SEDA Health and Wellbeing group in collaboration with SCLD are delighted to present you with the opportunity for discussion around importance of creating supportive environments for people with learning disabilities.

Join us at City of Glasgow College for insightful talks and practical strategies to promote inclusivity and empowerment.

We will hear from:

Kelly Kolatowicz, Scottish Commission for People with Learning Disabilities

Lindsay Kinloch, lived experience advocate

Felicity Steers, Erz Landscape Architects

Caroline Dearden, Anderson Bell Christie

Karri Gillespie-Smith and Kyleigh Melville, University of Edinburgh, Department of Clinical and Health Psychology

with musical interlude from Grace Stewart-Skinner, Clàrsach player.

Time: 4.00pm - 6.00pm

Location: City of Glasgow College, 190 Cathedral Street, Glasgow, G4 0RF.

This event is in person but will be recorded. Please ensure to arrive at least 15min before the start of the event.

Tea/ coffee and tray bake will be provided at a small donation. Please let us know your dietry requirements.

The venue is fully accessible. Please report to the main reception on your arrival.

Kelly Kolatowicz

Kelly Kolatowicz is the Head of Business Development at Scottish Commission for People with Learning Disabilities (SCLD), Kelly’s work focuses on leading income generation and partnerships to advance SCLDs vision of a fairer Scotland where people with learning disabilities live full safe loving and equal lives. Kelly has a diverse background in both the third sector and private sector and has a busy home life with two young children.

Lindsay Kinloch

Lindsay Kinloch has experience in training development and delivery. Along with this she is a lived experience advocate with a learning disability and physical disability. She shares her own experience on a regular basis to educate and inspire change.

Caroline Dearden

Caroline Dearden, a Director at Anderson Bell + Christie plays a pivotal role in shaping the practice’s design approach. With a focus on collaboration and accessibility, she works closely with clients and end users, fostering codesign processes that inform award-winning architectural designs. Caroline’s portfolio spans diverse projects which are grounded in making spaces and places accessible, from an innovative approach to care with Capability Scotland where she has developed a coproduction process with staff and residents, to the Gannochy Trust’s award winning intergenerational housing. Her approach positively impacts communities, enhancing lives through thoughtful architecture. As Anderson Bell Christie continues its journey as an employee-owned business, Caroline’s leadership ensures the evolution of innovative projects and lasting relationships.

Felicity Steers

Felicity Steers CMLI is a landscape architect and director at Erz Landscape Architects. Her work focusses on learning, healing, wellbeing and community - outdoors and in natural settings. Recent projects include the Lockhart Campus in Saltcoats, a school and residential unit for learners with additional support needs aged 5-18, the Prince and Princess of Wales Hospice and the Eastpark Campus in Maryhill. Felicity has delivered learning landscapes for over thirty schools and nurseries during her time at Erz, with a focus on imaginative, adventurous and creative play. She is also an artist and a mother to three young adults.

Karri Gillespie-Smith
Dr Karri Gillespie-Smith is a Senior Lecturer in Applied Psychology at University of Edinburgh. In 2011 Karri completed a PhD at the University of Stirling on "Eye-tracking explorations of attention to faces for communicative cues in Autism Spectrum Disorders". Following this (2011-2012) I worked at the University of Aberdeen, Self Lab, as a Post-Doctoral Fellow investigating the self-referential effect (SRE) in children and how the SRE impacts on encoding and recall within learning environments. In 2012-2013 I was a researcher in the MRC Centre for Reproductive Health at the University of Edinburgh exploring infant's early cognitive processing using eye-tracking methodology. After the completion of my research post I was based at Heriot Watt University as a Teaching Fellow (2013-2014), then University of West of Scotland as a Lecturer (2014-2019). I was then appointed as a lecturer in Applied Psychology at the University of Edinburgh in 2019 and promoted to Senior Lecturer in 2022.

Kyleigh Melville

Kyleigh Melville GMBPsS is a first year PhD candidate at the University of Edinburgh. Her ESRC-funded research explores neurodivergent students’ experiences with multi-sensory environments in schools using participatory action research methods. Born and raised in Toronto (Canada), Kyleigh moved to the UK for university and has subsequently completed a BSc in Psychology and Education from University College London and a Master of Education from the University of Cambridge. Her Masters thesis, where she explored autistic students’ experiences with Lego-Based Therapy is due to be published in November 2024. Kyleigh has worked on numerous research projects on topics such as children’s rights legislation, mental health and play in Covid-19, attitudes towards ethnic diversity and financial literacy. Before starting her PhD, Kyleigh worked as a SEN educator in private and public education and the third sector and as a Research Coordinator on Widening Participation programs at the UCL Institute of Education.

Grace Stewart-Skinner

Born and brought up in the Highlands, Grace is a vibrant up-and-coming clàrsach player and composer who has been surrounded by Traditional Scottish music her whole life. She always strives to create meaningful connections through her performances and compositions and is the proud owner of a Hands Up For Trad ‘Inspiration Award’. Doing what she can to contribute to the Scottish Traditional Music scene being a welcoming, safe, and inclusive place is extremely important to her.