I’m a Disability Adviser in the Disability Service at UWE Bristol. I assist students who have a disability and need additional support to enable them to access their studies. This can range from long term health conditions (including mental health) to learning difficulties.

Examples of support I provide include one-off changes to coursework dates as well as individual long-term support for the duration of a student’s studies.

This is alongside acting as the duty adviser, where I deal with any queries that come in to our team during my allocated slot each week (from students and colleagues). I also meet with applicants and potential students to discuss any concerns or access needs.

With the work I do being so varied there isn’t a typical working day, but that variety is something I enjoy.

The best thing about my role are being able to help students.

When I was younger, my dream job changed on a daily basis, (these varied from being a nurse, to being a zoo keeper) and I had no career mapped out when I finished my degree. I was offered the opportunity to work as a support worker at a university. This was a very hands on job, where I went to lectures, on field trips, accompanied students to meetings and supported them in exams. It gave me an insight into the barriers many disabled students faced on a daily basis and I knew I wanted to help further. I worked in various roles at that university in the Enabling Centre, before applying for the job as an Assistant Disability Adviser at UWE Bristol.

Relocating to Bristol and starting a new job at the same time was pretty nerve wracking, but on meeting the team and exploring the city, I knew I had made the right decision.

I love the role I do now and the team I work with.

I’m a koala bear. 

I like to keep active outside of work, going to the gym regularly, I enjoy running and completed my first marathon last year. I find exercise helps me process and clear my head. I try and fit at least a couple of gym sessions into my lunch breaks each week alongside sessions before or after work. I also enjoy late evening yoga sessions or going for a swim which helps me relax before bed.

I differ from the koala as I am not the most creative of people, but I do enjoy art galleries and museums as well as going to concerts. I also enjoy baking and the results seem to go down quite well at work, the current favourite being chocolate orange cake.

I think the Koala strengths of being patient and a natural carer helps me as a Disability Adviser. I understand university life can be daunting at times, and sometimes all someone needs is someone else to listen to them. A small action can make a big difference to an individual.