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Aster Cosmos

@liberatelearning.bsky.social
370 followers 986 following 100 posts

Person centred & values driven educational designer in #highereducation who posts about #learningdesign #pedagogy #assessment #equity #diversity #wellbeing #mentalhealth. Also a big nerd who enjoys puns and dadjokes Posts represent personal views They/Them

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Reposted by Aster Cosmos
Phoebe Toups Dugas 🏳️‍⚧️ @snapdragoness.itch.io · 24/02/2026
Excited and honoured to announce that I've been awarded a SIGCHI Special Recognition for research on gender diversity and efforts to make SIGCHI and ACM safer for transgender people. #sigchi #superstarsofstem medium.com/sigchi/2026-...
medium.com
2026 ACM SIGCHI Awards and Special Recognitions
We are excited to announce this year’s ACM SIGCHI awardees, Academy inductees, and Special Recognition recipients!
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Dana Bui @theeddesigner.bsky.social · 30/07/2025
My tribe and I developed this together and it genuinely brings me joy: Equity in Action: Practical actions & advice for embedding respect, reflection, diversity & change in teaching practice. @liberatelearning.bsky.social @prudencevron.bsky.social @elzbthmccrthy.bsky.social #UDL #EduSky #AcademicSky
sites.google.com
Equity in action
Welcome to Equity in Action—a practical resource that embeds respect, reflection, diversity, and meaningful change in higher education. How to use this website The examples are organised into four m...
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Aster Cosmos @liberatelearning.bsky.social · 02/06/2025
Went to an event I was keen on but left early due to inaccessibility I wrote about the cost of self advocacy, shared the barriers I faced, and what's needed for #InclusiveDesign. Read the full post and practical takeaways on LinkedIn 👇👇👇 #Accessibility #Disability www.linkedin.com/posts/asterc...
linkedin.com
#disability #selfadvocacy #accessibility | Aster Cosmos (formerly Phillip Abramson)
*How do you make events accessible?* Sharing a moment that left me feeling unseen and reflecting on inaccessibility and emotional fatigue I went to an event I was excited for over the weekend but dis...
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Aster Cosmos @liberatelearning.bsky.social · 29/05/2025
That's a nice framework. Always good to have some focus on what students are proud of
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Aster Cosmos @liberatelearning.bsky.social · 18/04/2025
I contributed to this episode (I'm at 21:55) ✅ Remember what motivates you ✅ protect the life of work-life ✅ care for community ✅ nature, meeting our needs (bodily, social, etc) #wellbeing is hard around a #systemic threat to it. Change the system www.timeshighereducation.com/campus/podca...
timeshighereducation.com
THE podcast: how to look after yourself in higher education
Personal insights from a range of higher education voices on how they preserve their own well-being
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aslynn is just a ghoul 👻 @aslynnromano.com · 01/12/2024
"Fear of tarring children with these labels once kept numbers down, are we now applying them too liberally?" No. We are not. 😐 "It has also left a group in the cold: children who are not high functioning, who have limited communication and who struggle with daily life" No. We have not.* You have.
theguardian.com
The Good Doctor’s version of autism masks a grimmer truth of badly failed children | Martha Gill
Tales of ‘too much’ progress don’t stand up when severe cases are still being treated with a Victorian harshness, as recent disturbing footage shows
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Aster Cosmos @liberatelearning.bsky.social · 12/04/2025
As awful as this is, I'm actually not surprised. #Allies to the front, speak up for your #queer peers, we need to stand in solidarity against #oppression and #marginalisation. 🏳️‍🌈✊
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Kelly @broadwaybabyto.bsky.social · 11/04/2025
“I’m not worried about Long Covid” Of course you’re not. Most people weren’t worried about it, until it happened to them This is true of most disabilities. People think they’re the exception. That we’ve done something “wrong”. It’ll be different for them Disability can & does happen to everyone.
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Aster Cosmos @liberatelearning.bsky.social · 07/04/2025
#equitable #learning = good teaching practice I love these frameworks but one thing is often missing! Have a read 👇👇👇 liberatelearning.substack.com/p/i-love-uni... What practices have helped you participate in learning? Teachers: What do you think is missing to help you truly thrive?
liberatelearning.substack.com
I love universal design for learning and here's why (plus one micro gripe)
