Kirsty Wayland Memorial Disability Lecture

Kirsty Wayland in the countryside

Annual Lecture 2025

Kirsty Wayland Memorial Disability Lecture will be held at St John’s College on Tuesday 22nd April. The lecture was previously known as The University of Cambridge Annual Disability Lecture. 

The University of Cambridge Annual Disability Lecture series started in 2003, and this year’s lecture is the 20th in the series. 

This year’s lecture will focus on the topical issue of competency standards and disability in higher education. The title of this year’s lecture is:

Competence standards and disability: what next for universities following the Abrahart case?” 

Our speakers will be:

• Harriet Cannon, Disability Team Manager, University of Leeds 

• Professor Pam Birtill, Associate Professor of Psychology, University of Leeds

The lecture will be held on Tuesday 22nd April at St John’s College, Cambridge (Old Divinity School, St John’s Street, CB2 1TP)

It will start at 5:30 pm (doors open at 5:15 pm) and end at 6:30 pm including a short question and answer session. A drinks reception will follow. 

The lecture is free and open to all. To book your free place, visit The Kirsty Wayland Memorial Disability Lecture 2025 booking page.

Please only book if you are available to come to the event, as places are limited.

 

About the venue and directions

Please see this link to the Divinity School, St. John’s College on Google maps: Old Divinity School, St John’s Street, CB2 1TP 

And a map of the college: Map of St. John’s College

General accessibility information for the college can be found here: Access guide | St John's College, University of Cambridge

If you have any accessibility or BSL requirements please email: disability@admin.cam.ac.uk prior to the event. The lecture theatre is on the first floor but there is a lift which will accommodate any size of wheelchair. Reserved seating is available on request. BSL interpretation will be provided as well as live captioning during the event.  

Previous lectures

  • 19th Annual Disability Lecture 2024: On 18 April 2024 we held the second lecture in memory of Kirsty Wayland. 'Unleashing Potential: Perspectives on ADHD & Higher Education' delivered by Professor Amanda Kirby, Professor Paul Wilkinson and Dr Portia Ungley. Watch the lecture on our YouTube channel.
  • 18th Annual Disability Lecture 2023: On 19 April 2023 we held the first lecture in memory of Kirsty Wayland. 'Widening Access to Higher Education with Lecture Recordings'. Delivered by Dr Emily Nordmann Watch the lecture on YouTube
  • 17th Annual Disability Lecture 2022: Where next for disabled people's equal participation? Navigating opportunities and threats in the context of Covid, cost of living and assorted future trends. Delivered by Liz Sayce on 16th June 2022
  • 16th Annual Disability Lecture 2019: Mental health conditions are not synonymous with failure; a personal story by Poppy Jaman. Watch Poppy Jaman's lecture on our media streaming service.
  • 15th Annual Disability Lecture 2018: Disabled Academics in the 21 Century. A panel of disabled academics, including Professor Nigel Lockett, Dr Hamied Haroon, and Professor Farah Mendlesohn spoke about their experiences as disabled academics. They described their career highlights and strategies for success in their chosen field. Watch the lecture on our media streaming service.
  • 14th Annual Disability Lecture 2017: Saqib Shaikh - Innovating towards a more inclusive future. Watch Saqib Shaikh's lecture on our media streaming service.
  • 13th Annual Disability Lecture 2016: Sue Kroeger - The Power of Design: Exclusion or Inclusion. Watch Sue Kroeger's lecture on our media streaming service.
  • 12th Annual Disability Lecture 2015: Jess Thom - Laughter as a Catalyst for Change.​ Watch Jess Thom's lecture on YouTube.
  • 11th Annual Disability Lecture 2014: Dr Rachel Perkins - Creating Mentally Inclusive Communities: Embracing Distress as Part of Everyday Life
  • 10th Annual Disability Lecture 2013: Dame Ann Begg - Two steps forward, one step back: challenges to disabled people in 2013
  • 9th Annual Disability Lecture 2011: Dr Nicola Martin - Disability Identity - Disability Pride
  • 8th Annual Disability Lecture 2010: Dr Ross Cooper - Neurodiversity and Dyslexia
  • 7th Annual Disability Lecture 2009: Professor Alan Roulstone - Disabled People and the Economic Downturn
  • 6th Annual Disability Lecture 2008: Baroness Jane Campbell - Fighting for a slice or for a bigger cake?
  • 5th Annual Disability Lecture 2007: Professor Lewis Wolpert - Severe Depression is Indescribable
  • 4th Annual Disability Lecture 2006: Bert Massie CBE - Civil and Human Rights for Disabled People: The Future Agenda
  • 3rd Annual Disability Lecture 2005: Professor Simon Baron-Cohen - Is Asperger Syndrome a Disability?
  • 2nd Annual Disability Lecture 2004: Dr Tom Shakespeare - Can Genetics Solve the Disability Problem?
  • 1st Annual Disability Lecture 2003: Professor Usha Goswami - A Cross-language Approach to Developmental Dyslexia