University to host groundbreaking Disability Inclusive TIESA Conference 2026

The University of Wolverhampton will host the 2026 International Education Studies Association (TIESA) Conference this July, an event distinguished by its pioneering approach to inclusion.

In a sector where conferences can often feel overwhelming or inaccessible to those who think, communicate, or process information differently, this year’s TIESA conference aims to set a new benchmark. The event is being designed from the ground up to recognise and remove barriers commonly faced by disabled academics, students, practitioners, and researchers.

Catherine Simon, Chair of TIESA said: “As a community of researchers, practitioners, and educators, we have a responsibility not only to discuss inclusion but to live it in every aspect of our work.  This year’s TIESA Conference, therefore, represents a decisive step toward re‑imagining what academic spaces can be when barriers are intentionally removed and the full diversity of ways people think, communicate, and participate is celebrated and honoured.  My hope is that TIESA 2026 becomes more than a conference - rather, it becomes a model for a more humane and equitable future in education.”

Emmie Fisher a doctorate student from Newcastle University who is part of the conference’s working group stated:

“I am looking forward to attending TIESA because there is not just a commitment to inclusivity, but a clear passion and excitement about what accessibility and inclusion can look like. When we talk about inclusive education, it would feel tokenistic not to also consider the spaces and places in which those conversations happen.”

At the heart of this year’s conference is a new Toolkit and Resource Pack developed by the University’s Disability Staff Network, which will be trialled during the event. This work has received small grant funding by the National Association for Disabled Staff Networks and the University of Wolverhampton. It marks a practical step forward in embedding inclusion, moving beyond statements of intent and into real, operational change.

Deborah Nye who is a Senior Lecturer at Nottingham Trent University and a member of the conference working group said:

“Attending conferences as a neurodiverse person can be both rewarding and overwhelming. The long stretches of back‑to‑back presentations often leave me overloaded, to the point where I need to step away to find quiet space and process what I’ve heard. This means I sometimes miss speakers I would have liked to see, so I have to be very selective and intentional about which sessions I attend. While conferences can be valuable, the sensory and social demands often leave me emotionally and socially exhausted by the end.”

A Conference Designed Differently

The conference will incorporate a series of evidence‑based adjustments informed by lived experience and expertise in enhancing inclusivity, including:

• Diverse dissemination with shorter keynotes, accompanying keynote workshops, conference posters, roundtable discussions and creative forms of dissemination.
• Flexible participation including in-person, online and hybrid options.
• Sensory‑considerate environments, including quiet rooms, movement rooms and presentation spaces with room for movement.
• Clear, predictable scheduling, minimising last‑minute changes and offering structured visual information well in advance.

A Significant Moment for CREST and the University

The 2026 conference represents a milestone for the Centre for Research in Education, Sustainability and Transformation (CREST), where inclusion is a core theme and an established area of institutional strength. It reflects the University’s broader commitment to fostering learning and research environments in which all voices can be heard.

Professor Williams‑Brown added:

“This isn’t just about making events ‘accessible.’ It’s about disrupting traditional conference practices and questioning how we can enhance inclusivity for all attendees. We need to challenge assumptions around what a conference should look like, creating spaces that value different ways of thinking, and modelling inclusive practice for the wider sector.”

Call for Papers

TIESA invites submissions from researchers, practitioners, educators, and students whose work engages with inclusion, educational transformation, or the conference’s wider themes. Abstracts are welcomed from those with lived experience of neurodivergence, as well as from allies and advocates across the education landscape.

Full details can be found on the TIESA website The International Education Studies Association – Supporting research in Education Studies