Ben Britton
Associate Professor, Department of Materials Engineering
Tell us a little about yourself
I’m a research professor working in advanced microscopy, and manufacturing & materials engineering. I do lots of other things like sitting on the UBC Senate and helping to run our Graduate program in Materials Engineering. You may have seen me and my dog, Waffles, around campus.
How would you describe your identity as a disabled person?
I was diagnosed with dyslexia when I was 13 years old. I probably also have some other neurodivergent traits. Dyslexia is a lifelong learning disability which impacts how I think, process ideas and information, and communicate with others. Each person with dyslexia experiences challenges differently, and often we have other traits associated with other forms of neurodivergence.
How does disability intersect with your other identities?
On the plus side of my dyslexia, I process systems-based problems well. This is really helping as people ask me to look at the bigger picture more and more (e.g. via my university governance roles). Looking back, it’s also no surprise that my area of expertise is in the field of understanding how objects (arrays of atoms to be more specific) are oriented in space and how that affects things like the mechanical properties of an extruded rod of aluminum used to make an electric vehicle – I’m one of the dyslexic people who has an ability to very quickly see and process information in 3D.
What challenges have you encountered around accessibility and disability at UBC?
Overall, I am often seen as a “highly functional” neurodivergent person – as I have learnt to cope in a society and system that are largely hostile to difference. There are many ways I "mask’" my disability in my day-to-day life, but if you have ever read a document from me, you’ll spot some odd grammar quirks where I simply cannot see that I’m missing words from whole sentences. Also, my handwriting is awful.
Once you leave formal education, it’s rare that supports are in place to actively address the symptoms and challenges associated with any form of neurodivergence. If you make it through things, then you learn coping strategies (and masking). However, some days my dyslexia are particularly challenging, and I realize that I cannot do some very basic functional tasks (e.g. writing whole sentences). On those days, I have learnt to relax and play to other strengths to keep me "productive". Also, I’m aware that with how my brain regulates a few things, deadlines are a blessing in that they get me to do things, but also a curse in that I often procrastinate significantly until the stress triggers me into a state of hyper focus to complete a task.
These days, I mostly see the impact of my disability when trying to explain why and how many forms of our processes and systems are problematic for people who have learning disabilities.
There are also certain things that I struggle with – converting short term to long term memories can be tricky. This makes simple tasks, like arithmetic in my head, incredibly challenging. Yet, for some memories I have a near perfect recall – which can be useful and/or awkward depending on the situation.
What do you want people to know about disability that you think they need to hear?
Dr. James Richards (Professor of Employment Relations, Heriot Watt University) shared some statistics as part of his talk on “making employment and sciences careers inclusive for neurodivergent employees” hosted by the Composites Knowledge Network. He shared that an estimated 15-20% of people are neurodivergent, and co-occurrence of neurodivergent conditions is common. Rates of neurodivergence are around 10% dyslexic, 1-2% autistic, 3-5% dyspraxic, and 3-4% ADHC/D. There is a 30-40% unemployment rate for neurodivergent adults and underemployment rates can be estimated but are very hard to measure. This means that lots of people are underdiagnosed or walking around with invisible learning disabilities (in addition to the many other forms of disability) which impact their day-to-day lives.
What are your dreams for disability representation and inclusion at UBC?
That, one day, systems of accessibility are built into our working and educational patterns. I find it exhausting to remind people that there are disabled people everywhere, and people are disproportionately struggling (even if they look like they are not).
What do you hope to bring to your role at UBC as disabled person?
I rarely identify/remember that I am technically a disabled person, though I am aware of my learning disability. At work, I often find self-advocacy as a continual act of being and this can make it quite exhausting. This also appears an additional barrier that I find I must fit around expectations of my regular responsibilities. Hopefully, more people will aware that they should be more accommodating and thinking about different ways of working. My work in EDI spaces reminds me that a critical mass of people being visible can help us achieve meaningful and lasting change. However, standing up to be counted also brings with it a huge amount of cost and vulnerability.
What would you like to say to other disabled people at UBC?
It’s tough. That’s okay. Do your thing. Find joy in your life. Many people here do have empathy and are trying to make things better. Though, as we all know, the pace isn’t fast enough, nor going far enough. There will always be bad days, but the good ones are great.
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.
