Deirdre is a Disability Officer, within Student and Campus Experience

Tell us a little about your role.

I am one of a team of Disability Officers at Queen’s, working in Accessible Learning Support.We support students with a range of conditions including enduring mental health difficulties, specific learning difficulties such as dyslexia, long term medical conditions, as well as physical, visual and hearing disabilities ensuring that they are able to access the university and all aspects of their studies. 

Our role is to ensure that they don’t encounter barriers to their learning and degree and have the opportunity to meet their academic potential.

What does a typical day look like for you?

Our role is varied, and no two days are the same. One of our main roles is meeting prospective and new students and making support recommendations to their school of study, signposting the students to additional supports on and off campus, and discussing any areas of concern for the student.

We also speak to current students who would like their support reviewed or who have recently been identified as having a disability and wish to engage with the service. Disability Officers are regularly involved in other student or staff events, such as open days, induction events, and staff training.

In addition, we often have meetings with school representatives and disability advisers to discuss student supports, best practices, and new initiatives.

What do you find most rewarding about your role?

Supporting students to access their chosen course, realise their academic potential and removing disability related barriers can be extremely rewarding. 

Students may arrive at Queen’s never having been supported in the learning environment before and it is so encouraging to see their confidence grow when they hear what measures can be put in place to level the playing field and give them the chance to demonstrate their ability.  We support students throughout their academic journey, often from the time they are contemplating coming to study at Queen’s until their final exams. 

Seeing our students graduating, having reached their academic goals is fantastic.

Can you share a memorable experience or milestone moment during your time at Queen’s?

Moving to One Elmwood has completely changed the working environment for our team.  We are together with the students every day; the building has a great energy and it is a fabulous space to work in. 

Looking at the views across campus and Belfast city is a great way to take a breather in the middle of a busy day.

About Deirdre

Outside of work, what hobbies or activities do you enjoy?

I enjoy sports and generally being outdoors.

I try not to take for granted that I can participate in and access my hobbies and love pushing myself with new challenges. I have always gained so much, both in terms of mental and physical wellbeing from sport and the sporting community.

Although my first sporting love is tennis, which I play at a competitive level, I enjoy trying new sports, such as Gaelic football, which I took up a few years ago, as well as continuing with sports I have always done, like running, which I do regularly with friends and family.

I have in the past enjoyed supporting others to participate in these sports too, through coaching wheelchair tennis when I was at university, as well as more recently, guide running for a runner with vision loss.

Guide running on the exposed trails and over the wooden stiles of the North Coast is possibly one of my most challenging sporting endeavors to date, but also the most fun.

What advice or insight would you share with someone new to Queen’s? 

Whether you are a staff member or a student, take all the opportunities available to you.  Queen’s offers a huge range of events and activities for those who are part of our community and participating in these can support you to meet people and get the most out of university life – whether that is as a student or an employee.