You can read more about the various presentations in the link below. Some of the speakers' presentation materials are available in the course Accessibility in Teaching, which can be found in Canvas. There you will also find answers to questions from the audience during the conference day for each speaker.
Accessibility in Teaching (in Swedish) – canvas.education.lu.se
Day
Opening speech focusing on teaching methods – Ann-Kristin Wallengren
The conference was opened by Ann-Kristin Wallengren, Vice-Rector for Culture and Educational Development. In her speech, she reflected on the relationship between form and content in teaching. The content of teaching is constantly evolving, but how much do we actually focus on the forms of teaching? She emphasized that we must try different teaching methods to create teaching that is accessible and inclusive for everyone.
Keynote on student life and working life with autism – Clara Törnvall
The keynote speaker at the conference was Clara Törnvall, lecturer and author, who gave a speech on autism. Clara used her own and others' experiences to show how schools, universities and working life function in a way that does not suit everyone, with chaotic physical environments, vague communication and high demands for flexibility. According to Clara, if we instead plan education and work with multiple modes of functioning in mind, life would be easier for everyone. This is especially true for universities, which are places where people with autism often thrive under the right conditions.
How workplaces can become more inclusive – Lund's Fontänhus
Next up was Matilda Espmarker, club manager for Lund's Fontänhus. She talked about Fontänhus's work for people with mental health issues. She gave examples of Fontänhuset's activities and tips on how workplaces can become more inclusive. Among other things, she highlighted the importance of a good working environment, support from immediate managers and clear communication. Finally, she invited Maryam, a person who had previously participated in Fontänhuset's activities, to speak. Maryam talked about how the activities helped her return to working life.
Panel discussion on targeted educational support with students and teachers
The first day of the conference ended with a panel discussion. Three students receiving targeted educational support and two of their teachers took part in the discussion. The students talked about what worked well and less well when they applied for and received educational support. They also discussed how inclusive teaching actually is in practice. The teachers emphasised that university staff need to be given time to work on accessibility in order for their workload to be sustainable and for teaching to be equally accessible to all. The students concluded the discussion by sharing their best advice for making teaching inclusive.
Day 2
ADHD and autism: brain function and diagnostic criteria – Anders Rasmussen
The second day of the conference began with a presentation by Anders Rasmussen, senior lecturer in associative learning. Anders began by explaining what characterizes ADHD and autism based on how the brain works, i.e., from a neuroscientific perspective. He also pointed out that how we diagnose these conditions plays a major role, and that the number of diagnoses therefore varies greatly historically and globally. He concluded his presentation by talking about his new study, in which he and several other researchers investigated whether there are different ways of testing cerebellar function to predict ADHD.
Teaching students with ADHD and autism – Mona Holmqvist
The second speaker of the day was Mona Holmqvist, professor of educational science. She began by talking about her own experiences of having a child with intellectual disabilities and autism. Her presentation then focused on accessibility for people with autism and ADHD in higher education. Mona highlighted that we ourselves create barriers for students through the expectations we have. For example, there are often high demands on students to take on a great deal of freedom in their studies, structure their studies themselves, and create social relationships. These expectations can be particularly challenging for students with ADHD or autism.
Inclusion in sustainability education – Mirjam Glessmer and Terese Thoni
The final item on the conference agenda dealt with the connection between education, inclusion, and sustainability. The speakers were Mirjam Glessmer, senior lecturer at Genombrottet, and Terese Thoni, education coordinator at Hållbarhetsforum. They emphasized that there are many common goals for groups working with inclusion and groups working for sustainability. They also raised the question of how inclusive teaching can encourage students to see themselves as part of the global effort to achieve a sustainable future.