Disabled Students' Officer

Welcome to my first blog post here as your Disabled Students’ Officer. I’m not going to be updating this weekly over the summer, because that would seem a little futile (also I’ll be spending the summer reading for final year and working on my dissertation in order to free me up to spend more of the actual year working on issues affecting disabled students).

My name's Matt, and I'm in my third year of studying English and Spanish. I’ve been abroad for nearly a year now, doing an Erasmus year, and it’s amazing to see the changes in Holloway in my absence. When we passed the motion for liberation officers as individual roles it seemed uncertain whether we’d be able to fill the places, we certainly couldn’t fill them on the Inclusion and Representation Senate during my six month period as Equality and Liberation Officer, when I took over after the previous one had to step down. However, we have, and as you’ll see, we’ll be facing the next year with a full complement.

This isn’t to suggest that other reps on the former I&R senate won’t still have their voices heard, only that disabled, LGBT+, women and marginalised genders, and BME students will now be represented with a seat on the executive committee, meaning we can have more input into how the university will be run, and how students from our respective groups will be supported, recognised, and empowered to take on their own challenges.

Since winning my election on Saturday night, I’ve been quite busy, going through my manifesto and tidying up my plan of action for the year. I now know how I intend to tackle and complete each of my manifesto points, what steps I need to take to do that, and who I need to contact and work with for each of them. I’ve got a long list of people and departments that I intend to meet with, and plan to get quite a bit done over the summer.

I’m starting from a slightly different point to the other liberation officers – until Sid’s exemplary work last year, very little had been done on campus about issues facing disabled students. LGBT+ soc has existed for a long while as a space for students who self-identify into any of those terms, there are several different societies that represent different groups of BME students (though I don’t know whether all BME students are represented by a society), and feminism society is there to look at issues facing women (and in my experience has been very positive in tackling issues facing marginalised genders as well). Although the societies may not be exactly on point with the roles of the officers, and although they may not be as representative as we could wish, they exist.

For disabled students, there is an occasional staff-student forum with the Educational Support Office and others, but there isn’t much beyond that. Therefore one of the big things I want to do this year is reach out to disabled students in setting up a fortnightly Disabled Student Network. This would provide us with a place to discuss the impact of our disabilities on our engagement in and relationship with the Union, our studies, and the activism people want to do / see done, and the changes they want to make. I intend to prioritise this, because although my manifesto is extensive, in the end my priorities will also be those that students raise in that forum, and supporting students in doing what we feel needs doing.

Other goals this summer include starting to work out where safe campaign-free routes across campus could go, to propose to the Demoks at the start of next year, looking into the costings of adapted vehicles, large and small, with relation to the Sshh bus and transport home for wheelchair using students, finding out how much it would cost to train a mental-health first aider, and looking into how we’d fundraise for that, doing some research into Disabled Students Allowance and hopefully preparing the leaflet on it to circulate to students, making contact with the local Save Our Services group so that we can be aware of cuts that might affect the provision of health, and especially mental health, services locally, researching local community groups that we could engage with, making contact with The Village about adapted shower usage, and linking them up with the SU and Educational Support Office if possible so that students can be aware of its availability, researching local adapted sports teams, finding out the state of affairs with wheelchair / adapted sports and BUCS, writing a motion on general meetings and access breaks, finding out what other universities do about lecture notes and how that benefits disabled students at those universities, catching up with the access to Founders’ Library campaign, get started on the pack regarding benefits available to disabled students, and setting up the facebook groups (one open to anyone who wants to work on or be involved with disabled students related issues at Holloway, and the other for disabled students at Holloway only).

I know that sounds like a lot, and I don’t think I’ll manage to get it all done this summer, but even making a start would be great!

I’ll be sure to update you when there’s something to update you with!

Meanwhile, if there’s anything you want to be involved with, or anything you want to see done, feel free to contact me on facebook (Matthew Reuben), twitter (PublicMatt) and soon I’ll be able to give you my exec email address for you to email me on. Be aware that I will have very limited internet until the beginning of August so don’t expect a fast response.

Best

Matt

Annual Report by the Equality & Liberation Officer 2012-13: Sidonie Bertrand-Shelton

At the end of the academic year, each Executive Part-Time Officer is required to give a report on their progress during the year. We are asked to write a report, and to give a one minute verbal summary at the Annual General Meeting - which is this Tuesday, the 4th June 2013. As you may remember, I ran in the elections to become your next Vice President Education & Welfare (your next Kenny) - and I won! So in this report I will touch on a few issues that I hope to continue working on. As active and as persevering as I am, implementing fool proof policies and changing current systems takes time. Luckily for me, I have an extra year to do this with a bright new team of officers next year!

This is my written report!

