In order to ensure I stay on track, I have created a simple critical path to help with alignment.
At the end of the block, I will submit the true critical path to see how closely I kept to the schedule, any changes, and why.
Through my teaching experience and blog reflections, I have realized that our technical handouts are not meeting the needs of all learners. Approximately 30% of students on BA Fashion Contour have a declared disability, and many more experience barriers linked to learning in a second language, or their general confidence in a sewing studio.
Students rely heavily on one-to-one support, as the current handouts lack clarity and visual guidance. This limits independent learning and can disadvantage those who find it difficult to ask for help.
My values are deeply rooted in Universal Design for Learning (UDL). This centers on inclusivity and accessibility. I believe resources should be designed to empower all students to work independently, we should not expect them to adapt to inaccessible materials, and produce their best work. Improving handouts is about aligning my teaching practice with my ethical commitment to equity and autonomy.
How can I improve my technical handouts to make them more accessible and effective for students with diverse learning needs in BA Fashion Contour workshops?
This project continues themes I’ve explored in my blog so far—how UDL principles and self-reflection can drive more inclusive technical teaching. By sharing the outcomes when complete I hope to contribute to a collective shift toward accessible learning design across LCF.
Ultimately, this research is about turning reflection into action, and ensuring that all students can learn, create, and thrive independently.
Bibliography:
Glass, D. Meyer, A. and Rose, D. (2012) Universal design for learning in the classroom: practical applications. New York: Guilford Press.
McNiff,J., & Whitehead, J.(2009) Doing and writing action research. SAGE.
Introduction
As a White, British neurodivergent cis woman, my lived experience shapes how I approach teaching, access, and inclusion. As a Specialist Technician for BA Fashion Contour, I work with students who come with a wide range of technical and learning abilities. My own experience of navigating education informs the way I view access, pace, and inclusion.
My project draws on lived experience, student feedback, and inclusive learning theory, including Universal Design for Learning (UDL).
Context
I teach sewing workshops to first- and second-year students. We focus on developing specialist technical skills through demonstration and hands-on experimentation. Students come with varying degrees of sewing experience. My role is to support students to succeed, regardless of their starting point.
Fig.1 O’Driscoll, G (2025) Jade Gellard, far left, delivering workshop to year 1 BA Fashion Contour students.
The handout is a supplementary document, guiding students through garment construction during or after the workshop. From my perspective, and the students, these materials don’t offer enough scaffolding for independent learning, especially students who have additional learning needs, such as dyslexia, or those who may be studying in a second language.
Fig. 2 Gellard, J. (2025) Example of a hand out currently used.
I’ve observed this over the past four years. When students can’t understand the handout, they rely on 1-to-1 support. That support isn’t always quickly available, especially during busier times. This puts additional strain on students with learning barriers, and it undermines the principle of equity. Some students, not able to gain access to help in the moment, disengage. Others express anxiety about asking for help repeatedly. This can lead to non-submission, and failure.
UDL encourages us to “provide multiple means of representation,” so learners can access content in ways that suit them (Glass et al., 2013). It means anticipating difference, not reacting to it, providing options to learn and navigate the workshops in a way that best suits the student. This intervention proposes a redesign of the handouts.
My aim is to create an accessible handout that reflects the diversity of students I welcome into my sewing studio. It should help all, not just some, move confidently toward completing their technical garments independently, and retain that learned knowledge for final collections in their final year of studies.
Inclusive learning.
Specialist courses demand high levels of independence, confidence, and technical skill. Students can’t develop those qualities if they’re working with learning materials that are inconsistent, unclear, or not designed with their needs in mind.
UDL positions inclusion not as an optional add-on, but as a foundational design principle. It encourages educators to anticipate difference and create learning environments that offer multiple means of engagement, representation, and expression. “What is critical is not to make education more accessible to students with disabilities… but to ensure that UDL options and alternatives are exercised broadly across the whole range of students” (Glass et al., 2013, p.117). Being inspired by UDL, it became the foundation for my intervention.
My intervention draws directly from this. By redesigning the technical handouts used in workshops, I’m embedding inclusive practice into the curriculum. The goal isn’t to simplify the content, it’s to provide the scaffolding needed for all students to access it confidently and independently.
