“Accessibility isn’t more work, you were just cutting corners before. The work was incomplete.” With this striking reminder, we kicked off Disability History Month with an online panel event exploring a powerful question: “What would radical accessibility look like at UCL?”
Equity and Inclusion Officer, Eda Yildirimkaya, chaired the event for students and staff to explore what true accessibility means, the barriers disabled students and staff continue to face at UCL, and the transformative changes needed to build a genuinely inclusive university environment.
The panel
Chaired by Equity and Inclusion Officer Eda Yildirimkaya, the event featured six panellists:
- Ben Watson (Head of Digital Accessibility at UCL)
- Danilo Paganelli (Disabled Students Officer)
- Mattie Moran (UCL Wheelchair Basketball Team member)
- Ruqaiya Asim (Award-Winning Blind Artist and Disability Advocate)
- Kathryn Aedy (Inclusive Design Specialist)
- Professor Victoria Showunmi (Interdisciplinary Studies in Gender, Race and Identity; Vice Dean EDI)
Emerging themes from the event
From this discussion, a natural set of themes emerged. Panellists spoke candidly about self-advocacy, the importance of intersectionality, and the need to treat accessibility not as an optional add-on but as a commitment woven into every aspect of university life.
Barriers and structural changes
Panelists reflected on some of the core challenges they’ve encountered within the UCL community, while also highlighting tangible ways these barriers can be, and in some cases are already being, addressed.
From improving room-booking systems to integrating audio descriptions, Mattie and Kat Aedy emphasised the importance of shared responsibility and proactive action in creating a "more physically accessible environment for all".
The Cultural Shift
The panellists also emphasised that a cultural shift must accompany structural change, noting that communities of disabled students, staff, and allies are essential in driving momentum toward a more equitable future at UCL. A powerful message which came up throughout: ask before you act.
Panellists shared candid experiences of assumptions made about them because of their disabilities. Ruqaiya Asim described occasions where people have taken her by the arm and led her across the road.
While this may be well-intentioned, she explained that, as a blind person, this can be unsettling. Instead, she emphasised how it's far more empowering to be asked first, helping to avoid the reinforcement of unhelpful practices.
Putting Intersectionality at the forefront
Similarly, the panellists highlighted that seeking input from disabled people - especially in the design of spaces, systems, and policies - is the most effective way to ensure meaningful representation in decision-making processes.
“Accessibility means something different to everyone.”
Danilo, Disabled Students' Officer
Disabled Students Officer, Danilo Paganelli, stressed that involving diverse communities and intersectional perspectives from the outset is crucial. Victoria Showunmi added that people’s needs must be listened to, supported, and backed by the resources required to meet them.
A Call to Action
As the launch event drew to a close, one message resonated clearly: radical accessibility is not a distant ideal, it’s a shared responsibility and an ongoing practice. By centring disabled voices, challenging assumptions, and embedding intersectional accessibility into every decision, UCL can move toward becoming a place where everyone belongs and can thrive. Ben Watson shared a fantastic quote that resonated with the panel: “accessibility isn’t more work, you were just cutting corners before. The work was incomplete.”
Disability History Month is an opportunity to reflect, but more importantly, it is a call to act. This event reminded us that real change starts with asking, listening, and then doing the work together.
What's next?
- Join the Disabled Students' Network to become part of a collective, advocating for disability rights.
- Find resources and events this Disability History Month, produced by our student leaders