Hello BNU, Happy Disability Awareness Month! Starting from the 16th of November to the 16th of December. This has been such an important month for people with a disability as just like any awareness month, we are being recognised and remembering those who came before us with disabilities and fought for the rights and support people have today, as well as those who are our allies. This year, the theme was ‘Disability Livelihood and Employment.’ In recent years employment of those with disabilities were high due to the protective measures in place such as reasonable adjustments, the Equality Act, as well as protection from discrimination in the workforce. However since the pandemic, the number of disabled people in the workforce has fallen with the unemployment rate for us being 7.1% in 2023 compared to our non disabled counterparts having a 3.5% rise in unemployment rate.
With this in mind I have been working closely with BNU to put some events up across this academic year, such as a career wall to celebrate those with disabilities in all aspects of the work force. As well as working toward bringing general awareness toward disabilities. Such as more disability mixers for students with disabilities to have a chance to connect within the disabled community at BNU, a sunflower event at the venue at BNU is also being discussed at the moment.
I am passionate about improving the experience of disabled people at Bucks and would love to hear your feedback or any ideas you may have to spread awareness about disabilities and what the university can do to improve the experience of the disabled community at our university.
I am one of the Student Voice Officers at the university so please feel free to get in touch at this email: freya.carson@bucks.ac.uk
Thank you and Happy Disability awareness month!