Orr and Shreeve (2017) highlight how art and design spaces foster creative risk-taking and autonomy. But without inclusion, these spaces risk becoming exclusive and intimidating. Graham Gibbs (2010) adds that students are more likely to persist and succeed when they have high self-efficacy; the belief that they can succeed. Clearer, student-informed handouts help build that belief, particularly for students who might otherwise feel lost, behind, or overlooked.
I want to create clear, consistent handouts that help students follow along during workshops, and supports them after. I want to make them clearer and usable for everyone, no matter their background or learning style.
Course data shows that 30% of students on BA Fashion Contour have a declared disability, including 13% with specific learning difficulties and 11% with other or multiple impairments. But many choose not to disclose or don’t yet have access to a diagnosis, as acknowledged by Gerrard and Shurville (2007) in; McAndrew, Farrow, and Cooper (2012) ‘when students should request this kind of support, some of them do not use it because they do not want to reveal their disability’
The data doesn’t include international students who may be learning in a second language and navigating similar barriers. I believe the real number of students who need inclusive resources is higher than the data available suggests.
By designing with the margins in mind, we improve access for all. Providing materials in accessible formats will help students with declared disabilities; but it will also support students who haven’t received a formal diagnosis, international students, or those who were simply not able to attend that particular day.
This work is grounded in intersectional thinking (Crenshaw, 1990), recognising how disability, neurodivergence, and language barriers intersect to shape students’ experiences.
Reflection
My decision to redesign the technical handouts was informed by both personal experience and student feedback. Being neurodivergent, I understand how inaccessible resources can hinder confidence and progress. By using clear layouts, plain language, and visual step-by-step guides, we remove the need for students to disclose their needs to get support. Reyes et al. (2022) emphasise the importance of simple, structured content in ensuring accessibility; principles equally relevant in hands-on, in-person learning. Visual formats and chunked instructions have also been shown to support comprehension for students with learning differences (Catalano, 2014; Luke, 2002, in Reyes et al., 2022).
Student feedback confirmed the need for this intervention. A questionnaire revealed that while all students use handouts, 40% didn’t feel confident working independently with them. Preferred improvements included clearer diagrams, smaller instruction chunks, and visuals like annotated photos. QR codes for video guides and accessible fonts were also popular. I’ve used the British Dyslexia Association’s Style Guide (2023) to shape the redesign.
Full questionnaire data can be found here:
After presenting to peers, several linked my intervention to differentiation, highlighting how improved handouts could support varying paces of learning. Suggestions included creating extension materials for students who want to go further—something that aligns with my aim to promote autonomy and progression.
Peers emphasised the need to respect inherited resources, while building a collaborative, consistent approach. I’ll be developing a shared template for use by technicians, allowing personalisation while maintaining clarity.
A practical challenge is time—particularly over summer, when I’m preparing for the academic year.
Another suggestion was to add a welcome page to handouts, introducing the team and reassuring students there’s more than one way to approach a task.
My course leader reminded me not to assume my knowledge is obvious to students. He also emphasised keeping co-creation central and avoiding tokenistic inclusion. His advice led me to gather feedback from the students to work in a co-creation way.
He also flagged sustainability as a potential risk. Rather than printing 70 copies per workshop, I’ll email PDFs beforehand and provide five laminated copies.
Overall, this feedback has deepened my understanding and sharpened my approach. It reminded me that inclusion isn’t about grand gestures; it’s about embedding thoughtful, responsive practice into the everyday tools we use. The support and insights from my peers has been invaluable.
Full peer feedback can be found here:
Action
To start, I’ve created a prototype that includes clearer cutting instructions and diagrams showing a revised order of assembly.
This intervention has also reminded me of the importance of collaboration. I can’t make these changes alone. My aim is to build a flexible handout template that can be used across BA Fashion Contour and its sister course, BA Fashion Sportswear. That way, we create consistency across teams, while still allowing staff to personalise how they teach.
I propose that when the students return from summer break, I will create a small focus group, with both technical staff and students on the BA Fashion Contour and BA Fashion Sportswear courses, to co-create and develop the template. When we are all satisfied with the result, I will roll out the changes to all workshop handouts, working with the wider technical team to complete the task, ready for 2026 academic year delivery. These will be tested and refined based on further student feedback.
Fig. 3 Gellard. J (2025) Intervention template
Evaluation / Conclusion
This whole process has strengthened my belief that neurodivergence can be a strength in education. My perspective has helped me spot barriers that others may not notice and helped me think creatively about how to fix them. Being neurodivergent hasn’t held me back from being an effective educator. If anything, it’s made me more determined to design learning spaces where everyone can succeed.
