January 24, 2017, by Claire Henson

Disability December at The University of Nottingham

Dr Paul Greatrix, Registrar at The University of Nottingham, reflects on the first Disability December programme.

Last month, The University of Nottingham delivered its first Disability December programme which included a range of events showcasing our commitment to diversity and inclusion as well as the social model of disability and the recognition and celebration of disabled cultures. The programme was part of our People and Culture Events Calendar which runs throughout the year and raises awareness of the University’s values and activities around equality, diversity and wellbeing.

Thanks go out to all those involved, including organisations such as the Broadway Cinema and Rough Trade, also to our speakers and participants who gave their time and energy to create such a fantastic programme, and to all who attended the events; it was fantastic to see so many of you there.

We began the programme with Time to Change volunteer Jacqueline Crockford, who was in conversation with People and Culture Events Co-ordinator Claire Henson, talking about living with anxiety. This was followed by a screening of the film Still Alice at the Broadway Cinema, with a panel discussion on the work on the Dementia Friendly University project led by Professor Justine Schneider.

In the second week of the programme, we welcomed Paralympic swimmer Charlotte Henshaw to the David Ross Sports Village, where she talked about her career. We also welcomed performers Lost Voice Guy, Steve Day and Tanyalee Davis from the Abnormally Funny People collective, who took part in the first comedy event in the People and Culture event calendar’s history. Finally, we hosted a full house at Rough Trade in Nottingham for ‘In Your Head’, a night of spoken word and performance focusing on mental health. A huge thank you to Dan, Chris, Shaka, Eagle and Jess for their engaging performances.

Disability December was a huge success and we look forward to celebrating this programme annually. Colleagues across the University will be making plans for 2017 in the coming months, including events relating to disability and other areas relating to equality, wellbeing and engagement, so please get in touch with the People and Culture Team to be kept up-to-date with all the latest news on how you can get involved and to suggest events and activities for future programmes.

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