‘If we want to be really inclusive, we need to step outside our comfort zone’
D&I symposium image: Iris Molenaar
The experiential expertise of people with a disability needs to be integrated in diversity & inclusion policy. This message was the common thread at the annual Diversity & Inclusion symposium. Students and staff members engaged in conversation about how the university can become more accessible.
‘True belonging means that you feel part of the community,’ said Annetje Ottow, President of the Executive Board, in her opening address. ‘And that who you are is not negotiable. The question is, of course: are we accessible enough? I myself know the answer: we are not, we can still do much more. However, we will have to take those steps at a time when the university is facing budget cuts,’ Ottow continued. ‘We will need to watch carefully to make sure that students with a disability, first-generation students and other students who experience obstacles in their studies do not become the victims of these cuts.’
Life-wide disability
In the first talk, law alumnus and experiential expert Jiska Ogier shared how her disability has an impact on her life. ‘A disability is something you have not only life-long but also life-wide: you take it with you everywhere. So it’s important to think in terms of the whole system: from home care to the lecture hall. Support for people with a disability therefore needs to cover all aspects of their life.’ Ogier underlines the importance of experiential expertise. ‘Nothing about us, without us. You can’t learn how to swim from a book either.’
Interactive discussions
The interactive discussions provided space for students and staff members to share experiences and ask questions relating to the theme of accessibility. For example, Nour Al Kuhaili, a master’s student in Medicine, shared her experiences as the founder of the LUMC Diversity Network. Last year she was awarded the Mr. K.J. Cath Prize for her positive contribution to diversity and inclusion within the university. ‘At the LUMC we have conversations with lecturers about how we can integrate diversity and inclusion in the education,’ she said. ‘This gives students a broader frame of reference.’
The importance of covering these subjects in education was also confirmed by education coordinator Laura Warmerdam. ‘I’ve trained as a doctor but until two weeks ago I’d never seen another doctor in a wheelchair. As a student it was difficult for me to visualise that you can become a doctor as a wheelchair user.’
Disability perspective
Assistant professor Paul van Trigt specialises in social history, specifically the history of disability. In his lecture, he explained that we should not see disability as an individual condition, but rather as a social construct. ‘Society determines what we see as disability and what is seen as normal. You can therefore use disability as a lens for looking at history and society. From a disability perspective, we see new things. If we want to be really inclusive, we need to step outside our comfort zone.’
Integrating inclusion in policy
‘What I will take away from the symposium is that the speakers’ experiences made a connection with the people in the hall; people recognised them,’ said Diversity & Inclusion policy adviser Judith Jansen after the plenary session. Jansen is a co-organiser of the symposium and is working on the D&I agenda for 2025 - 2030. ‘The ambitions and objectives won’t change, because we always want to be an inclusive learning and working environment. But how can we take a practical and concrete approach to these subjects? If you look again at your work, education and research from a disability perspective, this can also be inspiring.’
What do the participants think?
Nadia Mansouri, POPcorner coordinator - Faculty of Social & Behavioural Sciences
‘This symposium is a way to keep in contact with a network that’s engaged with this subject. It’s a test of our knowledge and an exercise in staying critical about what you do. This is the time when you meet new people and hear stories that make you think. And because it’s a well-delineated theme, you can have a focused conversation. I will remember the example of the doctor and education coordinator Laura Warmerdam. She said that people ask her what she needs, but sometimes she doesn’t even know that herself. It’s important to be open to the fact that we sometimes don’t know, and that we learn to work with this ambiguity; that we don’t see it as a problem, but actually as a shared challenge.’
Jiska Ogier, alumnus of Leiden Law School and speaker
‘My mission is that my work becomes unnecessary as soon as possible. That people with a disability automatically have a place in society. And this means that I have to invest in it now. At a certain point, the discussion was about costs. I think we need to turn that frame around. Yes it’s true that if you need to make adaptations later, then it’s very expensive. But if you think about accessibility from the start, adaptations can be included immediately in the design of buildings, for example. I thought it was great when a lecturer in the room asked whether education on diversity shouldn’t have a place university-wide. That seems super-important to me, and it should preferably be based on experiential expertise.’
Stefan de Jong, chair of the Neurodiversity Platform (NdP) for staff
‘I started the Neurodiversity Platform after a course that I took because of my autism. It was actually intended to look at how you can organise your workspace more conveniently. During that course, I started getting an itch to go into this further. Why would I only start an autism embassy, when I could also help many more people by taking a broader approach? And that’s what happened. My appeal to students and colleagues is: be sure to look out for yourself and stand up for your own interests. It’s difficult, I completely understand that. So it’s all the more important to say what you need. If you’re finding it hard to do, you can always come to us and we’ll help you with it.’