Manifesto points:
- REDEFINING ACCESSIBILITY: Reassessing rooms classed as accessible, and ensuring disabled students can graduate alongside their cohort.
- SUPPORTING WORKING STUDENTS: A job board set up by YorkSU, and daily buses to the outlet.
- OPEN COMMUNICATION: Focus groups so I can hear and amplify your voices.
YOUR VOICE, YOUR CHANGE, OUR YORK!
I’m Abi, and I’m running to be your Equality and Inclusion Officer! I’m a third year English Language and Linguistics student, and currently the President of the Sing Song Society (and yes, we did sing on Radio 1 for longboi’s funeral!). In this role, I’ve prioritised equality and inclusion from day one, promoting accessibility by ensuring all rehearsal spaces are wheelchair accessible, and creating an environment which is a safe space for neurodivergent students, where everybody feels safe to be their authentic self. The society is now known for being one of the most accessible in York, but the actions which have been taken should be the bare minimum! I aim to improve the way YorkSU addresses equality and inclusion by interviewing focus groups of students from minority groups, learning from you what issues are currently negatively impacting your lives, and working with you to implement solutions which actually change your experiences. For too long, the university has handled issues surrounding equality and inclusion on a case-by-case basis, and it’s time that these problems were addressed head on, so students can enjoy having equal access to their university experience, without having to dedicate hours to fighting for the bare minimum when it comes to accessibility, equal opportunities, and inclusion in student life.
REDEFINING ACCESSIBILITY:
An issue which I hold close to my heart is the shocking treatment of those who use mobility aids on campus, having seen first-hand the negative impact inaccessibility can have on a person’s self-esteem, motivation, and academic success.
REASSESSING “ACCESSIBLE” ROOMS ON CAMPUS: Imagine walking into a lecture, only to find that the only chairs are out of your reach, and all the desks are at the height of your shoulders. That’s the reality every day for a lot of disabled students at the university. To be categorised as accessible on the room bookings platform, all a room needs is space in the room for a wheelchair user. There is nothing to ensure that wheelchair users have access to a table to write on, nothing to ensure that there’s a seat which can be accessed without having to navigate stairs, and nothing to ensure that disabled students can study alongside their peers- they are often isolated in a corner at the front/back of the room. This results in disabled students often being timetabled into rooms which don’t work for their needs, resulting in disruption to the whole class whilst timetabling try to find a room which actually works for the disabled student. I want to work with disabled students to go around each room categorised as accessible, and clarify whether the room actually works for them. My aim is for rooms to be classified as accessible, they should have: seats which can be accessed without the use of stairs, a desk for wheelchair users, and the facility for other students to sit and study alongside disabled students, to provide true inclusion for all students.
GRADUATING TOGETHER: The issue which inspired me to run for this role. I recently learnt that the university’s answer to wheelchair users graduating is to sit them on the side of the stage, isolated from the rest of their cohort. The options given to disabled students are “sit on the side of the stage alone, or walk.” This is unacceptable. Graduation should be a day of celebrating with the friends you’ve made over the last three years, something to look forward to, yet for many disabled students it’s a day they dread from the first day of their degree, because of the way they are isolated and singled out. I propose that the setup for graduation is reformatted to enable disabled students to be included in the day’s festivities throughout, rather than isolated on a stage alone.
SUPPORTING WORKING STUDENTS:
As a working class student, I’ve maintained a part-time job throughout my studies, but the university does NOT make this an easy feat. From finding a job to maintaining a work-life balance, students who need to work to be able to afford to study need the support of their student’s union.
STUDENT JOBS BOARD: One of the hardest things about working alongside your studies is finding a job which works alongside your degree. I propose a job board set up by the student’s union, where part-time jobs in the city centre and at the designer outlet can be posted, making it easier for students to access jobs which would work for them, rather than having to waste days/weeks scrolling through more generalised job boards looking for an appropriate source of income.
DAILY BUSSES TO THE OUTLET: One of the best changes to support working students over the last 12 months has been the introduction of a bus service from Campus East to York Designer Outlet. However, these buses only run on weekends, and students work at the outlet throughout the week. I propose this bus service is extended to running from 7am-9pm on weekdays too. This would save working students a lot of time and money, as the direct bus service is much faster than the journey into town and then to the outlet, and would only require purchase of one bus ticket each way rather than two. It would also enable all students to access the outlet more easily, which would open it up more as a place off-campus for students to socialise, helping all to establish a better work-life balance.
OPEN COMMUNICATION:
I won’t lie and pretend that I know everything about the issues which are faced by every minority group at this university. Nobody knows what issues you’re facing better than you do. But I want to hear and amplify your voices.
FOCUS GROUPS: I know that this university can do better, and I want to start making changes which will ensure everyone has the opportunity to have their voice heard. I know what it’s like to feel like you’re screaming for help, and nobody is listening or doing anything. That’s why I want to set up focus groups for students from minority groups such as BAME, LGBTQ+, Neurodivergent and Disabled Students, so I can learn from you what could be better, and work with you to make a lasting impact and positive change, to ensure that everyone has equal access to a positive university experience.
YOUR VOICE, YOUR CHANGE, OUR YORK
The manifestos appear here exactly as they were submitted to us. The views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of York Vision.
Don’t get us wrong, the York SU elections are very important. But so much of the election process is formal and serious…which means it can also (at times) be a little bit dull.
But we don’t think it has to be like this. So alongside their manifesto, Vision asked each candidate a series of light-hearted, get-to-know-you type questions. This should give you a little dive into the individual personalities of the candidates:
What would be the theme song for your campaign?
Rise Up- Andra Day
If your campaign had a mascot, what would it be?
A dolphin- they have a strong sense of justice and are very self-aware, which is what I want my campaign to be. I know that York SU can do better, so tell me how and I’ll fight for the changes you want to see!
Are all ducks created equal?
All ducks are not created equal, but all ducks should be given the accommodations and adaptions they need so that they can exist on an equal playing field
We gave the candidate a word, and asked them to think of what the question would be:
Answer: Socks and sandals
Candidate Question: What’s the most commonly seen footwear combination of student’s who’ve been locked out of their on-campus accomodation?