Anonymous Departmental Staff
Faculty of Applied Science
Tell us a little about yourself
I am a departmental staff member and have worked in Applied Science for many years. I love my job because it challenges me, encourages me to learn and grow, and to always stretch for more. Outside of work, I thrive on experiencing new things with people I love – be it travel, being outdoors, or a new hobby. And I’m disabled.
How would you describe your identity as a disabled person?
I have intersecting disabilities. The first is not complicated to explain to people – I have an autoimmune disorder that causes chronic pain and fatigue. The second is harder to talk about because of the amount of stigma our society has – I have mental illnesses that impact how I interact with the world and the number of “spoons” it takes to do ordinary tasks. The mental illness is why this profile is anonymous – our community still has a lot of stigmas about mental illness, and I fear that sharing my identity would limit my career potential.
How does disability intersect with your other identities?
My disabilities interact with each other – when I am in pain or too fatigued, my number of spoons drops. When I’m stressed, how many spoons each task takes increases. This can lead to days where even getting a shower is impossible. I prioritize my work and will run into “negative spoons” if necessary, at some points, but that leads to days or weeks of fatigue, pain, and difficulty living my day-to-day life. Disability also interacts with other marginalized identities I hold, some visible and some invisible. Because my disability and some of my other identities are invisible, many people see me as a very able person who has a lot of privilege – but my hidden identities affect my life more than they understand.
What challenges have you encountered around accessibility and disability at UBC?
I have been very lucky to have understanding supervisors who have been able to make the accommodations necessary for my disabilities without a lot of paperwork or formal process. I am particularly lucky that my most helpful accommodations are privileges already granted to all staff in my unit, like a nine-day fortnight work schedule (which helps with my medical appointments and need for a day of rest each weekend). By making our unit work practices accessible and providing flexibility to everyone regardless of medical need, we are all able to live a more balanced and productive life. As a result, the unit is more welcoming and inclusive by design.
What do you want people to know about disability that you think they need to hear?
Stigma around mental illness makes life even harder for those who struggle with this type of invisible disability, even for those who are fully controlled through treatment. Removing this stigma can help those who have mental illnesses be more present and productive at work, at home, and in the community. In a stigma free world, I would not have to hide or mask my identities and could be honest about it when some days are particularly hard. “Passing” as abled can take up a lot of spoons, and I don’t have them to spare sometimes.
What are your dreams for disability representation and inclusion at UBC?
I would love to work at a place where I could safely be “out” about my disabilities and my needs, and not fear judgement about my aptitude, abilities, or achievements. I consider myself a high achiever, but being able to talk about pacing my work, doing self-care, or working on a different set of tasks on a high pain day could make my at-home recovery easier and possibly lead to even higher achievement.
What do you hope to bring to your role at UBC as disabled person?
Exactly what I brought before I was disabled – passion, insight, ability and enthusiasm – along with compassion, understanding, and flexibility. As someone whose disabilities manifested in adulthood, I had a long journey in self-compassion and making it work. This experience has given me more compassion and understanding for the journeys of my fellow humans.
What would you like to say to other disabled people at UBC?
Although being disabled can feel lonely at times, remember - you are not alone.
This profile format was developed by Dr. Jennifer Gagnon, President of the UBC Disability Affinity Group and Lecturer, School of Journalism, Writing, and Media.
The Disability Affinity Group is an independent volunteer-run group that creates a community of care, support and advocacy for self-identified Disabled faculty, staff, faculty, postdoctoral fellows, students, alumni, past employees, consultants and others with a connection to either UBC campus. You can learn more about their work on the Disability Affinity Group’s website or join their community of care and mailing list.
