LSBU’s Deborah Johnston appointed government disability ambassador for universities
Professor Deborah Johnston has been selected as one of 20 Disability and Access Ambassadors (DAAs) by the government.
LSBU’s Interim Co Vice-Chancellor and Group CEO was chosen as one of the senior business leaders who will work to boost accessibility for disabled people across various industries by the Office for Equality and Opportunity.
Professor Johnston’s role will be to help to ensure universities are doing all they can to support disabled students and staff.
Her appointment comes as the latest National Student Survey showed disabled students were less positive about their higher education experience than those who did not report being disabled. This has led the Office for Students, the regulator for Higher Education in England, to urge institutions to consider if they’re doing enough to support disabled students.
“I am passionate about improving the experience of disabled people and have already been working to tackle the issues they face in my role as Chair of the national body supporting the Disabled Student Commitment,” Professor Johnston said. “I am delighted to say that LSBU has been leading the way in this area, publishing its Disabled Student Commitment Action Plan, alongside Greenwich University, just last week. I recognise that there is still work to do and I am incredibly honoured to have been chosen for this role which I hope will lead to further improvements.”
Professor Johnston’s academic work focuses on inequality and poverty and she was awarded an MBE in 2024 in recognition of her work to make higher education more accessible for students who stammer.
She is an advocate for accessibility and equality for disabled students and staff, inspired by her personal experience of studying and working with a speech difference. She also advocates more widely for social change in higher education.
She is a member of the Office for Students Disability in Higher Education Advisory Panel and was a commissioner in the Office for Students Disabled Students Commission.
The new ambassadors will join current DAAs in improving services and facilities for people with disabilities across various sectors including universities, banking, retail, travel and tourism.
The ambassadors will aim to drive improvements in the accessibility and quality of services and facilities in their sector for disabled people.
The roles are voluntary and ambassadors can serve for up to three years.