My Cardiff is… changing the way we think of disability
8 November 2017Charlie Knights (Criminology and Social Policy 2014-) is the students with disabilities officer at Cardiff University.
“Honestly, Cardiff wasn’t my first choice. I’d been to a few Open Days, but it wasn’t top of my list when applying. Yet whilst coming here wasn’t quite what I had planned, it’s ended up being really right for me.
In my teens, I was diagnosed with a number of mental health conditions. My school were very good about it and I received counselling, but the experience led me to realise nobody was talking about mental health. That was a problem.
I felt passionately about it and started doing talks; since then I’ve always been involved with campaigns around disability. Obviously, that’s fed into my role as Students with Disabilities Officer at Cardiff.
Did you know you’re more likely to be hired by NASA if you’re dyslexic? It’s because dyslexic people tend to be better at visualising a 3D space, they can look at a 2D blue print and envision it in full. Disabilities aren’t as limiting as they’re perceived to be!
My experience of the student support service here is two-fold; when I’ve gone to speak to the team about my mental health, they’ve been incredible. But professionally, I’ve also been pleasantly surprised by the eagerness of the staff – they really want to be involved with what I do.
As a guy, one of my current concerns is male suicide – it is the biggest killer of men under 45, and that’s a huge deal. We hear that anything from a third to three quarters of students will experience anxiety or depression during university and I think that’s awful.
I struggle with depression on a daily basis, but with the right support at least I’ve got to grips with it. Student life is busy, almost chaotic; to be first struck with mental health issues during an exam season would be very difficult. You need the right services, and that’s what I’m working on.
I want to create consistency in extenuating circumstances across Schools and seasons, I’ve started a steering group; hopefully we’ll be able to create equality for students and simplify the process for the university too. Win-win!
I don’t think being involved with this kind of campaigning will ever leave me; it’s an integral part of who I am. My ultimate dream is entertainment TV – maybe I can be the next Graham Norton. Chatting to celebs – but also raising the issues that really matter from time-to-time.”
- October 2024
- September 2024
- August 2024
- July 2024
- June 2024
- May 2024
- April 2024
- March 2024
- February 2024
- January 2024
- December 2023
- November 2023
- October 2023
- September 2023
- August 2023
- July 2023
- June 2023
- May 2023
- April 2023
- March 2023
- February 2023
- January 2023
- November 2022
- October 2022
- September 2022
- August 2022
- July 2022
- June 2022
- May 2022
- April 2022
- March 2022
- February 2022
- January 2022
- December 2021
- November 2021
- October 2021
- September 2021
- August 2021
- July 2021
- June 2021
- May 2021
- April 2021
- March 2021
- February 2021
- January 2021
- December 2020
- November 2020
- October 2020
- September 2020
- August 2020
- July 2020
- June 2020
- May 2020
- April 2020
- March 2020
- January 2020
- December 2019
- November 2019
- October 2019
- September 2019
- August 2019
- July 2019
- May 2019
- April 2019
- March 2019
- February 2019
- January 2019
- December 2018
- November 2018
- October 2018
- September 2018
- August 2018
- July 2018
- June 2018
- May 2018
- April 2018
- March 2018
- February 2018
- December 2017
- November 2017
- October 2017
- September 2017
- August 2017
- July 2017
- June 2017
- May 2017
- April 2017
- March 2017
- February 2017
- January 2017
- November 2016
- October 2016
- September 2016
- July 2016
- June 2016
- May 2016
- April 2016
- March 2016
- February 2016
- January 2016
- December 2015
- November 2015
- October 2015
- September 2015
- August 2015
- January 2015
- December 2014
- November 2014
- September 2014
- August 2014
- May 2014