Richard Linley is currently Senior Policy Adviser for Action on Access, responsible for coordinating the National Disability strategy for Widening Participation on behalf of HEFCE.

Richard has worked in the areas of equality, disability and inclusion in Education for over 22 years. His experience includes working with Deaf, Deafblind and Blind learners and those with multiple disabilities. The organisations he has worked for are the RNID, Sense, a National Specialist College, a mainstream FE college inclusion unit and then most recently with the RNIB as consultant.

Richard has worked as a Lecturer, DSA assessor, Curriculum Director and Consultant. For the past six years his work has been strategic at national level. He has been instrumental in the development of partnerships in the Northeast and in the Southwest through gaining development contracts with the Learning and Skills council nationally and regionally. He has also fulfilled other roles including working on the Commission for disabled staff in life long learning, and contributing towards the previous governments DIUS’ Single Equality Scheme.