is eager to contribute to transformative discussions and practices that promote equity and globalised inclusion across all educational sectors and spaces. Karen Zecca is a fourth-year EdD candidate at Cardiff Metropolitan University, researching how to enhance education for individuals with disabilities by strengthening student teacher self-efficacy. She is also completing a PGCTAP, further developing her expertise in academic practice. Her doctoral research includes the Zecca Model (2024), a holistic framework that modernises the social model of disability by recognising intersecting identities such as gender, race and socioeconomic status to inform inclusive teaching. A former elite athlete and wheelchair user with lived experience of invisible disability, Karen brings personal insight to her work as an Associate Tutor and Senior Research Assistant at Cardiff Metropolitan University and Academic Lecturer at Cardiff and Vale College. Her research, which won awards at the Cardiff Metropolitan University DRG Research Conferences, centres on inclusive pedagogy, social justice, and promoting equitable access in higher and further education. Aria Zhang is a Postgraduate Student studying for an MA in Museums and Galleries in Education at the UCL Institute of Education (IOE). Her academic interests include gender, education and equity within cultural and educational institutions. During her undergraduate studies in BA Education Studies at IOE, she worked as a student assistant and facilitator for the Trans-Inclusivity Seminar Series. She is also a student member of the IOE LGBTQ+ Advisory Group.
BERA BITES 15 | EDUCATING FOR ALL
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