Disabilities Officer

Albena Zhelezova (she/her)

My dearest international students, Since you are the reason why I'm running for the position of International Students' officer (ISO), I will be brief about myself. The main things you may want to know are:

Name and ethnicity: Albena, Bulgarian Course: Combined Honours –Politics, History and Classics (currently 1st year)

What motivated me to run for ISO:

An article on how the challenges we face are neglected by the host countries. Now, let's look at some of the things I will introduce/develop further:

Representation and cultural life:

• events – organising traditional (foreign) celebrations

• infographics – providing information (to all students) on different cultures

• meetings – establishing friendships between international and British/other international students

• information on national (British) and regional (North-Eastern) traditions

• drop-in sessions for homesickness/ nostalgia

Adjustment to living in the UK (advice from international POV):

• health – food and weather

• accommodation – help with searching

• further education/work – reducing uncertainty about prospects in the UK/ elsewhere in the world

If you think of yourself as an international student whose culture is just as valuable as anyone else's in the community аnd want it to be properly represented, vote for me!

Charlotte Pickles (she/her)

Hi, I’m Charlotte (she/her), third-year modern languages student, and I want to be your next Marginalised Genders Officer. Everyone here at Newcastle deserves to feel heard and represented, contributing to an experience free from inequality. I feel passionate about cultivating a safe and welcoming environment for all members of our community, especially those who are more likely to suffer discrimination because of their gender identity. I have previously held a position on the EDI committee, worked as the Decolonising Student Lead for the SML and volunteered with the ‘Reclaim Your Education’ initiative of the It Happens Here society, for which I currently act as Social Media Officer. These positions have all allowed me to gain a useful insight

Leo David (they/he)

that I believe makes me the ideal candidate for Marginalised Genders Officer. If elected I will strive to:

• Better the education surrounding lesserknown gender identities.

• Support non-cis-male students in feeling accepted and integrated into the student community.

• Collaborate with inclusive and intersectional societies and projects, such as It Happens Here.

• Work alongside the Welfare and Equality Officer to provide advice and awareness to students affected by gender discrimination.

• Improve the accessibility of free menstrual products for all students on campus.

Hi, I’m Leo, and I’m running for disability officer. I’m a second year Zoology student and I use they/he pronouns.

My university experience has been shaped by my multiple disabilities. I use mobility aids and have had many aspects of university impacted by disability. I’m well aware of things that I find inaccessible which nondisabled students might not even notice. This is why my first priority as disability officer would be to gather feedback from students with disabilities, neurodivergencies, and longterm health conditions through forms and feedback sessions.

I don’t want my priorities as disability officer to be informed solely by my own experiences as a disabled student.

Another priority would be to offer robust accessibility training for clubs and societies. This would include things such as delivering accessibility information for socials, creating accessible social media posts, and finding accessible venues.

I’d also love to work with next year’s course and module reps to identify spots in teaching where accessibility could be improved. I want to amplify disabled voices and campaign for a better university experience for disabled students, and I hope you’ll consider voting for me to make this possible!