Hidden Disabilities- Sian gets a bit ranty- for a change!!!

So can you be the swd officer without having a disability? I roll my eyes- take a deep breath and think to myself ok here we go again. Me having to explain why I am the swd officer even though I’m not in a wheelchair don’t have a guide dog or use BSL as my first language. I still can remember the look on my face last year when a welfare officer at a HE said she didn’t realise that a non-disabled student could be on the students with disabilities committee. Man I felt like banging my head on a wall- again!!!

So what do I do? Well usually I start on my stuff and about how in actually fact 70% of disabilities can not be seen etc. etc. And then I can just see their look and I know what is coming next- ah so what disabilities do you have? What have you got? I try to smile and just think it’s ok- I’m the NUS SWD Officer- I should expect this- so off I go reeling them off. But to be honest in the 21st century should I really expect this? Should I really accept the questioning of my disabilities?

Now whilst part of me comprehends why this happens there is another part of me that gets angry/annoyed and upset that I feel that I have to justify why I am the lead SWD Officer. That I have to say I am the lead SWD officer- that in a way we are facing so many different discriminations in the swd campaign. The discrimination that I face is different from some of the discrimination that many others of my committee faces. For some reason I do not seem to fit people’s stereotype of what a SWD should look like. I don’t seem disabled. But to be honest what does that mean? How can you seem disabled? There are so many different disabilities, with so many different discriminations and issues it can just make you think whoa!!!

All I do know is that I am still not treated fairly in society- that people feel that they have to protect me, question can I cope with doing things or even call me brave. Actually this is also a word of warning those are the 2 things that really really piss me off and get me annoyed.

The first is when people ask me out of concern (and of course it is to consider me) if I think that I can cope with things, am I sure that with the way that I am that I can do things. I can remember when I first went for NUS SWD Officer a “concerned” friend actually asked me this. I just looked at them and smiled- that knowing smile. Yes I have something that gets me down and yes there are times when I disappear because- well to be honest- I just can’t face the world or have had a huge panic attack that has prevented me getting on a train. But that does not stop me being me, that does not stop me doing what I want to do (well most of the time) and that does not mean that I will any less of a NEC member because I am the way that I am.

Actually to be honest I think in a way the way that I am has made me whom I am, it has given me some really good attributes and I have also learnt to look after me. When things are getting to me I have no guilt no more to say enough- I have to look after me. Would it be right if anyone asked Jo Salmon (out of concern of course) if she could cope with the job because she is a woman?

The second thing that you can do if you really want to infuriate me is call me brave. You are so brave living with your disability. Actually no I am not- I am just me getting on with my life- it ain’t brave it’s living!!!

So yes the person whom you see is usually the happy person you see but there again when I am having a bad day the last thing I want to do is go into NUS- just like anyone else. So is it no big shock that you only see the public me.

Now you might be wondering ok how can we campaign and raise awareness for people like sian- what can we do as Union officers (or alternatively you might have gone to sleep cause of my ranty blog). Well that is why the NUS SWD Campaign is putting on the hidden disabilities day on February 17th. It gives you the opportunity to learn about hidden disabilities such as HIV & AIDS, MS, diabetes, epilepsy and ME. So come along and find out some stuff and give yourself some campaign ideas to take back to your Unions. There is more info on the swd part of this website.

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