SU22 - Kieron Portbury for Equality and Diversity officer

Kieron Portbury

Queen’s University, and by extension Belfast, is a diverse and multicultural place, claiming to have “a culture that is inclusive at all levels”. Like all major institutions though, this strive for diversity and equality isn’t always reflected in practice. One of the biggest indicators of this is the move to online learning recently, and, as we return to in-person learning, the existence of “blended learning” – where certain features from online learning, such as lecture recording, remain as mainstays of the education process.

One of the unintended side effects of online learning is that university became much more accessible for a number of students. For disabled students, features such as the generation of automatic captions during classes meant that students who were hard of hearing or who had issues with concentration could access classes in a much easier fashion; for students with children or those doing part-time degrees while working, the recording of lectures gave way to an asymmetric learning process that could suit their own needs; for students with mental health issues, online learning provided a degree of leniency to how and when they worked in order to accommodate their healthcare; and for all students, online learning has provided them with a wider range of materials than they may have otherwise had.

The issue is, that on the return to in-person learning, accessibility has taken a backseat. The Students’ Union has tirelessly fought for accommodations such as mandatory lecture recording – and yet some staff continue not to record lectures, whether accidentally or deliberately. Other forms of classes, such as tutorials or labs, are not recorded at all, meaning students for whom the accessibility features provided by recording were a necessity, are left behind. Many spaces on campus continue to be environments unsuitable for those with learning difficulties or processing disorders, with low levels of natural light, poor acoustics and uncomfortable seating.

Accessibility matters. Nobody should have to experience a lesser quality of education, or indeed a lesser quality of life, because of an aspect of themselves that is out of their control. Everyone deserves the right accommodations to be put into place so that they are on equal ground with other students. This is the reason I want to become Equality and Diversity officer at Queen’s University – because, on a base level, everybody deserves the same standard of education and university life, and I want to do everything I can to make that a reality.

Some of the changes that could be made are simple. Microsoft Teams, the platform used by the university for online teaching, recording, and meetings, automatically generates captions. It is also capable of taking those captions and producing a transcript which can be downloaded. Unfortunately, a large number of both faculty and students at Queen’s are unaware of this feature, and have expressed confusion when asked about it by other students. Teaching staff how to do this and having it be done by default is a small but integral change that would be extremely helpful to all students, particularly those with disabilities. Furthermore, spaces exist on campus that are more accessible to those with sensory issues, but are not used for these purposes, and could easily be repurposed as spaces for those who desire natural lighting and a quiet space.

Some changes will take more time and require pressure to be put on the university. It is my belief, as is shared by many students, that all classes should be recorded and made available, not just lectures. Excuses have been made by the university before that this would reduce in-person attendance, or that the nature of the classes do not lend themselves to recording. These arguments essentially invalidate disabled students by saying that because of inconvenience or impracticality, their needs cannot be met. This is an unacceptable attitude, and with enough pressure, this could change.

I want to strive to make education at Queen’s as accessible and as inclusive as possible. Accessibility matters. I ask that you vote for me as Equality and Diversity officer on February 28 and March 1, so that I can work to make positive change which benefits all students.

To see all the candidates running, visit the QUBSU website