Looking ahead, I hope this intervention helps not just students, but staff too. I want to start conversations about inclusion that go beyond policy and become embedded in everyday practice. Inclusion is something we need to build into everything we do, from lesson plans to feedback sessions to workshop handouts. Ensuring that inclusion is part of the conversation, and by accommodating student’s needs, I hope that we can give every student a chance to learn in a way that works for them.
Reflecting on the process, I’ve realised how powerful small changes can be. Making education more inclusive doesn’t always require big innovations—sometimes it starts with fixing the basics. Handouts might seem small and irrelevant, but they shape how students interact with their learning. When done well, they support independence, reduce stress, and boost confidence. I will know if my intervention proposal has worked if students are able to complete their garments independently, the need for help in the sewing studio is reduced, and our pass/fail statistics improve. If I don’t see these results, I will continue to work to improve the scaffolding materials to ensure all learners needs are met.
Bibliography
British Dyslexia Association (2023) Dyslexia Style Guide 2023. Available at: https://www.bdadyslexia.org.uk/advice/employers/creating-a-dyslexia-friendly-workplace/dyslexia-style-guide or: https://cdn.bdadyslexia.org.uk/uploads/documents/Advice/style-guide/BDA-Style-Guide-2023.pdf?v=1680514568 (Accessed: 13 July 2025).
Crenshaw, K. (1990) Mapping the Margins: Intersectionality, Identity Politics, and Violence against Women of Color. Stanford Law Review 43 (6), pp.1241-1299
Gerrard, C. and S. Shurville. 2007. “Virtual Learning Environments: Enhancing the Learning Experience for Students with Disabilities.” Campus-Wide Information Systems 24 (3): 199–206. https://doi.org/10.1108/10650740710762239 (Accessed July 19 2025)
Glass, D. Meyer, A. and Rose, D. (2012) Universal design for learning in the classroom: practical applications. New York: Guilford Press.
Gibbs, G. (2014) Maximising Student Learning Gain. York: Higher Education Academy.
McAndrew, Patrick, Robert Farrow, and Martyn Cooper. 2012. “Adapting Online Learning Resources for All: Planning for Professionalism in Accessibility.” Research in Learning Technology 20 (4): 345–61. https://doi.org/10.3402/rlt.v20i0.18699. (Acccessed July 12 2025).
Orr, S. and Shreeve, A. (2017) Art and Design Pedagogy in Higher Education: Knowledge, Values and Ambiguity in the Creative Curriculum. Oxon: Routledge.
Reyes, J.I., Meneses, J. and Melián, E., 2022. A systematic review of academic interventions for students with disabilities in online higher education. European Journal of Special Needs Education, 37(4), pp.569–586.
Reyes, M.E., Gutiérrez, A.R. and Hernández, M. (2022) ‘Academic interventions for students with disabilities in online higher education: A systematic review’, Education and Information Technologies, 27(1), pp. 1–22.
Image bilbiography
Fig. 1. O’Driscoll, G. (2025) Jade Gellard, far left, delivering workshop to year 1 BA Fashion Contour students. [Photograph]
Fig. 2. Gellard, J. (2025) Padded plunge bra on cradle workshop handout. [PDF] Unpublished.
Fig. 3. Gellard, J (2025) New handout template. [PDF] Unpublished.
As part of my intervention project, ‘improving technical workshop handouts’, I wanted to ensure this was a co-creation process with the current BA Fashion Contour students. My aim is to build resources with students, not just for them. I want the handouts to allow the students to work at their own pace, feel confident in self-led learning, and be supported regardless of their learning style or background.
To start this process, I created a questionnaire and sent it to all current Year One, Two-, and Final-Year students on BA Fashion Contour.
Ba Fashion Contour Handouts – Intervention research
22 students completed the survey, out of 134 enrolled students (2024–2025 academic year). That’s a 16.4% response rate. The questionnaire was released outside of term time, which likely affected engagement. I’ll be using this initial data to create a prototype handout template, and when students return in September, I plan to seek further feedback and develop this work collaboratively.
The results are as follows:
1. Do you use the handouts when sewing the workshop samples?
100% of respondents said that they use the handouts during workshops. This confirms that handouts are not just supplementary—they’re essential to how students navigate the sewing workshops. It reinforces the need for consistent, accessible, and inclusive resources. If the handouts are not meeting all students’ needs, then a significant proportion of learners may be disadvantaged, especially in independent work or when revisiting missed lessons.
