Hello to all students!

We are currently in the middle of Disability History Month, which at Leeds Becket University, means that we are celebrating our unique university culture towards disability. We value and embrace diversity and seek new and innovative ways that we can achieve together and aim to support all of our students with compassion so that we can all achieve our full potential. 

The 3rd of December is the annual celebration of International Day of Persons with Disabilities (IDPD) and is celebrated globally. It was a day proclaimed by the United Nations general assembly resolution 4713 to be an internationally recognised day, which is globally observed.

Support is also shown to our community by wearing purple on the 3rd of December, and is also know as purple light up day where many organisations light their buildings up in purple to help support and celebrate International Day For Persons With Disabilities.

It is intended to provide a marker for disability issues to be better understood, the rights of disabled persons supported along with their well-being, and the dignity of disabled people promoted.

As the disabled community leader at LBSU, and a disabled student myself undergoing a Masters in Education degree, I am acutely aware of the barriers in education that disabled people face. I experience them every day when I have to protect and support my own mental health so that I can thrive in my studies and support others.

In addition, I am conducting research as part of my Masters course on mentoring programs and learning styles that benefit disabled students to learn how positive change can be brought about, and how to thrive and overcome adversity. The National Education Union is also advocating that disability history and issues should always be in the curriculum not just for a month a year.

Further support is available at the NEU website with a downloadable NEU disability equality toolkit, information on the NEU pay campaign and how it affects disabled workers and tools on reasonable adjustments.

We also have a disability toolkit available through Leeds Beckett SU called #DoItMyWay, which students can use to help empower themselves and obtain the reasonable adjustments they need to thrive here at Leeds Beckett SU.

If you'd like to find out more about or join the Disabled Students Community, you can do so here. We'd love to welcome you!

Since it is almost Christmas, I would like to also wish all our students a very merry Christmas and hope they take time over the holiday period to give priority to their well-being.

Susan x