International Day of Disabled People

December 3rd is International Day of Disabled People. Our Disability Equality Officer has a message for the disabled community at UofG.

Hello, I’m Hailie Pentleton, and I’m the Disability Equality Officer for GUSRC. December 3rd is ‘International Day of Disabled People’ which is just one day of Disability History Month (observed between November 18th and December 20th). To my disabled peers, I wish you a restful day and encourage you to pay extra attention to your needs; don’t be afraid to practice a little more self-care today.

On December 3rd we’ll be hosting a screening of Crip Camp: A Disability Revolution via Netflix Party. All are welcome to join us! (https://www.facebook.com/events/129684445427897).

Or, if you don’t have the time but fancy observing the day or dipping your toes into disability issues, I’d recommend checking out this TED Talk from Stella Young: ‘I’m not your inspiration, thank you very much’. (https://www.ted.com/talks/stella_young_i_m_not_your_inspiration_thank_you_very_much)

This year has been chaotic for each of us, but especially for disabled people. If this pandemic has taught us anything it’s that accessibility out of convenience is not enough; this world is as much ours as it is anyone else’s, and our access to it should reflect this. I look forward to working with you in the new year to create a space for disabled students at UofG to come together, support one another, and work towards making the University environment (and the world beyond it) more accessible to each of us. If you would be interested in working alongside me, if you need support, or if you just fancy a chat, feel free to reach out to me at disability-equality@src.gla.ac.uk.

[Image Description: Hailie is standing in front of a bookcase, smiling nervously. She has auburn hair and is wearing a dark blue top patterned with sun shapes.]