2. Do you think the current handouts adequately support your making?
60% of students felt the handouts supported them, while 40% said they did not. This suggests that nearly half the cohort finds the current handouts lacking in clarity, usefulness, or accessibility. This split suggests the materials do not yet meet the Universal Design for Learning (2012) principle of designing for variability.
3. If no, what changes would benefit you?
The most common request was for more visual content; step-by-step pictures or process diagrams that show how the method should look at different stages. One participant asked for “more pictures,” while another suggested the current text could be supplemented with “slightly more info” and clearer visuals. Not all students responded, but where feedback was given, it reflected a need for visual reinforcement. It’s clear that for some learners, a wall of text doesn’t aid their learning.
4. Please rank the following fonts in order of preference.
Arial was the top choice, followed closely by Verdana, Tahoma, and Trebuchet. Comic Sans and Century Gothic ranked lower. These results closely mirror the British Dyslexia Association Style Guide (2023), which recommends sans-serif fonts with open, round shapes and consistent spacing. Following on from this result, I will use Arial font for the new handout format.
5. What handout elements are most useful? (Ranked list)
The top three features that participants valued were:
This reflects preference for visually supported learning. Other highly ranked features were cutting guides and QR codes linking to videos, which suggest a desire for more digital visual resources. This aligns with the Universal Design for learning’s (2012) principle of providing multiple means of representation.
6. Is there anything important missing from the ranked items above?
Most students left this question blank or confirmed that the options provided were sufficient. However, even with limited responses, the theme of different visual options emerges again—students want information in formats that allow them to engage in different ways depending on their needs, confidence levels, and experience.
7. Please review this example cutting diagram—how can it be improved?
There was a mix of feedback -some participants felt it was clear, while others pointed out areas for improvement. Suggestions included using a clearer font, adding more detailed instructions, and including axis markers for cutting accuracy. One student said it needed “more information,” suggesting the current version may assume prior knowledge, reinforcing that diagrams should be treated as teaching tools, not just reference images.
8. Please review the sewing key—how can it be improved?
The feedback was about visual clarity- the participants asked for improved colours, particularly for the cutting lines and notches. I will find a contrasting colour for the cut line, one that is vibrant, and doesn’t blend in like the current yellow. One suggested using a “darker colour as the symbols can be hard to see,” while another wanted “brighter colours.” There was also a request for better quality images.
9. Please review this example sewing application—how can it be improved?
Most students said this was clear and helpful, with comments like “makes perfect sense” and “very clear.” However, one suggestion was to indicate the right and wrong sides of the fabric, as this can sometimes be unclear in flat diagrams. I will ensure it is visually clear in the sewing key and on the diagrams. Another student suggested “simpler instructions,” reminding me that visual content should be supported by plain language. Overall, this section received the most positive feedback—but it still reinforced the idea that layered explanation (text, image & context) works best.
Conclusion
Hearing directly from students has reinforced what I already feel: the handouts are valuable, but they need work to help them develop their self lead learning. This process has reminded me that inclusion is about ongoing, thoughtful collaboration. The feedback has already shaped how I’m approaching the new handout template, and it will continue to guide the decisions I make throughout the intervention. My goal is to build something with the students—not just around them.
Bibliography
British Dyslexia Association (2023) Dyslexia Style Guide 2023. Available at: https://www.bdadyslexia.org.uk/advice/employers/creating-a-dyslexia-friendly-workplace/dyslexia-style-guide or chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://cdn.bdadyslexia.org.uk/uploads/documents/Advice/style-guide/BDA-Style-Guide-2023.pdf?v=1680514568
(Accessed: 13 July 2025).
Glass, D. Meyer, A. and Rose, D. (2012) Universal design for learning in the classroom: practical applications. New York: Guilford Press.
Image Bibliography
Fig 1-11. Jade Gellard, (2025) Screenshot of Microsoft Forms survey results, 22 July.
After presenting to my peers, the feedback received was insightful and helped me to further develop my intervention – improving the handouts appears to be a subject that many of us think about but struggle to find the time to do so.
One thing that stood out was how this work connects with differentiation. My peers mentioned that clearer, more informed handouts could allow students to work at different paces, which is the goal. Some students will complete their samples within the allocated workshop time, waiting on their peers to catch up, whilst others will need more time or space to process each step. Appropriate handouts can support both of those experiences without making anyone feel behind or rushed.
