Faces of Reading

DAS provide support to all students across the university, with conditions from dyslexia to depression to assistance dogs. Collaborative working is a necessity in such a busy department providing multi-faceted care to 3,500 students, and we commonly pool our knowledge and expertise when an unusual query arises.

As a Disability Support Co-ordinator, my most important function is working on the ‘front lines’ – particularly on our reception desk in the Carrington Building. I know from my own experience as a student how much difference it makes when staff are friendly and understanding and I do my best to make our reception desk as welcoming as I can.

It had not gone unnoticed to me when I first interviewed on campus that there were rainbow flags wherever I looked. I joined the Disability and LGBTQAI+ networks immediately upon starting work, and formed tight-knit friendship groups with university colleagues I simply never would have encountered otherwise.

Within an outwardly accepting employer, I have found DAS to be even more reflective of that – although I have rarely been shy about my disability, my queerness, or my three-person relationship I have never felt more accepted for who I am as an employee than at the University of Reading.

I work full time, but I work from home 4 days a week. Managers are very good at giving us that flexibility.

I have Becker Muscular Dystrophy, and people have been very supportive without being patronising. Part of the reason for working from home is to help manage my fatigue. I live in Reading, I came here when I was 18 as a student and have more or less stayed here ever since. I had been commuting to Oxford – I was at Oxford University Hospitals NHS Trust before – which was getting a bit too tiring. It's better now I'm working a lot closer to home.

The team from Estates and Facilities also came in and created a kind of frame by my desk so I can get up easily, which has been really helpful. Everyone in the office will help out if I need anything too; it's been a positive experience.

Not long after I joined the University, my personal circumstances changed, and I needed full time work. Fortunately, I was able to increase my hours with an additional role in another School and was later made full time in my main role. Being able to increase my hours when I needed reduced a lot of stress for me at a difficult time in my life. 

I moved over to the Walker Institute in 2016 as a permanent Executive Administration Officer. The work I am currently supporting is helping us to address some of the fundamental challenges society is facing such as migration, food and water security, biodiversity loss, extreme weather, and disasters. 

Coming from a working class, ethnic community, I was unsure how I would fit into the world of higher education and academics, but I have enjoyed all my roles at the University and have found colleagues to be friendly and supportive. I would recommend the University as a place to work because it is like a little town within a town, full of people that you can connect with, people who are similar, and also, people who are different and that makes life interesting! Being able to walk to work through the woods every morning is also a bonus for me. 

I came here with lovely childhood memories of the campus, but now I have great new memories, of achievements, wonderful colleagues, picnics in the Harris gardens and all the interesting work, both local and international, that is carried out. 

In 2019 my colleagues in the Vice-Chancellor’s team nominated me to attend the Royal Garden Party for my voluntary work in the community and I had a lovely, sunny day there with my new husband. In August this year, it will be ten years since I started my part-time, temporary role, and I am happy to say, I am still part of this unique community.

With the help of my supervisors and mentors, I was able to adopt a flexible approach to my work; I began to split my time between home and my office. I was also given a computer so I could continue with my work, and bursaries from the University to spend on childcare arrangements. This was extremely beneficial, and made what could have been a stressful time much easier. Having regular meetings with my supervisor was really, really helpful - they enabled me to remain in the loop while I wasn't in the office.

Thanks to this help from the University, family commitments haven't held me back - I was awarded PhD Researcher of the Year 2013 Faculty of Science winner. Now, I work as a Research Scientist in the Department of Meteorology. I've been given opportunities to pursue my personal interests, to lead on research projects, and to develop computer-based skills including data implementation, analysis and coding.

I'd recommend Reading - as a place to work and study - to anyone. I'm regularly contacted by students back home in Cameroon asking how they too can study for a PhD here. Since I first arrived, I've found it to be a very friendly, welcoming environment - something that hasn't changed during my time here. I now have two children, and am looking forward to returning from maternity leave to continue my work later this year.