Sarah Gibbs Disabled Students'  Officer Email: s.gibbs@bbk.ac.uk Instagram: @bbkdisabledstudents

A bit about me...

What is your role?
I try to be the voice for all disabled students at Birkbeck who don't feel they are being heard, as well as the facilitator of events run primarily with the disabled community in mind.

Tell us a bit about yourself...
Before coming to Birkbeck, I studied IT at Queen Alexandra College, a specialist college for people with disabilities in Birmingham. I've always loved anime and Japanese culture, so in my final year at QAC I was the President of the college's Anime Club. After leaving QAC, I did various part-time courses with the Birmingham Adult Education Service until eventually deciding to study Japanese at university. In 2020, I moved to London and having now completed both my Foundation Year and first year of Japanese Studies, I'm about to go into my second year of the degree. Being a black woman with Autism and a speech disorder, I'm passionate about equal opportunities for all, regardless of race, gender, disability, or sexual orientation. I want to create a space that's supportive and welcoming to everyone.

Why did you run in the elections?
When I first moved to London for uni, I struggled with loneliness due to the social challenges that having Autism and a speech disorder can create. Probably not helped by the pandemic, there didn't seem to be a lot of social opportunities available, especially for those who might not find the 'typical' kind of student events (such as drinking, going to clubs etc.) accessible. I struggled to reach out to others, so I thought there must be people struggling even more than I was. When I began speaking to other students, I found out there seemed to be a large number of people struggling not only with social interaction, but also more academic issues due to their disability or mental health condition. This made me want to create a social community that's accessible to as many people as possible so no one has to feel isolated as well as be a voice for those students who don't feel they're getting the support they need within the university.

Tell us a fun fact about yourself?
In my spare time, I'm a performer. I've performed at Japanese culture conventions all over the UK and modeled for a few Japanese fashion brands.

What are your goals for the year?
My main goal is to bring the disabled community at Birkbeck closer together. I want to run regular social events (both online and in person), educate the wider student population about disability issues, and create a welcoming online community primarily with disabled students in mind.