There were also suggestions around offering additional materials—like extra sewing packs or handouts with more complex techniques for students who want to practise or stretch themselves further. I love this idea, and can see how it would support both confidence and progression. It also gives students more autonomy to practise before moving onto their final garments, which ties in well with the aims of my intervention.
I appreciated the reminder to be mindful of inherited handouts—to approach with respect for the work that’s gone before. I want to build something collaborative, not just impose something new. Creating a shared handout template for technicians will be a great way to support the team in creating the updated handouts together, while keeping consistency for students.
There were also some practical concerns about time—how hidden and heavy the workload can be, especially over summer, where my main priority is focusing on preparing for the next academic year. Making even small changes takes time, and that time isn’t always available. During term time, students come first and I will put down other tasks if they need support. This work will most likely be done in quieter periods of term, and during the winter/spring/summer breaks. Hearing that from my peers has helped me to feel more confident in protecting space for the handout tasks.
One of my favourite suggestions was to add a welcome page to the handouts—something simple that reminds students who we are, who they can talk to for help, and that there’s more than one way to complete a sample, ending with the same finished look. It fits with the inclusive and student-centred approach I want this intervention to have.
My course leader also offered some thoughtful feedback. He reminded me that because I’ve got lived experience and industry practice, I might move too quickly or assume things are obvious within the workshop sessions. Just because I know how to do something doesn’t mean the students do – its my job to scaffold them and build their knowledge, whilst also building confidence, to ensure strong and confident final years, ready for industry. He encouraged me to keep co-creation at the centre of the project and make sure students are properly involved in shaping the materials. That’s something I’ve taken on board. I’m student centred – the intervention needs to work for them, not for me.
There was also a gentle warning around avoiding tokenistic work—about showing clearly why this intervention matters and how it can have a positive impact. His suggestion was to create a questionnaire, build a template based off their feedback, and then work with a focus group to discuss and improve. I also need to think about sustainability, and will not print off 70 handouts for each workshop each academic year. Instead, the updated handouts will be sent as a PDF via email the week before class, and I will laminate 5 copies to keep to hand for students who prefer an analogue copy.
Overall, the feedback has given me loads to think about, and has certainly shaped how the new template can look. I look forward to testing it with my students, using both my peers and course leader feedback, and my students feedback.
This is the PowerPoint presentation delivered during peer presentations.
*Note* – I will not use ‘BAME’ as this term is widely considered outdated and problematic. I personally do not like this term, and have chosen instead to use ‘Racially minoritised’ in its place.
Looking at dashboard data, 37.8% of students are racially minoritised. At grade 4, 29.1% of staff are racially minoritised. At Grade 5, this rises to 31.5%. UAL’s target for minority representation in staff is 30%. But, if our student body statistics sits closer to 40%, is our target too low?
The dashboard data does not include international students, which means that the % of racially minoritised students enrolled is higher than 37.8%.
There is no space for racism in education. Working to decolonise the curriculum, it’s important to ensure that our studio spaces reflect the vast diversity of LCF’s student body.
Representation can’t be a token gesture. Alice Bradbury (2020) writes “policy is always political: it shapes subjectivities, produces discourses of success and failure, and determines practices and priorities, all in ways which work to advantage some students over others” (p. 256). If students don’t see themselves reflected in those who teach or lead them, it shapes what they believe is possible — and who knowledge belongs to.
To decolonise the curriculum, we have to consider not only the content we teach, but who is delivering teaching. Representation allows students to witness knowledge held and shared by people from a range of racial and cultural backgrounds. That kind of visibility is transformative and ensures a sense of belonging.
The barriers for racially minoritised staff in education are deep-rooted. Kalwant Bhopal, writing from a critical race and intersectional perspective, describes how racialised women in higher education often face a “triple burden” across race, gender, and class (Bhopal & Pitkin, 2020, p. 709). Lewis and Arday (2023) extend this critique further, describing the “whitening of neurodiversity” — showing how higher education tends to reward those who conform to white, neurotypical norms.
Nicola Rollock, in her research on Black Female Academics at professorship level, reveals that ‘Black female academics endure an uneven and convoluted pathway to professorship characterized by undermining, bullying, and the challenges of a largely opaque progression process.’ (Rollock, 2021, p.93) In 2019, there were just 25 Black female full professors in the UK — a shocking figure that speaks to a lack of institutional support. Two of Rollock’s participants resigned during her study, which further shows that education does not have support in place to ensure Black female professors can thrive.
