Essex Access Forum
The Essex Access Forum (EAF) was founded in 2007 as a discussion forum and consultation body working to support excellence in all aspects of physical and non-physical access at Essex (student education, staff employment and visitor experience).
Who we are
EAF members come from across our University (Colchester, Southend and Loughton) and have diverse roles, but a share a common interest in access, disability and inclusion issues. Membership is completely open with both staff and students - disabled and non-disabled - members welcome. EAF acts principally as an email-based discussion and dissemination platform, although we also meet once-termly, and are represented on the Project Steering Groups for all major capital builds.
The Forum is supported by Bryn Morris, Registrar, who is the University’s Diversity Champion for Disability, and chaired by Sue Hanshaw, Adam Woodhouse and LLoyd Shankley.
What we do
We are involved and contribute to a wide range of areas on access at Essex:
- we share thinking and promote informal debate
- contribute to planning and problem-solving of our University's physical environment
- assist in developing our University's policy and practical responses to legislation and guidance
- help foster a sense of belonging for those with accessibility issues
- create a safe space for our community to learn more about accessibility enhancement
- work closely with the Access Executive, which includes colleagues in Student Wellbeing and Inclusivity Service (SWIS), Workplace and Wellbeing, Estates, Occupational Health, and the Inclusion Team, to ensure the voice of our members reaches change makers
Find out more about access at Essex
- Campus access information for staff and students.
- AccessAble - our partner organisation for detailed information on campus venues.
- Essex Access Forum Terms of Reference (.pdf)
Interested in joining us?
We are primarily an email forum (although we also meet termly). To join simply add yourself to the Access Essex email subscription list, where you will receive regular updates on changes to accessibility on-campus and invitations to meetings and events that we run.
Our hybrid forum meetings are scheduled as follows for the forthcoming year:
Date/ time
- 15 November 2023, 12pm - 1pm
- 11 March 2024, 12pm - 1pm
- 11 June 2024, 12pm - 1pm
- 24 September 2024, 12pm - 1pm
- 19 November 2024, 12pm - 1pm
Location
- 5S.5.26 (Vice-Chancellor’s Board Room)
- Zoom (link in invite, upon request)
