So why do we need the NUS SWD campaign? It is a question I get asked all the time. You see people think that in the 21st century we live in a fair and equal society where everyone is treated the same and I wish that was true but alas no it is not. Disablism is still very evident in our society, for example since 1994 264 people have been killed just because they were disabled. That is they were beaten up or killed just because they have a disability- seems all a bit shocking really when we are meant to live in a civilised and educated society.

But first of all you might be wondering what actually is the NUS Students With disabilities Campaign. The campaign aims to challenge the stigma of disabilities, fight for equal human rights and for equal access in all areas of life for disabled students. The campaign covers all areas of disability including hidden disabilities such as mental ill health, epilepsy, diabetes, HIV, Dyslexia & dyspraxia, visual impairments, mobility impairments and hearing impairments to name but a few. The effect of how disabilities impact upon students is an integral part of our campaigning work. We give our officers ideas about how to campaign on disability issues, and how best to involve students with disabilities in their union. We work with a number of disability organisations, represent students with disabilities to department of education, government and other leading disability organisations.

So why is the campaign important? Surely there can’t be that much discrimination about? Well let’s just imagine you are a disabled student wanting to travel on a train, but you are in a wheelchair. Did you know that you have to give 48 hours notice before you travel? So you just can’t get on a train and go off and see your mates. And forget it if you have 2 friends who are also in wheelchairs wanting to travel with you, because trains can only take up to 2 wheelchair users and hey even then sometimes they get put in the postal carriage (yes that still does happen.)

Maybe you are a young disabled student who wants to enjoy the social life of a student. So you want to go on a night out. But its not as easy as that, even though there is now law in place. You have to make sure that the places you are going to be accessible. It is rather shameful that even though the DDA has been in since October 1st (it has been coming in since 1995- for the last 9 years- so its not like its just crept up on anyone) businesses and organisations are just sitting and waiting for case law to happen rather than putting changes into place and making places accessible. The law is still letting people off the hook because they don’t know what it means and whilst that is happening you really have to ask yourself how effective is the DDA?

Personally I think it is disgusting that in the 21st century a person can be told that entering a pub through a locked gate, around the back, past the empty beer barrel and staff ciggy ends and through the kitchen is reasonable. If this is the standard the DDA is getting access to in this country it demonstrates we have still got a long way to go towards equality.

And that is just getting into the place. What about if you saw someone you were attracted to? I mean disabled people and sex- not something really that is talked about or thought about. For example one student asked me had I ever thought about how a young man with cerebral parsley who is getting frisky with his partner actually puts a condom on? Now I will be completely honest, this was not something I had thought about before, but yes I sat there trying to work it out. I kind of came to the conclusion that they might have to get a helping hand- which is all well and good expect what if their partner is disabled too? Can you imagine having to knock on your flat mate’s door and say hey I have met this really great person they’re in my room, it’s all getting a bit frisky so we need a bit of a hand putting on protection. Hell protection can sometimes ruin the moment (if that’s the right way of putting it) at the best of times. So what do you do? Surely SWD have a right to sex and protection without embarrassment or getting others involved as it was?

And once you have finished reading this blog go into the accessible toilets and see if there are any condom or sanitary products machines in there. I’d be shocked if there was. Does that therefore mean that women who use accessible toilets don’t have periods or that people who use accessible toilets don’t have sex or need to have protected sex? I don’t think so. These are all things that maybe you haven’t thought of but maybe you need to. I mean how hard would it actually be for every Union to get condom and sanitary machines installed in their accessible toilets? If they are in the male and female toilets why not the accessible ones?

Finally the reason why the SWD Campaign is important to me is very personal and I suppose it is because of the perception of who a disabled person is. I hate 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 the NUS SWD Officer. Hello I am disabled!

You see in actually fact 70% of disabilities can not be seen. That in a way is why 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 face. 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 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. Would it be right if anyone asked Jo Salmon the National Women’s Officer (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 calling 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 isn’t brave it’s living!

You see we have a long way to go and hopefully this blog has got you thinking. I would love to live in a society where we didn’t need the NUS SWD campaign but unfortunately that society is a long way off and so until then we will carry on challenging stigma and fighting for our rights. If you would like to know more go to the NUS SWD section of officeronline www.officeronline.co.uk/campaignsupport/swd/ and nusonline www.nusonline.co.uk/campaigns/studentswithdisabilities

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