Representation is not just about hiring — we need to create systems that retain and support staff of different ethnicity. That has to include transparent progression, culturally responsive leadership, and equitable access to development. It also includes reviewing assessment practices that may disadvantage racially minoritised students and embedding anti-racist values across policy — not just in EDI statements.
As a white woman in education, I’ve never had to navigate this kind of erasure. That’s a privilege. But it also means I have a responsibility — to advocate, to listen, and to create space. As Bradbury reminds us, we must “draw attention to the role of policy, and the policymakers themselves, in reproducing racial inequality” (2020, p. 256). That includes me.
Representation isn’t an optional extra — it’s the foundation of anti-racist education.
Bibliography
Bradbury, A. (2020). A critical race theory framework for education policy analysis: the case of bilingual learners and assessment policy in England. Race Ethnicity and Education, 23(2), pp. 250–268. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1080/13613324.2019.1599338 (Accessed: 18 June 2025).
Bhopal, K. and Pitkin, C. (2020). ‘Same old story, just a different policy’: race and policy making in higher education in the UK. Race Ethnicity and Education, 23(4), pp. 530–547. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1080/13613324.2020.1718082 (Accessed: 22 June 2025).
Garrett, R. (2024). Racism shapes careers: career trajectories and imagined futures of racialised minority PhDs in UK higher education. Globalisation, Societies and Education. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1080/14767724.2024.2307886 (Accessed: 22 June 2025).
Lewis, M. and Arday, J. (2023). The whitening of neurodiversity in higher education. In: Arday, J. and Mirza, H.S. (eds.) Dismantling Race in Higher Education. London: Palgrave Macmillan, pp. 1–18.
Rollock, N. (2021). ‘I would have become wallpaper had racism had its way’: Black female professors, racial battle fatigue and strategies for surviving higher education. In: Gabriel, I. (ed.) Transforming the Ivory Tower: Models for Gender Equality and Inclusive Leadership. Stoke-on-Trent: Trentham Books, pp. 89–105.
Image Bibliography
Figure 1. UAL Dashboard Data. London College of Fashion, Fashion Programmes. Available at: https://dashboards.arts.ac.uk/dashboard/ActiveDashboards/DashboardPage.aspx?dashboardid=5c6bb274-7645-4500-bb75-7e334f68ff24&dashcontextid=638892456346570261 (Accessed: 11 June 2025).
Figure 2. UAL Dashboard Data. London College of Fashion, BA Fashion Contour. Student Profiles, Ethnicity. Available at: https://dashboards.arts.ac.uk/dashboard/ActiveDashboards/DashboardPage.aspx?dashboardid=5c6bb274-7645-4500-bb75-7e334f68ff24&dashcontextid=638892456346570261 (Accessed: 11 June 2025).
Kimberlé Crenshaw’s intersectionality theory explains that different parts of who we are—our faith, race, gender, class—combine to shape our lived experiences in complex and unique ways. Faith doesn’t exist in isolation, it intersects with other identity factors, often amplifying unique challenges, but also offering strength and resilience.
Race and faith come together to shape how we are treated and perceived. A Black Muslim woman, for instance, might experience discrimination not only because of her race, but also due to stereotypes about Islam, and the gender roles within her faith. This triple-layered identity creates barriers that can’t be fully understood if examined in isolation (Crenshaw, 1991).
Jaclyn Rekis explores how religious people experience epistemic injustices shaped by the intersections of religion, race, gender, and secularism. She writes about the stereotyping of veiled Muslim women and the neglect of voices like Sojourner Truth. She argues that intersectionality is necessary to fully respect and understand someones lived experience. “When we conflate two or more of these social identities, we wrongly assume we understand how they intersect” (Rekis, 2023, p. 789).
Kwame Anthony Appiah explains that religion isn’t one single, fixed thing. He believes that it’s a mix of different practices and beliefs that change depending on culture and community. He highlights how religion can bring people together and create a sense of belonging and support. In today’s world, where connection can feel hard to find, these shared beliefs and rituals are important to help people feel seen and supported.
‘There’s a guy talking to a rabbi. The rabbi says he doesn’t believe in God. The guy says ‘’you’re a rabbi, how can you not believe in God?’’ and the reply is, ‘’it’s what’s so great about being Jewish. You don’t have to believe in a god per se, just in being Jewish.’
