News

Free Holistic Treatment
A project provided through Guru Ram Das Project and funded by the Big Lottery Fund is offering free holistic treament for neuro-diverse adults (between the ages of 14 and 35)    more

Comments on the HEFCE paper
The AchieveAbility Network Steering Group has commented on the recently published HEFCE paper 'Higher Education outreach: targeting disadvantaged learners', highlighting 3 key areas of concern; 1) The process for monitoring and evaluating outreach activities for disabled people and especially those with Specific Learning Differences, e.g. Dyslexia, Dyspraxia and Dyscalculia 2) The data collection methodology which still defines widening participation in relation to geographical areas, social disadvantage and family background. 3) The lack of recognition in the guidelines for the loss of talent in a modern economy by low rates of participation in HE by learners with specific learning differences; an intellectual talent of critical importance for the creation of a high-skills economy.    more

MP becomes President of AchieveAbility Network
Barry Sheerman, MP for Huddersfield and Chair fo the Select Committee for Education and Skills has agreed to act as President to the AchieveAbility national network.    more

Top Award for Inspirational Learner
David Maguire (36), an AchieveAbility Student Ambassador, is the London winner of the ‘Adult Learners Week Open College Network (OCN) 25th Anniversary Award 2007’. Despite having specfic learning differences and being expelled from school at 15 years old he has successfully re-entered education and has been named as the winner of a coveted prize for exceptional adult learners.    more

Creation of AchieveAbility Network
Although the Aimhigher HEFCE funded project is ending the project partners have now established the AchieveAbility Network. The purpose of the AchieveAbility Network is to ensure that there are appropriate learning opportunities to support and enhance the continuation rates of SpLD learners across sector. Membership is open to staff from all organisations interested in promoting awareness and meeting the needs of SpLD learners across sector.    more

AchieveAbility Project wins praise from Minister
The AchieveAbility Project, led by the University of Westminster, to highlight barriers many students with conditions such as dyslexia, dyscalculia and dyspraxia - known as specific learning difficulties - face in progressing through to university has won praise from a government minister. Bill Rammell, Minister of State for Lifelong Learning, Further and Higher Education, speaking in his keynote address at the AchieveAbility National Conference held on 22 June 2006 said there was a social and economic need to broaden access to higher education - and pointed to the AchieveAbility project as an example of good practice.    more

House of Lords debate on dyslexia
The AchieveAbility project welcomed last week’s House of Lords debate on dyslexia. A recent poll of teachers showed that 90% believe dyslexic students should remain in mainstream education but only 12% believe they have the resources and training to support them. If ‘every child matters’ is to be more than just rhetoric there is an urgent need for teacher training to be changed to address the needs of SpLD learners. The Project wishes to state its concern that 10% of the population might not have had their educational needs met, and the massive intellectual loss this represents in terms of wasted talent.    more

Why I believe that dyslexia is not a myth
Article by Katherine Hewlett, AchieveAbility Project Director, in Times Higher Education Supplement in response to Channel 4 Dispatches programme The Dyslexia Myth    more