Universal Design for Learning Symposium. From Ideas to Impact: Sharing, Engaging and Co-Designing Practice, June 2026 - Organising Committee

Home | Registration | Call for Abstracts | Accommodation | Organising Committee

Organising Committee

The 2026 ADCET UDL Symposium is brought to you by a dedicated team of professionals and students committed to advancing inclusive education practices. Our organising committee brought together diverse expertise in educational design, disability support, accessibility, and teaching innovation from across the tertiary education sector.

Working collaboratively, the committee focused on creating an engaging and accessible symposium that showcased best practices, emerging research, and practical applications of UDL principles. The team was dedicated to ensuring the event provided valuable professional development opportunities while fostering meaningful connections among participants

Darlene McLennan

Manager ADCET

Darlene has been the manager of ADCET since 2013 and has been working in the further education and disability sector since 2005, initially as a National Disability Coordination Officer for Tasmania. She is currently on leave from that role while undertaking an ACSES Equity Fellowship, conducting participatory action research into professional standards, service evaluation and capacity building for disability services in Australian universities. Darlene is passionate about improving access and participation for people with disability in tertiary education and was awarded life membership of ATEND in 2020 and a lifetime membership award from EPHEA for her contributions to the sector. Her lived experience as a person with a Specific Learning Disability gives her a personal insight into the challenges and opportunities faced by students with disability. She holds a Master of Business from the University of Tasmania and a postgraduate qualification in Careers Education from RMIT.
Sarah Humphreys

Educational Design Manager Educational Innovation Team University of Sydney

Sarah leads the implementation of Universal Design for Learning (UDL) at the University in response to the University’s strategic plan that outlines a commitment to transformational, student-focused education that embraces equity, diversity and inclusion. Sarah’s background is in teaching, inclusive education and curriculum development. She was first introduced to UDL in 2011 when working as the Project Officer for Diversity with the Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA) and since then has shared her UDL journey at numerous conferences nationally and internationally, including the UDLHE Digicon hosted by CAST.
Rebecca Morris

Acting Manager, ADCET Manager, InclusionUC, University of Canberra

Rebecca Morris is the acting Manager of ADCET and ongoing manager of InclusionUC at the University of Canberra. With over 10 years’ experience in inclusive education, disability support services and policy development, Rebecca is passionate about promoting and improving educational equity, accessibility, and meaningful support for students with disability. Rebecca brings a collaborative approach to her leadership, prioritising co-design with people with lived experience of disability and partnering with key stakeholders to address systemic barriers in education.
Amelia Dowe

Digital Accessibility and Assistive Technology Adviser University of Tasmania

Amelia Dowe is the Digital Accessibility and Assistive Technology Adviser at the University of Tasmania (UTAS). She is a co-facilitator of the UTAS UDL Community of Practice and convenor of the Tasmanian Chapter of EPHEA. Amelia has spent numerous years working in universities to support the success of students in a range of ways. Most recently, this has included a focus on online learning and accessible digital environments. She has worked in both teaching and support roles at university, and values the focus on student experience that the UDL framework brings.
Darren Britten

National Assistive Technology Project Officer ADCET

Darren Britten has over two decades of experience in inclusive practices and accessible resource development within the tertiary sector. His passion lies in leveraging technology to enhance information delivery and accessibility. Darren actively supports professional and academic staff on digital equity and accessibility, and supports students with assistive technology and utilizing generative AI to foster learner agency. Currently, he serves as the National Assistive Technology Officer with the Australian Disability Clearinghouse on Education and Training and works with Deakin University to provide guidance on digital equity, assistive technology, and accessibility.
Doug McGinn

Accessibility Adviser Student Academic Success University of Tasmania

Doug McGinn has worked as an Accessibility Adviser at the University of Tasmania for nearly 30 years. He is blind and uses both JAWS screen reader and ZoomText magnification software. After losing his sight at 21, he then completed his Bachelor of Science in Mathematics. Doug has experienced many changes to service provision for students with disabilities over this time. However, his passion for working with students has not decreased over these years. Doug is involved in a variety of Disability related organisations including being a current Director of Blind Citizens Australia.
Elizabeth Hitches

PhD candidate Institute for Social Science Research University of Queensland (UQ)

Elizabeth Hitches research interests lie in inclusive education at a national and international level, as well as equity, achievement, and wellbeing for students with disability, chronic health conditions and/or accessibility requirements. Her research is currently exploring academic stress in higher education, and how this can be reduced in inclusive and accessible ways through a UDL lens. She is also a sessional academic teaching in inclusive education across various universities, and a teacher of research methods at the UQ.
Jane Hawkeswood

Project Coordinator ADCET

Jane has been with ADCET for over 20 years, witnessing and adapting to the dramatic evolution of the internet. As ADCET has expanded into new areas like social media, webinars, and most recently, podcasts, Jane has embraced each platform enthusiastically. She holds a Professional Certificate in Web Accessibility from the University of South Australia and has completed extensive training in document and website accessibility through Vision Australia. Jane’s dedication to digital inclusion and accessibility and her ability to adapt to emerging technologies have been crucial to ADCET’s ongoing growth and success.
Justin Wylie

