College of Science & Engineering

Executive Director of People and Organisational Development, Christine Barr, sheds light on her role as Disability Equality Champion and the intersection with her executive responsibilities. Learn about the challenges faced by disabled colleagues and students, the strategic initiatives in place, and Christine's personal motivation in fostering inclusivity. This candid discussion touches on the evolving landscape of disability support in higher education and the importance of creating an inclusive environment.

Could you share some insights into the primary responsibilities you have in your role as Disability Equality Champion and how these intersect with your role as the executive director of people and organisational development (OD)?

Most importantly, to lead by example and act as change agent in making things better.... My role as disability champion is premised on bringing my influence, as a member of Senior Management Group and as Director of People of OD to advancing the interests of our disabled community. We know from our regular colleague engagement surveys that colleagues who have disclosed a disability report having the least positive working experience at the university in comparative analysis with any of our other protected characteristic groups. Given the nature of my role, the interests of those colleagues with long-term health conditions have always been close to my heart. One important deciding factor for me in assuming responsibility as disability champion was to become much more closely focused upon and involved in working with our disabled student community.

More generally, the primary responsibilities of the role of disability equality champion include:

• representing the interests of disabled colleagues and students across the university community;
  where appropriate, articulating the business case for disabled colleagues and students across the university in a way that their diverse needs and interests are effectively represented and addressed in a timeous way
• acting in a senior capacity in enhancing the level of visibility and commitment to actively promoting and most importantly addressing the interests of our disabled community, particularly where these needs are perceived not have been met
• actively engaging with disabled colleagues and students in listening and responding to their needs
• chairing the Disability Equality Group and working with the wider network of school/service disability co-ordinators across the campus on issues affecting disabled colleagues and students
• ensuring the core values of the institution are acted upon with a particular emphasis on our inclusive community in mainstreaming the social model of disability through accessibility for all...

Finally, not accepting no for an answer and sheer resilience, tenacity and a can-do approach in overcoming issues faced by our disabled community on campus. I'd like to think that in working with others we have been instrumental in removing some bottlenecks in the interests of our disabled community i. E. Recent 5m investment in the Kelvin building.

My role in three words: championing, advocacy, challenge

What motivated you to take on this role, and how have your personal experiences influenced your path in this role?
As indicated earlier, I am particularly committed to inclusivity for all based on the social model that is not simply based on the concept of reasonable adjustments but on ensuring that our environment is fit for purpose for work and study - I recognise however that this necessarily has to be a longer-term aspiration as it is not possible given some of the legacy issues to which I referred earlier. I urge colleagues, line managers and leaders just to be a bit more accommodating in understanding that everyone brings different qualities to bear and that anything we can do to support our disabled community given our resourcefulness as a sizable institution. This way we can make things a little bit easier for those with a disability or long-term health condition by acknowledging, understanding and making the experience of working and studying here at the University of Glasgow a more positive one.

Based on your experience, what are some of the most prevalent challenges that students with disabilities encounter in higher education?

It is an absolute pleasure for me to work with our students and to begin to understand and most significantly, to address some of the challenges that our student community faces. This, given the legacy issues of our beautiful historic campus and navigating our new custom-built buildings, and how these impact on our disabled colleagues and students. Issues manifest themselves based on accessibility-related considerations for those with physical disabilities given the sheer size and scale of our campus, in addition to supporting those with mental health-related conditions in sourcing the relevant student support mechanisms given the complexities of an organisation such as ours.

Do these challenges differ for the staff members with disabilities? If they do, could you elaborate on the differences?

Historically, I have been much closer to supporting colleagues with disabilities and long-term health conditions given the nature of my day job. The concept of introducing and implementing reasonable adjustments and in supporting new or longer serving colleagues living and working with a disability is not new. I would like to think however that the university as an employer is now much more adept through our highly able supervisors, line managers and senior leaders in supporting colleagues. I acknowledge that this remains a work in progress and there remains some way to go....

How do you tackle these challenges to ensure both students and staff with disabilities can thrive?

By tackling these head-on with a preparedness not to shirk our responsibilities and being less slow at coming forward in shaking the tree.
What's your go-to activity or hobby to unwind and relax after a day of working in your role as disability champion and as executive director of people and organisational development?
I come to this role with lived experience of a long-term health condition in the form of rheumatoid arthritis diagnosed when i was 29 years of age. Despite appearances, im a bit of gym bunny and swim (fairly seriously not competitively! ) a few times a week this provides a great opportunity for me to think without interruption as well as keeping my joints supple. I love cooking as well as you can see i suppose these interests balance one another out.... Exercising and eating!

If you could invite any historical figure to join you in advocating for disability equality, who would it be and why?

For me its not a historical figure, it is a young man called billy monger who had the prospect of an amazing career as a racing driver in front of him when he lost both his legs in a racing accident at the age of 17 - he is an inspiration to many - having competed in multiple events including a massive effort for sport relief in which he cycled, kayaked and walked over 140 miles in the course of a week raising 2,376,183 and hes just competed with many others who might be regarded as non-disabled in celebrity race across the world. Anyone who may have watched this programme will see that billy is up there with the rest of his competitors, despite the additional challenges he has to overcome on the tasks and journeys. A truly inspiring individual with an overwhelming spirit to succeed at all costs irrespective of the pain barriers, etc. He works through.

How has the landscape of disability support in higher education changed in recent years, and what factors do you think have influenced these changes?

There is much greater visibility of disability and for me a far lesser sense of a stigma that colleagues and students with long-term health conditions have reported to me hitherto. It was a very sad day for me and a number of my senior colleagues when we were supporting a very able student with chronic physical disabilities when they indicated less than a year ago that the University of Glasgow was simply not ready for them we clearly have a long way to go! What a sad indictment!
We aspire to a situation in which any student declaring any form of physical or mental disability should be in a position to share the nature of what they are living, studying and working with and we should be in a position to enable such individuals prior to coming to work or study here of confirming the accommodation(s) that can be made available or otherwise. This will enable informed choices to be made by members of our community, or prospective community, about coming to join us.

Are there any upcoming projects or initiatives in the field that you find particularly exciting or intriguing?

I find the whole issue of hidden or unseen disabilities completely fascinating. I am regularly struck by what maybe a silent majority of colleagues and students who may not perceive themselves to be disabled who have unseen or hidden disabilities. I never cease to be moved by the humble humanity and inspiration of many who overcome issues faced on a day in and day out basis and for which they never complain despite the challenges they face.

In your opinion, what steps can individuals take to create a more inclusive and accommodating environment for individuals with disabilities, and how do you encourage these changes?

Simple things like our level of awareness of being sensitive to the needs of others around us and responding appropriately to both visible and not visible signals and more generally being receptive to what is going on around about us every day! Most of all be kind, understanding and think about what it might be like by putting yourself in someone elses shoes.

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First published: 24 May 2023