Zero Tolerance Campaign

This was a campaign I was keen to continue working on as Equality & Liberation Officer. I worked closely with the full time staff at the Student’s Union (SU) to make the ideas into policy. We created a form for the victims of sexual harassment to complete, I briefed and explained the policy to the SU security, and created small business cards with all the information needed for both the victim and the assumed perpetrator. 

It has been brought to my attention that the forms and the business cards are not always given out - that is something I will continue to work on next year - but it has been noted that the SU security staff have since been more understanding and pro-active in the light of sexual harassment. This is a good step forwards. 

Next year I hope to implement an anti-sexual harassment app that has been used in the U.S. and at other universities successfully. The new ULU Women’s Officer, Susuana will be working hard to make the app apply to all London Universities - making us a part of a London wide campaign. 

More Talks

Following the success of ‘Let’s Talk About Porn” in my second year, I re-ran it again this year. It was as successful, and the speakers were different but with interesting points of view. My favourite part of these talks is when the audience asks questions, as that’s when we get to the controversial topics, the ones that question what you thought you knew. That’s why I am so keen on talks, I think it’s vital that we question what we think we know. We come to university with so many assumptions, we’d be fools not to embrace university life and to question ourselves, doubt ourselves and assess beliefs whilst here. You end up being a stronger person by the end of your three/four years, I believe. 

A talk on Disability was incredibly enlightening. Disability is such a broad term for the enormous spectrum, with anything from difficulties with energy to dylexia to physical impairments. Coping, and identifying, are huge tasks in a society that focuses on ability.

We also held talks on Sex & Sexuality, to show the spectrum. We forget that everyone likes different amounts of sex (a lot, to a little, to none at all) and with different people. What we forget is not to assume that everyone around us is like us. As a mostly straight person, I forget that not everyone I meet will be mostly straight also. That’s something I work on, but I’m acknowledging it here anyway. 

A talk on Liberation Officers had speakers from the NUS - although we had a very small turnout (as it was the same evening that Farage had come to visit) but it was an encouraging talk, with much wisdom. Being a liberation officer is hard work, you sometimes put yourself in situations for people you’ve never even met. 

Mental Health Awareness Week

This is one of my proudest moments. I worked hard with Kenny and Jamie, and together we made a great campaign week, but what made the week what it was, was you. Those of you who stood up and spoke about your experiences in mental health, who felt comfortable enough to talk about it to fellow students you didn’t know but might see again. In ‘Let’s Talk About Mental Health” I sat in a room full of people, some I knew well and others less so, and I learnt. Slowly, people mentioned their own experiences, own difficulties, and we became aware that we were in a room of 40 or more people who cared about mental health. It was empowering, just like liberation should be. 

I also went around the university taking photos of people with placards of mental health facts. I got 99 photos of individuals and pairs, and by uploading them on to Facebook we were able to raise the awareness that we were aiming for. I then went around societies and took photos of them all together, before getting them to write anonymously on a small peace of paper whether they had ever experienced a mental health issue. The turn out was astounding, and heart warming. It was another way to show that people weren’t alone, without outing anybody. 

For half a day I stood at a stall in the SU on market day with lots of information about mental health. 1 in 4 of us will experience a mental health disorder at some point in our lives - remember this not just now, but in the future also. It’s a hard topic to breach, and often misunderstood but more often than not it will affect someone dear to you, if not yourself. 

Inclusion & Representation Senate Empowerment

This was on my manifesto, and something that I have been working on all year. We met every week, and so turned a senate which hardly ever did anything to a group of people who worked hard to spread the ideas of equality and liberation - ideas which do not automatically interest all of us. We tried to set up caucuses for each of the liberation groups, and to write blog posts also. We sent our members to the NUS liberation conferences as observers or delegates, and I created a Facebook page which posts interesting articles, motivational images and blog updates. 

We created a small body positivity campaign with a small video, that was an enormous success! This opened our eyes to the potential of Rhubarb TV and liberation awareness raising. We hope to continue the body positivity campaign this year coming. 

We also were sure to celebrate each history month, including Women's, Black student’s, LGBT+ and Disability. We created images of famous people from each liberation group with a quote on their disability or some general advice. These proved to be engaging and useful when promoting the talks that went alongside them. 

I went to a few NUS conferences and London wide liberation meetings as well. I created my own blog which I updated every Sunday, explaining what I was working on and why. It actually provided a useful frame of reference for me, so I could see what I had been doing and what I would be aiming to do later. I think it might have even opened out the SU a bit, as people were telling me that they read my blog and were keeping up with the SU progress. This is what we should aim to do all the time!

