Essex Access Forum

The Essex Access Forum (EAF) was founded in 2007 as a discussion forum and consultation body working to support excellence in all aspects of physical and non-physical access at Essex (student education, staff employment and visitor experience).

Who we are

EAF members come from across our University (Colchester, Southend and Loughton) and have diverse roles, but a share a common interest in access, disability and inclusion issues. Membership is completely open with both employees and students - disabled and non-disabled - members welcome. EAF acts principally as an email-based discussion and dissemination platform, although we also meet once-termly, and are represented on the Project Steering Groups for all major capital builds.

The Forum is supported by Bryn Morris, Registrar, who is our Diversity Champion for Disability, and chaired by Sue Hanshaw and Adam Woodhouse.

What we do

We are involved and contribute to a wide range of areas on access at Essex:

  • we share thinking and promote informal debate
  • contribute to planning and problem-solving of our physical environment
  • assist in developing our policy and practical responses to legislation and guidance
  • help foster a sense of belonging for those with accessibility issues
  • create a safe space for our community to learn more about accessibility enhancement
  • work closely with the Access Executive, which includes colleagues in Student Wellbeing and Inclusivity Service (SWIS), Workplace and Wellbeing, Estates, Occupational Health, and the Inclusion Team, to ensure the voice of our members reaches change makers

Find out more about access at Essex

Interested in joining us?

We are primarily an email forum (although we also meet termly). To join simply add yourself to the Access Essex email subscription list, where you will receive regular updates on changes to accessibility on-campus and invitations to meetings and events that we run.

Our hybrid forum meetings are scheduled as follows for the forthcoming year:

Date/ time

  • 24 September 2024, 12pm - 1pm
  • 19 November 2024, 12pm - 1pm

Location

  • 5S.5.26 (Vice-Chancellor’s Board Room)
  • Zoom (link in invite, upon request)
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Contact us
Essex Access Forum Contact us if you'd like to raise an access issue. Your email will be sent to all members of the Forum.
Forum administrators Contact the group responsible for the day-to-day running of the Forum and its membership.