by Sorina Bularca

According to the World Health Organization (2023), one in six people has a disability. Despite the prevalence, disability is structurally erased from public consciousness to this day. Thus, it is no surprise that even in academic spaces disability is frequently forgotten. However, people are fighting for the rights of disabled people behind the scenes, also at Radboud University. I had the pleasure of interviewing Nusi Cornelissens and Priscilla Sopacua, the chair and secretary of the disABILITY and accessibility committee (DAC) at Radboud University. I believe that their insights are essential for students who wish to participate in a society that accounts for everyone.

What is DAC and who is it aimed at?

Nusi and Priscilla introduced the committee as a collective that looks at disability from a social perspective. According to SCOPE (2024), disabled people have to overcome extra obstacles to be able to participate in society due to the way the social environment is constructed, rather than a direct result of their condition. Thus, as Nusi describes it, the DAC wants to ensure that everybody at Radboud and in Nijmegen can participate in society educationally, economically, and socially in every possible way.  

A central idea to the work of DAC is equity: looking at a person’s context and their specific needs, instead of treating everyone equally regardless of individual circumstances. To illustrate this, Nusi gave the example of someone who uses a wheelchair. She first argues that equity means only providing wheelchairs to people who need them, rather than offering everyone a wheelchair. Also, the wheelchairs provided to those who use them, should be specialized so that they have the proper equipment to participate in all types of activities, such as hiking.  Another focus for the DAC is connecting individuals with a disability with the right people or departments that can offer them support and guidance. When asked how she would describe the committee to someone who has not heard about it yet, Nusi replied:

“I’d tell them to not get stuck on the word disability because it’s from a disability studies perspective, and the easiest way I can explain this is by comparing it to something else. When you talk about gender studies, you’re not specifically talking about gender. What you’re talking about are social rights and accessibility of society for a group of people who share a certain trait. So when I talk about the disability and accessibility committee, we are not talking about diagnoses. We are not just there for a very small group of people, who, in the eyes of many, have something and need some sort of help. No. We are there for everybody because I firmly believe that we all need to help and work to make society more accessible.”

The World Health Organization (2023) estimates that 1.3 billion people are currently disabled. Anyone can become disabled at any time. Nusi points out that due to the aging process, most people will be affected. Thus, disability rights are important for all people.

Radboud University signed the UN Declaration of Intent for more inclusive education on 12 September 2023. After a year, has there been a tangible change to honor this intention?

One year later after signing the UN declaration, the DAC agreed that there are changes in the right direction. Even so, the progress is happening slowly and inconsistently.

“There is a lot of will to accommodate, but there is no process to continuously monitor and make sure that that actually happens.” – Nusi

Thus, due to a lack of a centralized and systemic approach, accommodations can be hard to implement effectively. For example, Nusi revealed that students with visual disabilities are now dealing with the same problems they were dealing with in 1988. Additionally, a lot of the responsibility falls onto the students to reach out and advocate for themselves, which can be costly. Priscilla also emphasized that students are still afraid to be open about their disabilities due to the fear of discrimination and marginalization that happens as a result of sharing this information. She indicates that there is no universal answer to whether it is best for someone to disclose their disability or not. Everyone should make their own decision based on their personal circumstances and what is necessary for them.

“So a student depends on their own abilities, they have to advocate for themselves. Most lecturers are willing to accommodate, but that doesn’t mean that they are able to do so. This is something that requires structural development. There is absolutely improvement, but from a social perspective it could be a lot better.” – Nusi

How do you expect the budget cuts on education to affect disabled students?

The most feared consequence of the budget cuts was the long study fine. This would have meant that students who would not finish their studies on time, would be charged a more substantial tuition fee. However, thanks to the nationwide movement led by student activists who fought for their right to accessible education, the implementation of this fine failed.

