Booking open for the NRAC online seminar on Thursday 9 July 2026 - the session will be from 9:30am to 12:45pm (UK time).
The programme includes:
Crystal Whitaker is a programme specialist in international development and humanitarian action, with over 15 years of field experience in providing emergency aid and post-crisis recovery assistance around the world. Many of these contexts have involved responding to the mass displacement of people, both within their own countries and across international borders as a result of conflict, persecution or disaster, such as in Nigeria, Iraq and Bangladesh. With a background in architecture (University of Cambridge, London Metropolitan University), Crystal has designed and led projects providing safe and inclusive shelter and settlements for vulnerable populations in need, within which specific approaches towards disability need to be tailored to challenging local environments, operational contexts and intersectionalities.
Steve Maslin will, with other invited panellists, be exploring the subject of stakeholder engagement, with particular thought being given to the subject of engaging with people with learning difficulties and/or onset of dementia. Steve writes and speaks on the subject of neurodiversity and design, and has worked with people with learning difficulties in voluntary and paid support roles during the last 35 years. He will also draw on family care experiences interacting with older relatives living with dementia. We have also invited an engagement practitioner and two representatives from an organisation working with people with learning difficulties. Having personal experience of dyslexia Steve became a Chartered Architect in 1992 and an NRAC registered Access Consultant in 2003. He has experience of a wide range of projects including urban realm, transportation, workplace, education, housing, social care, retail, hospitality, civic, etc. and working directly with people with learning difficulties. He has served as an advisor to several national bodies including BSI steering groups for access, facilities management, design for the mind, dementia friendly communities and suicide prevention/intervention. He pays particular attention to people’s neurological needs in the built environment and writes and speaks on the subject.
Catherine Casserley, a leading barrister at Cloisters, will provide an update on key developments under the Equality Act, including indirect discrimination by disadvantage and evolving duties around reasonable adjustments. The session highlights recent cases such as Abrahart, explores trends in neurodiversity and inclusive design across sectors, and considers forthcoming reforms shaping the future of inclusive practice and regulatory frameworks. Catherine is widely recognised for her expertise in discrimination and human rights law, particularly under the Equality Act 2010. She has appeared in landmark cases at all levels, including the Supreme Court, and is regularly instructed by individuals, public authorities and the Equality and Human Rights Commission. Alongside her litigation practice, she advises on legal policy, has contributed to statutory guidance, and is widely published and respected in this field.
Tickets:
£60 for NRAC members
£70 for non-members
Please click here to book your place, or email info@nrac.org.uk if you have any questions about reasonable adjustments.
The NRAC would like to thank Quantum Flooring Accessories and HEWI for their continued support of our events.