Demonstrations

In the build up to the November 2012 demonstration - against the cuts to education - I went around campus and took photos of about 60 of you with statistics of how the academic and employment structures disfavour those of us who identify with a liberation campaign. It worked, as people would read the placards with shock. I went on the rainy demonstration. Later on in the year, I demonstrated against the cuts to Lewisham A&E - this was a sunny protest with families, and so a completely different atmosphere. 

Online Forum for Student Parents and Carers

I wanted to work on this, but I’m sure you’ve heard of the difficulties surrounding the remodelling of our SU website. I’m still going to try and make this happen, as it’s important to provide a forum not limited by time or location. This is a promise.

Founders Wheelchair Access

I worked with the International Students Officer and the Educational Support Office (ESO) to make Founders Library accessible. We made it possible for one student who uses a manual chair, and it’s seems feasible now to make it possible for more. This is one of those tasks which takes time and patience, even if it is seemingly simple. This is something that I would like to continue working on from July. 

Extra Duties

Like most things, priorities and duties change over the coming year. At the beginning of the year I helped the first years move in with a very cheerful group of volunteers. Half way through the year it became apparent that General Meetings (GMs) were not accessible for everybody, and so I created an open session to mindmap the difficulties and solutions. If people are unhappy, then it is our duty to work together to do something about it. We made several changes and I handed out a questionnaire to see how it went. Our changes were successful - but what happened next stopped the progression: I got burnt out and tired, and to make it work I would have had to chase up to 10 people before and during the GMs. I took a step back, expecting us as a collective to step up to the small adjustments we had made. Some changes are still there, like the curve in the lines of chairs: but the bulk of them fell. I have learnt from this experience, and  I am more informed for next year! I am hoping to re-implement some of them with the help of the next Chair and Democracy Officer.

Towards the end of the second term, our Chair left and I was asked if I could chair until the following academic year, when it will go to the next elected Chair. So, I have been chairing the General Meetings, and this evening, I will be chairing the Annual General Meeting (AGM). It is quite confusing and demanding, and so I thank you all for your patience with me! This is the last meeting I am required to chair this year (I can hear your sighs of relief already!) but I promise to try and make them enjoyable. 

That’s it. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to be your last Equality & Liberation Officer - like most things there were good times and tough times. I was honoured two weeks ago to have earned a SURHUL Laurel which is only awarded to students who exceed expectations in contributing to the SU. In all honesty, I only tried to do my best, and was fighting not to let down the liberation groups that I didn’t identify with. Some of you sent me testimonials during elections, and I will keep them with me for the rest of my life. I was always doing it for people I didn’t know or understand completely just yet, and if I did you proud then it is the greatest success that I could have dreamed of earning. I am lucky to have found something that I love doing, but luckier still to have the opportunity to be here next year to continue working with you all. 

I leave you with a favourite quote of mine:

“Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot

Nothing is going to get better. It’s not.”

Dr Seuss, The Lorax

Martha and I at the Laurels last week

SURHUL is Increasing Representation!

Today, I am very happy. I write this blog post in a mist of content (if such a thing never before existed, it does now).

Last night SURHUL held the by-election results. I've been away so I wasn't able to keep updated on the campaigns, but looking at the Facebook pages, manifestos and sheer number of people talking about the elections, it was a success. Running an election campaign, and even more so a successful one, is hard work. Congratulations to everyone who participated, because taking part really does deserve recognition as much as winning. This goes to not only the candidates, but the campaign teams also: it's people like you that make SURHUL what it is.

So onto the winners: congratulations to you all! You can see the list of winners here.
Of all of the elections, I am most proud that the positions of Disabled Students Officer and Black and Minority Ethnic Officer have been filled with two excellent candidates: Matthew Reuben and Lucinda Violet respectively.

This is the penultimate stage to replacing my current role as Equality & Liberation Officer with the four new officers. Already we have Victoria Butcher in the role of Women and Marginalised Genders Officer, and Jack Saffers as LGBT+ Officer, which completes the four Officers replacing the one.
It is the penultimate stage, as this week we will begin meeting, comparing manifestos and organising ideas in such a way as to make next year as successful as possible, whilst making allowances for extra commitments and, obviously, studying.

To tell you that I am excited about this is an understatement. I have been working during the whole of this academic year trying to engage people in liberation and awareness raising. Sometimes it worked really well, such as the Mental Health Awareness Week - and sometimes less so. I learnt from all of
these events and mistakes, much like we all would. The most amazing thing was making the I&R Senate work, through a Facebook page and regular meetings. This is as much a credit to the people who made up the senate, as to myself. It would not have been possible, nor nearly as engaging, without you all.

In the meantime, remember that I am free this week to talk to anyone and everyone with ideas for next year - simply get in touch.

Hope you're having a wonderful day!