Learning designer Central Queensland University

To be checked Justin is a learning designer for CQ University with a focus on inclusive design and accessibility. Drawing on his background as a classroom educator for 7 years and over 20 years in multimedia content design & development, Justin has found Universal Design for Learning to be a highly effective framework that can remove barriers to learning for students in the Higher Education & VET sectors. He strongly believes in the sustainable implementation of UDL to make achievable improvements for the student experience and to not overburden educators.
Kylie Geard

Administrative Support Officer ADCET

Kylie Geard is a seasoned Administrative Support Officer at ADCET, bringing a wealth of experience to her role. Armed with a Bachelor's Degree in Information Technology and a Certificate IV in both Training and Assessment plus Business, Kylie is well-equipped for her multifaceted responsibilities. With over a decade at the University of Tasmania, Kylie has seamlessly transitioned through various roles, showcasing her versatility in project management and support, plus academic roles in lecturing and tutoring focused on technology, mathematics, essay writing and the skills needed to become a successful student. Her commitment to precision and organisational finesse has earned her the reputation of being the "details person" at ADCET. Kylie's dedication to advancing education and technology is evident in her comprehensive skill set and extensive background in the tertiary education sector.
Lori Abell

Academic Developer Academic Capability, Learning and Teaching Performance University of Tasmania

Lori Abell has worked in higher education for more than 20 years and has taught at the University of Tasmania since 2009. Her early teaching focussed on supporting international students as they prepared for university studies in Australia. In her current role as an Academic Developer, she supports academics to develop their learning and teaching practice. Lori co‑convenes the University’s annual Teaching Matters conference and contributes to its Universal Design for Learning (UDL) Community of Practice. A lifelong learner, Lori holds degrees from the University of Sydney, Uppsala universitet (Sweden), and the University of Tasmania. Throughout her career, Lori has been committed to creating learning environments where all students feel included, valued and supported to engage in their learning.
Meredith Jackson

Disability Services Coordinator TAFE Queensland

Meredith Jackson is a highly regarded expert in inclusive learning, having spent over three decades working with priority learner groups, plus teaching and researching in the VET sector. Meredith currently coordinates Disability Services for TAFE Queensland (TQ) Skillstech and is a member of the Australian Apprenticeship Disability Network (AADN). Meredith’s professional journey within rural, remote and urban settings continues to equip her with an outstanding understanding of VET stakeholder perspectives and challenges, as well as establishing an excellent network in industry, government, education, the community sectors and within TAFE Queensland. An AUSTAFE Legend recipient, Meredith’s innovative approach sees her contribute to developing and presenting some fabulous staff professional development sessions (recent focus on UDL) for both TAFE Queensland and the private sector at a local, national and international level.
Samantha Poulos

Educational Designer University of Sydney

Dr Samantha Poulos is an educational designer at the University of Sydney working on the designing for diversity project. Samantha is a feminist literary theorist with a background in first year teaching and working to develop inclusive teaching practices and student engagement. Building on their PhD "'Who cares about pretty?': Examining the construction and performance of femininity in Young Adult literature" Samantha draws on this expertise in queer and gender theory to inform their teaching pedagogy which works to develop creative, inclusive and safe spaces.
Trina Bianchini

Teaching and Learning Specialist (Accessibility and Inclusive Education) Academic Development TAFE SA

Trina is employed at TAFE SA in Academic Development, as a Teaching and Learning Specialist with a special portfolio of Accessibility and Inclusive Education. This role involves providing leadership to teaching programs through quality and innovation to deliver positive student experiences and successful outcomes. Trina is a passionate advocate of Universal Design for Learning (UDL) as it drives principles of accessibility, usability and quality learning design addressing both digital content and effective facilitation methods utilising digital tools. Trina facilitates the UDL in Tertiary Education Community of Practice with members from across Australia/New Zealand and a lead in the TAFE SA Co-Design Network who are tasked with designing and implementing an Inclusive Teaching and Learning framework at TAFE SA.
Angelina (Angie) Tsimaras

Biomedical Science Student Deakin University

Angie Tsimaras is a dedicated Biomedical Science Student at Deakin University; a NDIS Disability Support Worker; a Neurodiversity Mentor and member of Deakin University’s Access and Inclusion Student Advisory Board; and an Assistant in Qualitative Research Projects examining Disability and Neurodiversity Inclusion, and NDIS Lived Experience. A neurodiverse student themselves, Angie brings a wealth of knowledge in making spaces safe and accessible, facilitating open and inclusive discussions all the while. With experience in team leadership, partnering with organisations including Monash Health, FVREE, and the Deakin University Student Association (DUSA), they are a passionate advocate for those of all abilities and neurotypes, committed to empowering staff and students of all backgrounds to ensure successful and supportive environments.
Holly Nieuwenhuisen

Diploma of Nursing Graduate TAFE Queensland

Holly Nieuwenhuisen is a recent graduate of TAFE Queensland's Diploma of Nursing. She began her new professional journey with a commitment to compassionate, person-centred health care. Living with a hearing impairment, she brings lived experience of disability to her practice as an enrolled nurse and her education journey.

Key dates

Abstract submissions are now closed
Abstract acceptance notifications: Monday 23 March 2026

Registrations close
Early bird in-person: Monday, 4 May 2026. After this date, standard registration fees will apply.
Standard In-person: Wednesday 17 June 2026 5:00 pm AEST
Online: Friday 19 June 2026 5:00 pm AEST

Supported by:

University of Tasmania Logo