Mr Piers Wilkinson
Learning Technologist
Piers Wilkinson joined the University of Southampton as a Learning Technologist in June 2025, coming from an extensive background in inclusive education, learning technology, and digital accessibility.
Prior to joining the University of Southampton, Piers held several national leadership roles, including public appointment as a Commissioner for the House of Lords Higher Education Commission and the Disabled Students’ Commission, where they advised government and sector bodies on embedding sustainable inclusion for disabled students.
In addition to their public work, Piers continues to be an active member of sector stakeholder groups, advising on digital pedagogy, universal design for learning (UDL), assistive technology integration, and accessible policy design. Piers currently sits on the Board of Directors for the National Association of Disability Practitioners (NADP), Jisc’s Assistive Technology Network (ATN) strategy group, and are a member of the advisory board for the University of Dundee’s MSc in Educational Assistive Technology (EduAT).
In recognition of their sector impact and advocacy, Piers was awarded Jisc’s 2024 Community Champion - Pioneer Award.
Piers has authored and contributed to a wide range of scholarly publications and authoritative guidance documents towards improving practice and the experiences of disabled people, including:
- “A thematic report on relationships with family and friends among disabled people in the UK” (2023), on behalf of the Cabinet Office Disability Unit, in partnership with Diversity & Ability and London Southbank University.
- “Exploring the Experiences of Disabled Health Professionals and Learners Through a Dual-Approach Framework” (2023), on behalf Health Education England and NHS England.
- Guidance for Captioning Rich Media” (Advance HE, 2021), a practical resource on producing accessible multimedia in higher education. Advance HE Knowledge Hub
- “The Disabled Student Commitment” (2021), a national pledge for UK higher education sector to support disabled students through whole-institution inclusion.
- “Competence Standards and Reasonable Adjustments” (Advance HE & NADP, 2025).
They are always keen to collaborate on projects that advance accessibility and innovation across the institution.