“This [the long study fine] is the best way to discriminate against students with disabilities and students who are taking care of parents, siblings, and friends. These students have extra baggage, like a disability or other responsibilities. (…) The idea of somebody whistling for ten years and having a nice time whilst studying is very old-fashioned. That hasn’t been the case for a long, long time. Most students who take longer to complete their studies simply have no choice because they have limited time and energy.” – Nusi

Budget cuts will still be made despite the continuous protests by students and staff. These cuts are expected to affect disabled students. However, the DAC committee states that they anticipate the consequences to be indirect. Likely, the funds being cut were not originally intended to be used for solutions for disabled students in the first place. There will be fewer lecturers for the same amount of students, thus increasing the staff’s workload. Consequently, the lecturers for example will have less time and capacity to tailor their seminars to make them accessible for different disabilities.

“Fewer employees, loads of work…and that will mean less time for giving advice or helping students. It’s a domino effect, a snowball effect.” – Priscilla

Nusi adds that these budget cuts will also affect the quality of life of disabled students: the increasing academic pressure, alongside the lack of support from the university, will probably cause significant distress. As a result, it raises the likelihood that the students will not be able to complete their degrees. She recalls a moment from a meeting at the municipality of Nijmegen. There she witnessed a person with different disabilities speaking up:

“Is my life worth something? Please don’t make these budget cuts.”

Moments like these only reinforce how violent and disruptive the budget cuts will be for people with disabilities. Cutting back on education will not impede all students equally, but it will systematically affect those who are most vulnerable.

How can people contact the DAC?

The DAC committee was founded three years ago, as a response to the lack of communication, representation, and support by the university for disabled students. To the question about their biggest achievement, Priscilla responded:

“That there is a committee. We made a huge improvement in connecting people with each other…and that is our strongest achievement, that everybody knows who we are and what we do.“

The easiest way to reach the committee is via email: dac@ru.nl. Nusi and Priscilla add that they are well known in the university and that people should not feel afraid to reach out.

“People can contact us unlimited if they want to.” – Priscilla

Additionally, Nusi expresses that they are not to be confused with that of a complaints commission. The DAC committee looks at what individuals are experiencing and whether it is incidental or systemic, even though they cannot intervene. However, what they can do is connect students or staff with the people who can assist them in finding solutions.

In summary, the university is responsible for complying with the Equal Treatment Act and the Higher Education and Research Act. By choosing to sign the UN Declaration of Intent in September 2023, Daniël Wigboldus, president of the executive board at the time, committed to tangible systemic change. So far, students have not witnessed significant improvement. Education is a human right, regardless if adjustments have to be made, therefore it should be accessible for everyone. Radboud University has officially taken on the responsibility to ensure that its students and staff can participate in the educational environment, and have their needs met without exception. Until then, the people of the DAC committee will continue to advocate for accessible and inclusive education for all. 

Upcoming Event: Sprakeloos – Interactieve workshop over de belevingswereld van een stotteraar

dinsdag 11 maart 2025, 13:30 – 15:00 // Ontmoetingsbijeenkomst // Spreker: Joey Santegoeds

De stempel van een beperking hoeft niet altijd te betekenen dat je je beperkt voelt in het dagelijkse leven. Natuurlijk brengt het de nodige uitdagingen en moeilijkheden met zich mee, maar put kracht uit de negatieve ervaringen en zorg ervoor dat je er elke dag weer staat als beste versie van jezelf. Tijdens de interactieve workshop ‘Sprakeloos’ neemt Joey Santegoeds je graag mee in de belevingswereld van een stotteraar om je op deze manier unieke, en soms wat humoristische, inzichten te geven in hoe je dit voor elkaar kunt krijgen.

Locatie: EOS N01.350
Taal: Nederlands

Sign up here: https://www.ru.nl/over-ons/agenda/sprakeloos

Sources:

Radboud University signs UN declaration of intent for more inclusive education | Radboud University. (2023, September 21). http://Www.ru.nl. https://www.ru.nl/en/about-us/news/radboud-university-signs-un-declaration-of-intent-for-more-inclusive-education

SCOPE. (2024). Social Model of Disability | Disability Charity Scope UK. http://Www.scope.org.uk. https://www.scope.org.uk/social-model-of-disability

World Health Organization. (2023, March 7). Disability and Health. World Health Organization. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/disability-and-health