If you've spoken to me for more than fifteen minutes there's a very good chance we'll start talking about accessible design practices — or more accurately I'll monologue while you become my captive au...
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cageyratfish (they) UTC-7 🐟🏳️‍⚧️ @cageyratfish.bsky.social · 06/04/2025
THIS!!! FOR THE LOVE OF ALL THAT'S HOLY, STOP TURNING ELON INTO A WOMAN!! THAT JUST TELLS ME YOU HATE WOMEN AND TRANS PEOPLE YOU CAN CALL OUT HORRIBLE PEOPLE FOR BEING HORRIBLE AND EVIL WITHOUT THROWING WHOLE COMMUNITIES YOU CLAIM TO CARE ABOUT UNDER THE BUS
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Briana Mills, LMFT ♿️🏳️‍🌈 @brianamillslmft.bsky.social · 02/04/2025
It’s not “differently abled,” it’s not “special needs,” it’s not “handicapped,” or anything else, it’s disabled. Disabled is not a bad or dirty word. Disabled is accurate and there’s nothing wrong with being disabled.
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Aster Cosmos @liberatelearning.bsky.social · 23/03/2025
video from national down syndrome society It's so key to #socialjustice, that #marginalised groups have #representation in things that will affect them. From individual to societal. It may seem like more work but you get better outcomes. Long term everyone wins Whose voice is absent in your space?
youtu.be
NO DECISION WITHOUT US | World Down Syndrome Day 2025
YouTube video by CoorDown
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Dr Sarah J Young @sarahjyoung.bsky.social · 22/03/2025
One of my students used references & quotations invented by #ChatGPT in a presentation this week. It was a formative assessment, not counting towards the final mark, and on reflection I wasn’t clear enough about rules on AI use also applying to presentations. But it was quite instructive. 🧵
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Ben Eltham @beneltham.bsky.social · 20/03/2025
There’s no secret why Australia’s productivity is stagnating: much of the economy is locked up in cosy duopolies who spend their time consolidating their dominance, so they can rip customers off. Until politicans act to break them up, this will continue www.theguardian.com/australia-ne...
theguardian.com
ACCC urges reform as Coles and Woolworths named among ‘most profitable’ supermarkets in world
A 441-page report calls for 20 recommendations, including greater transparency around prices, special offers and ‘shrinkflation’
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Aster Cosmos @liberatelearning.bsky.social · 19/03/2025
youtu.be/tsdJ6Odm_YQ?... #ADHD #wellbeing #selfcare Self care can look very different for different people and so of course it will differ by neurotype, culture, etc. There are good tips here What do you find works for you?
youtu.be
My MOST Effective SELF-CARE Strategies (as Someone with ADHD)
YouTube video by How to ADHD
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Jeremy Hunsinger @buridan.bsky.social · 19/03/2025
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Jeremy Hunsinger @buridan.bsky.social · 18/03/2025
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Aster Cosmos @liberatelearning.bsky.social · 16/03/2025
www.instagram.com/p/DHQ5qR6xPYq/ #feminism #history #socialjustice All rights were hard won. Don't allow the world to slip backwards!
instagram.com
Login • Instagram
Welcome back to Instagram. Sign in to check out what your friends, family & interests have been capturing & sharing around the world.
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Soulshine 🌊🌊🌊 @beautysllaround.bsky.social · 16/03/2025
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Aster Cosmos @liberatelearning.bsky.social · 12/03/2025
theconversation.com/we-tracked-t... #queer #trans #nonbinary #healthandwellbeing #mentalhealth None of this surprises me or would anyone in the community. Remember that young folks (think schooling and early post school) are particularly vulnerable. What will you do to safeguard queer well-being?
theconversation.com
We tracked the mental health of trans and gender-diverse Australians for over 20 years. And we’re worried
The mental health of trans, nonbinary and gender-diverse Australians is suffering and getting worse.
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Ariel Salminen @arielsalminen.com · 12/03/2025
Some well-known people in our industry don’t seem to understand at all what kind of privilege they have. Honestly very tired of hearing “stop paying attention” from white men, because the things they’re talking about don’t affect their life enough (yet). Your experience ≠ everyone else’s experience.
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Bobbi Elman @autismadvocate.co.uk · 10/03/2025
#Facts “Every #transphobic argument can basically be boiled down to: "I actually don't know the science at all or have a good argument here, but #trans people challenge my long held view of the #world 🌎 and it's very uncomfortable and everyone should be expected to move around my discomfort."
Charlotte Clymer

