Day 2: full of applause
Based on the comments captured during our recorded workshop sessions, our amazing participants shared incredibly thoughtful reflections and highlighted how valuable and eye-opening the two days were. Examples include:
- “Three words: Engaging, Interactive, Informative.”
- “We learned a lot regarding different tools and how to make them accessible.”
- “I think we can incorporate some of these ideas at our universities right now.”
- “Inclusivity is a multi-dimensional word – social, financial, educational, cultural, political… it is very challenging to ensure all these aspects.”
- “Very informative and a different kind of workshop.”
- “This two-day workshop will hopefully make a difference in transforming our higher education system in Pakistan.”
Participants also praised the work of the full delivery team and initiated several rounds of applause for Seemab, myself and the wider project team, and we also applauded the participants, so the room was genuinely full of applause.
On Day 2:
- Dr Seemab Farooqi delivered a very insightful session on industry engagement, which is one of the topics the participants are very interested in.
- NUST students shared their exciting Assistive Technology Projects.
- My session focused on a demo of assistive technology in AI-enhanced digital storytelling, with feedback such as “everything changed for me.”
- Rhona P.’s session offered practical demonstrations of assistive tools in the computer lab, and helped participants see the differences in how these systems are used across countries in practice.
- Stella Howden’s session on embedding inclusion into the curriculum was described as “excellent” and “fun”, sparking lively exchanges and sharing of good practice.
- David Millar’s session on Designing for Cultural Change was considered very thought-provoking and led to in-depth discussion among participants.
Big thanks to Dr Seemab Farooqi for leading the organisation and facilitation of the event, and to our amazing NUST Business School team including Dr Asfia Obaid, Dr Lubaba Sadaf, Dr Fatima Qaisar, Ms Kishwar S. Gulzar and Dr Sumbal Babar for the excellent local arrangements.
We also acknowledge the accessible design of our master slide deck by Liam Brown, who is sharing the helpful house-style design guide widely as well.
It was also very touching and heart-warming to receive personal feedback from our brilliant participants, such as:
- “I just want to comment on your energy and your happy mood. That’s one thing I really love.”
- “We could really feel the energy even through the screen.”
- “When I saw Ying’s presentation, everything changed for me. A big round of applause for Ying.”
Thank you again to everyone for these two incredible days!
Day 1 and the first Beyond the Ramp podcast episode
What our participants said
Very positive feedback for all sessions. During the debrief and reflection activity, participants used words such as “Eye-opening,” “Change of perspective,” and “A systems approach.”
They described the sessions as practical and inclusive, and appreciated the presenters’ styles. For example, James Duncan’s accessibility training received strong praise for clearly showing how inclusive practices can be implemented. The lived-experience panel was highlighted as highly impactful, and Audrey Gregory’s engaging session on Inclusive Curriculum Design and Hidden Disabilities was also very well received! Many participants left with immediate ideas they plan to try.
Highlights
- Quick wins for accessible teaching and student support
- Powerful discussion of hidden disabilities
- The premiere of a short AI-enhanced digital storytelling podcast episode, built from real student voices (watch on YouTube)
- Brilliant team spirit across our UK–Pakistan partners
Thank you to our speakers, panellists, NUST colleagues, event participants, and the British Council for such a collaborative day.
Research team
Principal Investigator: Dr Seemab Farooqi (UK)
Co-Investigators: Dr Ying Wu (UK), Dr Asfia Obaid (Pakistan), Dr Lubaba Sadaf (Pakistan), Dr Fatima Qaisar (Pakistan)
Project collaboration team
Dr Seemab Farooqi, Dr Ying Wu, Dr Asfia Obaid, Dr Lubaba Sadaf, Dr Fatima Qaisar, Ms Kishwar S. Gulzar, Dr Sumbal Babar, Liam Brown, Rhona P. and James Duncan
Find out more on the project website: digital-inclusion.online
Originally shared on LinkedIn.
