHE group and nurtured it for two years. I particularly value the way in which ADSHE facilitates a discourse and better understanding between dyslexia tutors and psychologists.
In my earlier life I was a research fellow in experimental psychology at York, Durham and Reading mainly researching memory, aphasia and infant vision. I believe I could make a valuable contribution to the continued development of ADSHE as a significant national organisation.
Email: j.e.turner@reading.ac.uk
John Conway – Jiscmail co-ordinator
I am the Disability Officer at the Royal Agricultural College, a post I created in 1999, initiating and managing the support provision for all disabled students and also responsible for developing inclusive teaching, learning and assessment strategies. About 20% of RAC students are dyslexic.
As a full time academic I also have a direct impact on teaching and assessment methods through ex-officio membership of the Learning and Teaching Enhancement Committee as well as contributing to a project team working to develop holistic student support services. I also sit on the Academic Board. I represent the RAC on the AimHigher West Disability Strand.
I believe very strongly in the right of every student to access education according to their abilities and not to be restricted by disabilities. I joined the NADP board in 2006, and the National Executive of ADSHE in 2009 to try and drive this agenda forward. Currently I manage the JISCmail e-forums for both organisations.
Email: John.Conway@rac.ac.uk
Mary Edelmann – Freelance tutor representative
Having worked in primary and secondary education for over twenty years, holding a number of roles of responsibility including teacher governor, head of year and SENCo, I finally made it to HE in 2006. I currently work part-time at Roehampton University, alongside a great team of specialist dyslexia support tutors providing 1:1 and group support tailored to the specific needs of the dyslexic student, screenings and drop in sessions for the non DSA students, workshops and staff development sessions to increase awareness of the difficulties some students with a disability or SpLD may encounter in HE.
I also undertake assessments and provide tutorial support for dyslexic students on a freelance basis.
While studying at the Dyslexia Institute (now Dyslexia Action) I undertook the role of course representative for two years. This entailed extensive liaison with fellow students and course directors; as well as attending meeting in central London. I feel that my previous experience would enable me to take on the role of freelance tutor representative; which I see as an exciting opportunity to provide a link between ADSHE and the freelance tutors who may be working in relative isolation across the country.
Email: M.Edelmann@roehampton.ac.uk