@cmclymer

Every transphobic argument can basically be boiled down to: "I actually don't know the science at all or have a good argument here, but trans people challenge my long held view of the world and it's very uncomfortable and everyone should be expected to move around my discomfort."
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Bobbi Elman @autismadvocate.co.uk · 10/03/2025
#Facts #LGBTQIA2S🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️ #TransSurvival
A LGBTQIA2S flag with the text : 

Just because you can't understand it or wouldn't choose it for yourself, doesrit mean that it's Wrong. Your fears are not facts. Your feelings are not facts. Your opinions are not facts. You have not & will never silence the LGBTQIA+ Population. They have always & will always exist. They are powerful because they have always survived it all. And they are gonna survive this, too.

@therapywithmaggie LPC
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Aster Cosmos @liberatelearning.bsky.social · 08/03/2025
This was a really eye opening read. #actuallyautistic folks, does this resonate with you? How so? neuroclastic.com/the-identity... #inclusion #disability #identity #neurodivergence
neuroclastic.com
The Identity Theory of Autism: How Autistic Identity Is Experienced Differently
Terra Vance posits that Autistic people experience empathy and emotions differently because the way autistic identity is structured differs from non-autistic people’s identity constructs.
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Aster Cosmos @liberatelearning.bsky.social · 28/02/2025
So touched. I ran some training over the last few days and one of the participants sent me an email to tell me how much they loved it, that and getting to see how much fun people were having in the two sessions was very special. #teaching #highered #activelearning #rapport
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Aster Cosmos @liberatelearning.bsky.social · 23/02/2025
Actual: Sensory overload triggering verbal shutdown. Removing oneself from the situation & engaged in grounding, breathing, stimming & reactive self care until returning to nominal state Humourous (+bonus anticapitalist themes): rewarding myself with a quick and efficient menty b on my day off 1/2
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Aster Cosmos @liberatelearning.bsky.social · 22/02/2025
themindfile.substack.com/p/academic-i... Yes!!! #academicintegrity #highereducation #cheating
themindfile.substack.com
Academic integrity - a dishonest term?
When we talk about academic integrity, and when we flag “academic integrity” concerns, what we really mean is: somebody is cheating.
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Aster Cosmos @liberatelearning.bsky.social · 16/02/2025
Quote: """...the intrinsic interrelationship between staff and student wellbeing and success. Put simply: “staff wellbeing [is] integral to student wellbeing”.""" #mentalhealth #highereducation #disability #wellbeing #academicworkload #studentsuccess open.substack.com/pub/neededno...
open.substack.com
“That's outside of my pay grade” – Is the tertiary sector ready to support student (and staff) mental health needs?
Anna Dabrowski, Senior Research Fellow, Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER)
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Aster Cosmos @liberatelearning.bsky.social · 16/02/2025
#disabilityjustice now and always! #solidarity forever! Allies need to show up for disabled folks! So many countries are super hard to emigrate to add disabled folks just like this post says. We need to work hard to ensure where we live puts ablism aside and helps disabled people to thrive
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Kelly @broadwaybabyto.bsky.social · 04/02/2025
Include disabled people in your resistance planning. In many ways we’re built for resistance, as we have to find creative and sustainable ways to survive every single day. This is the time for intersectionality and community care. We need to work together and save one another.
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Aster Cosmos @liberatelearning.bsky.social · 03/02/2025
"As we get older our functional abilities deteriorate. Over half of the population over the age of 65 experience some kind of disability." this! #disability is something that many people will experience at some point even if they're currently able-bodied accessibility.blog.gov.uk/2016/05/16/w...
accessibility.blog.gov.uk
What we mean when we talk about accessibility
The word ‘accessibility’ gets used a lot. I have lots of conversations about it. People often have a different understanding to me of what it means, and that can make having effective conversations di...
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Aster Cosmos @liberatelearning.bsky.social · 03/02/2025
Radical empathy thank you!! To go with my radical openness about myself 🤩
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Aster Cosmos @liberatelearning.bsky.social · 02/02/2025
Absolutely. It's an inclusive design practice.
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Aster Cosmos @liberatelearning.bsky.social · 31/01/2025
Powerful ✊ Terrible 😭 Women deserve better. Society MUST do better. Genuine allyship to address gender based violence means keeping experiences like this in mind.
A whiteboard saying "enough is enough. Get it off your t*ts!" Upon which a number of post its from (presumably) women sharing their experiences including victim blaming, etc
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Stimpunks Foundation @stimpunks.org · 29/01/2025
Getting human-centered, neurodiversity affirming, progressive practices into education, healthcare, and other systems is a battle, a grueling and grinding battle through bad narratives and bad framing. Here are 10 common obstacles to our work. stimpunks.org/2024/07/29/10-obstacl……
stimpunks.org
10 Obstacles to Neurodiversity Affirming Practice
Getting human-centered, neurodiversity affirming, progressive practices into education, healthcare, and other systems is a battle, a grueling and grinding battle through bad narratives and bad…
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Aster Cosmos @liberatelearning.bsky.social · 29/01/2025
The effects of #power within #learning contexts can be subtle yet highly influential. Here I speak to how this plays out through #assessment #classroom #culture and #learningoutcomes. Reflecting on your own experiences, what kind of learning environment would wish to craft or participate within?
