A UNIVERSITY lecturer from Poulton has been short-listed for a national teaching award and is in the running for a £50,000 prize for his work with students with disabilities.

Alan Hurst, 57, of Skippool Avenue, has worked at the University of Central Lancashire for the past 27 years and is a Professor of Education Studies in the Department for Education and Social Sciences.

His work involves alerting his colleagues to the needs of those with physical disabilities.

Hard-working Alan was nominated for the National Teaching Fellowship by the Preston university and has now been short-listed for the 2002 award. The results will be announced in May.

Alan is currently working on a project to be submitted to the national advisory panel by the end of April before a final decision is made.

The father-of-two said: "I'm travelling to Belfast to visit the University of Ulster to discuss ways they can adjust their curriculum to accommodate students as part of my project.

"For example, making sure material is available in large print for partially sighted students, or ensuring that when they give lectures they face the front of the class and speak clearly so that deaf students can lip read."

Alan, who studied for a degree and teaching qualification at the University of Hull, was a grammar school teacher for seven years before embarking on a masters degree at the University of Manchester.

He then started work at the University of Central Lancashire while studying part-time for a PhD, specialising in access to higher education for wheelchair users.

"It is part of my job to encourage students with 'hidden' disabilities to disclose them," said Alan. "We cannot help people if we do not know they have epilepsy or asthma for instance. Although it may be difficult for people to talk about such 'sensitive' issues it is important," said Alan.

Alan's wife Carole also teaches at the university and the couple are flying to Japan soon to see their daughter Claire, 25, who teaches English as a foreign language.