(Appiah, 2014)
Intersectionality explains that support for the students can’t be one-size-fits-all. A Sikh woman’s experience will differ greatly from a Jewish man’s, especially when layered with race, class, or other identity factors. Understanding these nuanced intersections is essential for building empathy and meaningful support systems, to ensure every student’s best chance of success.
UAL’s dashboard data shows a diverse student body where faith, race, gender, and class often intersect. This requires flexibility in my teaching practice, including:
Fig 1. University of the Arts London: Active Dashboard . Fashion Programmes. Religion. (2024-2025)
Fig.2 : University of the Arts London : Active Dashboard. BA Fashion Contour. Religion. (2024-2025)
Beyond the practical, creating an inclusive learning environment means allowing students to bring their whole selves into the classroom without fear of judgment. Crenshaw’s explains that identities are interconnected, not separate. Faith shapes how people experience and move through the world, and recognising this is essential for equality.
As a white, agnostic woman, I recognise that faith does not carry social weight in my own intersectionality—this is a privilege. I’m always curious and open to learning about my students’ faiths and experiences, and I work to ensure that they feel safe, respected, and fully seen in the classroom.
“If we can try to understand where people are coming from with empathy… that allows us to engage with difference in a way that is constructive, rather than destructive.” (Trinity University, 2016)
Bibliography
Appiah, K.A. (2014) Is religion good or bad? (This is a trick question). TED. Available at: Kwame Anthony Appiah: Is religion good or bad? (This is a trick question) (Accessed 6 Jun. 2025).
Crenshaw, K. (1991) Mapping the Margins: Intersectionality, Identity Politics, and Violence against Women of Color. Stanford Law Review, 43(6), pp.1241–1299. Available at: https://www.jstor.org/stable/1229039 [Accessed 6 Jun. 2025].
Rekis, J. (2023) Religious Identity and Epistemic Injustice: An Intersectional Approach. Hypatia, 38(4), pp.779–800. Available at: https://philarchive.org/rec/REKRIA [Accessed 6 Jun. 2025].
Trinity University (2016) Challenging Race, Religion, and Stereotypes in Classroom. YouTube. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0CAOKTo_DOk [Accessed 6 Jun. 2025].
Image Bibliography
Figure 1. UAL Dashboard Data. London College of Fashion, Fashion Programmes. Student Profiles, Religion. Available at: https://dashboards.arts.ac.uk/dashboard/ActiveDashboards/DashboardPage.aspx?dashboardid=5c6bb274-7645-4500-bb75-7e334f68ff24&dashcontextid=638892456346570261 (Accessed: 4 June 2025).
Figure 2. UAL Dashboard Data. London College of Fashion, BA Fashion Contour. Student Profiles, Religion. Available at: https://dashboards.arts.ac.uk/dashboard/ActiveDashboards/DashboardPage.aspx?dashboardid=5c6bb274-7645-4500-bb75-7e334f68ff24&dashcontextid=638892456346570261 (Accessed: 4 June 2025).
As a Specialist Technician – Learning and Teaching on the BA Fashion Contour course, I deliver technical workshops to first- and second-year students, who arrive with a wide range of sewing abilities.
According to dashboard data, 30% of these students have a declared disability. Of these, 13% report a specific learning difficulty, and 11% report other or multiple impairments.
Through delivering sessions, supporting students in supervised studio time, and speaking with them directly, it’s clear that some—particularly those with learning differences—struggle to keep up during fast-paced demonstrations. While some ask for help, others don’t always feel comfortable doing so, which can lead to stress, disengagement, or reluctance to return and complete their samples.
I’m proposing an intervention to improve the technical handouts that support workshop learning. Right now, the materials are inconsistent—some are outdated, some don’t align with current methods, and others use unclear abbreviations or language. This lack of cohesion affects students’ ability to engage with self-directed learning, particularly those who need to revisit content due to absence, processing needs, or sensory sensitivities.
The handouts are not currently providing the scaffolding students need to independently complete their sample work, which is key to their assessment.
This intervention will involve developing a standardised, accessible handout template for all 13 technical demonstrations. Features will include:
I will consult with students on what they find useful in a handout and use their feedback to shape the final format. The aim is to support all learners—improving confidence, independence, and inclusivity in technical making.