Slaughter, Rohan

Rohan has over 20 years’ experience of supporting technology in the education sector. Rohan has an IT, assistive technology and education management background, and is a qualified teacher. Rohan joined the University of Dundee as a senior lecturer in Assistive Technology in November 2020. This role has been created to support the MSc in Educational Assistive Technology.

Rohan has worked on organisational strategy, general management and led a number of national-scale assistive technology projects. Rohan has undertaken consultancy work for large general further education colleges, higher education institutions, specialist colleges and schools in the areas of assistive technology, IT and technology and the integration of such with the curriculum.

Between September 2015 and October 2020, Rohan worked for Jisc, the EdTech not-for-profit that provides educational technology services and support to colleges and universities. As a member of the subject specialist consultancy group Rohan provided support to Jisc member organisations on assistive technology, accessibility, and infrastructure systems. Rohan has worked on various policy projects inclusive of supporting the DfE’s EdTech strategy through his membership of the DfE’s AT experts’ group and gave evidence at the House of Lords HE commission for disabled students experience early in 2020.

Between 2000 and 2015 Rohan was employed at Scope’s Beaumont College (a Natspec independent specialist college) as assistant principal and formerly as the head of technology.

At Beaumont College Rohan led the development of the integrated ‘technology team’ consisting of both mainstream IT staff and assistive technologists who work with students and other specialist staff to deploy assistive technology/IT hardware and software solutions.

During Rohan’s time at Beaumont College he led a number of national education sector projects such as the Jisc funded DART (disseminating assistive roles and technology) project. The Dart curriculum has informed the design of the MSc in Educational Assistive Technology that is being developed and delivered at the University of Dundee from January 2021.

In 2014 Rohan completed an MSc by research in computing and communication systems at Lancaster University that focused on how home automation/internet of things technology can be made accessible to disabled people.

Rohan was chair of the Natspec technology advisory group until July 2015 and continues to be a member of this strategic group. Rohan is vice-chair of the Karten Network board, where he works to support assistive technology use in the network of ~100 Karten Centres. The Karten Trust part funds the Natspec TechAbility assistive technology service, Rohan is part of the TechAbility steering group.

Rohan is working on developing and delivering the MSc in Educational Assistive Technology. The first cohort started in January 2021.

Prior to joining the University, when working at Jisc Rohan provided a range of consultancy, support and training to Jisc member colleges and universities. This work focussed on assistive technology, education leadership and management and IT infrastructure.

From 2000 to 2015 Rohan worked at Scope’s Beaumont College. Qualifying as a teacher in 2007 Rohan taught IT and related subjects to students at Beaumont College as well as providing a range of training to staff members both at Beaumont College and more widely in the education sector.

Rohan is interested in how assistive technology is assessed for, provisioned and supported. Assistive technology is used by people with physical disabilities and learning difficulties to be as independent as possible when accessing the environment, education and employment. The Educational Assistive Technologist role is an emerging transdisciplinary role, that the MSc in Educational Assistive Technology (EduAT) aims to professionalise. One of the goals of the EduAT research group is to investigate the difference the EduAT role can make in a given context.