open.substack.com
Hierarchies in learning
The importance of interpersonal dynamics and socio-learning structures
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Aster Cosmos @liberatelearning.bsky.social · 17/01/2025
Quote: "ensure your actions match your words. Simplify the system, focus on people, and provide meaningful support to those in need. Until then, many of us will continue to fight, not only for assistance but also for recognition of our humanity." www.dominatingdisability.com/blog/5fe0e32...
dominatingdisability.com
An Angry And Upset Disabled and Neurodivergent Tackling NDIS Applcations and Rejection
I'm not going to write this blog article in my typical informative writing format. Instead, I am going to show you the pain that many of us experience when trying to navigate the Australian National D...
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Autistic Realms (Helen Edgar) @autisticrealms.bsky.social · 14/01/2025
New blog: Radical Resilience "To be radically resilient, we need to find possibilities in-between hard spaces to transform the landscape and enable more neuro-affirming environments for people to flourish." autisticrealms.com/radical-resi...
autisticrealms.com
Resilience
I am suggesting a reclaiming and reframing of the word resilience.
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Aster Cosmos @liberatelearning.bsky.social · 13/01/2025
Not too bad ABC, it is indeed the #Autistic community practice to use identity-first language. Now please tell your programming department to similarly consult with the autistic community around how you represent them 😂 #disability Story for those interested www.abc.net.au/news/2025-01...
Text describing the choice between the language of "Autistic" vs "person with autism". The former is most common in the community though some choose the latter for themselves
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Aster Cosmos @liberatelearning.bsky.social · 11/01/2025
Quote: "Even though discrimination has been officially outlawed and most organizations would never say they’re racist, exclusion is visible in many organizational processes"
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Aster Cosmos @liberatelearning.bsky.social · 07/01/2025
www.dominatingdisability.com/blog/d0de90b... #disability accommodations and supports are necessary to ensure success in both work and *life*. Having the right culture and environment is so essentially to having that work. Brooke's made a great write up here.
dominatingdisability.com
Having a Disability in the Workplace: How Your Workplace Can/Should Help
In Australia, inclusivity in the workplace has become an important goal for many businesses and organisations (even institutions). One in five Australians are living with some type of disability, it's...
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Aster Cosmos @liberatelearning.bsky.social · 05/01/2025
A dear friend brought this to my attention. This is not friendly banter between sports teams but rather a chant rooted in othering and #racism It is not harmless as it reinforces that it's okay to target groups of people, treat them as lesser. It normalises racism sports.ndtv.com/australia-vs...
sports.ndtv.com
'Pure Racism': Indians Insulted With "Where's Your Visa" Chants At MCG During India vs Australia Test | Cricket News
Indian cricket team fans were targetted by a section of the Australian crowd during the 4th Test in Melbourne last month.
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Aster Cosmos @liberatelearning.bsky.social · 04/01/2025
A sadly very accurate description #disability
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Aster Cosmos @liberatelearning.bsky.social · 24/12/2024
For the holiday period, i hope everyone engages with joy, feels connected with those important to them, and gets to truly rejuvenate themselves. I know it's not always celebratory for everyone -- if you are in that camp, I wish you a gentle period instead and remind you to be kind to yourself
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David Allen Lambert @dlgenealogist.bsky.social · 21/12/2024
Destroy this myth. Please share if you have visited and researched in a library this past year! RT And give a shout out to your favorite library you have ever visited.
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Aster Cosmos @liberatelearning.bsky.social · 18/12/2024
Great post, lots of good advice, in a step outside the ordinary, instead of an conceptual teaser I'm quoting the part that made me laugh "...I have no memory of putting my arms around my colleagues and smiling wistfully into the distance. Perhaps I haven’t been on the right teams..."
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Aster Cosmos @liberatelearning.bsky.social · 18/12/2024
#feedback is one of the most powerful tools for #learning but how do you get learners' #engagement with that feedback? some considerations for #assessment design to really get the most out of feedback, have a read 👇👇👇 one spoiler: #motivation is key! open.substack.com/pub/liberate...
open.substack.com
Feedback is for learning
Using feedback to turn evaluation heavy assessment into assessment for learning
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alyssum says #ProtectJho and #FreeLink @permanentalien.blacksky.app · 18/12/2024
disability tax is real. whether it’s mental or physical, if you need accommodation it’ll cost you, when things aren’t accessible it’ll also cost you. if by some miracle you’re able to provide for yourself you’ll still struggle to save because what most consider luxury is just a basic accommodation 🙃
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Cats of Yore @catsofyore.bsky.social · 19/04/2024
Posting this again because a lot of people said they found it helpful! Guide to ALT text: www.perkins.org/resource/how...
ALT text copied and pasted from the linked website: An infographic titled “How To Write Alt Text” featuring a photo of a capybara. Parts of alt text are divided by color, including identify who, expression, description, colour, and interesting features. The finished description reads “A capybara looking relaxed in a hot spa. Yellow yuzu fruits are floating in the water, and one is balanced on the top of the capybara’s head.”
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