Piers Wilkinson currently supports Diversity and Ability (D&A), a disabled led social enterprise, as their Higher Education Policy and Partnerships Lead and was the last NUS Disabled Students’ Officer before the role was defunded in July of 2020. Piers has been deeply involved in representing disabled students for over 7 years, culminating in their election to national representative positions during the last 5 years. Piers was appointed to the commission as a Student Voice Commissioner and previously studied an undergraduate MSci in Physical Oceanography at Bangor University. They also worked as an access consultant specialising in inclusive design within education, digital accessibility, user design learning, and inclusive campaigns. Projects Piers has previously worked on includes the 2016 UNCRPD inquiry, the Arriving at Thriving report on disabled student experiences, and providing expert advice on collaborative projects such as Student Minds’ Mental Health Charter, and the 2019 Phaseout of Plastic Pollution Bill. As a Student Voice Commissioner, ensuring the lived experience of disabled students shapes and supports the decisions made about disabled students is a key priority of Piers’. They are hoping the Disabled Students Commission increases the adoption and integration of the principles of the social model, champions the importance of lived experience, and creates an environment of progress towards holistic inclusion. Piers believes disabled students deserve equitable access to the entire experience of education and believes the commission will help achieve that equity - from quality provision of DSA, to extracurricular opportunities.
