The Knowledge Exchange Seminar Series (KESS) is the first of its kind in the United Kingdom, formally partnering a legislative arm of government – the Assembly – with academia. Aiming to encourage debate and improve understanding, KESS provides a forum to present and disseminate research findings in a straightforward format, making those findings easily accessible to decision-makers.

Seminars are free and are held on Wednesdays from 05 November 2014 through 24 June 2015. Each seminar starts at 1.30pm in the Long Gallery, Parliament Buildings, located on Stormont Estate. Most seminars cover a range of themes under one broad heading – see below for relevant dates and timings (also available to download as pdf).

Please email raise@niassembly.gov.uk to reserve your place at any of the seminars listed. Further information on KESS can be found here.

29 APRIL 2015 – SOCIAL ISOLATION AND INCLUSION

1.30pm – RaISe – Welcome
1.35pm – Assembly Committee Chair – Opening Remarks

1.45pm – Dr Paula Devine (QUB) et al – Social isolation and older men: meeting the need? 
In Northern Ireland, as elsewhere, there has been a growing recognition of the needs of older people within a range of policies and strategies. Within these, the prioritisation of social inclusion for older people acknowledges that social inclusion and active ageing have strong links to health and well-being. At the same time, men’s health is a growing concern internationally. Social isolation, loneliness and depression are increasingly identified as major issues for men throughout the life course. Men often have less involvement in support and friendship networks than women do. Alongside this, service provision has been criticised for being ‘feminised’. This presentation – jointly presented by The Men’s Working Group and researchers from Queen’s University – outlines a recent review of services for socially-isolated older men aged 50 years or over living in Belfast. The introduction explores the impact of social isolation on men’s mental and physical health. Key findings from an audit of current service provision aimed at this group are highlighted, followed by case studies of individual service members. This followed by an assessment of how these services are meeting current levels of need, and ways in which they may be developed to meet future requirements.

2.05pm – Dr Sarah Eardley-Weaver (QUB) – Including all: Improving arts accessibility for people with varying visual and hearing ability
Media accessibility and social inclusion are increasingly prominent issues in today’s rapidly developing technological and multicultural world, as reflected in legislation and in a growing social awareness of inclusion as a fundamental human right. However, there remains a lack of promotion and awareness of the accessibility facilities for the blind and partially-sighted, as well as the deaf and hard-of-hearing, especially within the arts such as theatre, cinema, opera and museums. This presentation discusses findings from pioneering research into translation and accessibility issues in the arts, focusing on audio description, touch tours, sign language interpreting and subtitles/captioning. It includes examination of the production and reception of these innovative facilities which push the boundaries of current perceptions of the notions of accessibility and disability.

2.25pm – Discussion
2.55pm – RaISe – Closing Remarks
3.00pm – Networking and Refreshments