Mary Lavender: Smashing ableism — building a better society for children and young people

How do school environments and practices unintentionally reinforce ableism—and how can we actively dismantle these barriers? Mary Lavender invites you to reflect deeply on the attitudes, policies, and routines that impact disabled children and young people, and explores practical ways to create truly inclusive, empowering spaces.

From advocating for robust AAC and reasonable adjustments to challenging long-standing interventions and amplifying disabled voices in decision-making, Mary’s session is a call to action for educators committed to equity and respect.

Mary is a highly specialist speech and language therapist, disabled staff network lead, autistic disability advocate, and global keynote speaker.