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What It’s LikeÌýis a series launching forÌýHÂþ»­ Accessibility Week, one that provides members of the Dal community with an opportunity to share their first-person perspective on living with a disability. People are welcome to share with their name or anonymously.

Submitted by Sarah MacDonald:

Tell us a little about yourself and your role here at Dal.
Ìý

My name is Sarah MacDonald and I am the Assistant Dean, Advancement at the Schulich School of Law. I have a Master’s of Arts, and I’m a Certified Fundraising Executive. I love working in my community both through my career at Dal as well as through volunteering on a number of Boards and leadership in the non-profit sector. I have a spouse, a home, three very cute pets. I love cooking, hosting parties, crocheting, lifting weights, swimming with my friends, going to concerts. I have a few invisible disabilities that include chronic Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.

What do you wish people knew about your disability?

That each day can be different. And that’s valid and okay. Some days are comfortable and I need very little accommodation or consideration. Others are a real struggle just to get through. Sometimes, on the good days, it feels like maybe I don’t have a disability at all – or that I shouldn’t think I do. However, the reality is I’ve worked very hard for years to ensure that the good days come along. And I deserve the accommodations I need on the other days. I’d say a lot of people can relate to that, so I wanted to make sure I shared that. I also want folks to know that people at all levels of the University have disabilities. And that they all deserve to be accommodated and understood.

My disabilities fall under a category where I’ve required a psychiatrist. In addition, I also require a psychologist. I don’t think everyone understands the difference and how they exist in two separate systems in Nova Scotia. A psychiatrist is a doctor akin to a medical specialist like a dermatologist – you get put on a waitlist after a referral and you have to do just that - wait. The psychiatrist can do an assessment, diagnose, and prescribe you medication. A psychologist is a very skilled medical professional, but not a medical doctor. They use therapy as a form of support. This costs upwards of $200/hour and is almost exclusively outside the scope of our provincial healthcare system (MSI). So I’m very lucky. I had the time and flexibility to wait to be admitted with a psychiatrist. And I had the financial means to pay for a psychologist, regularly, for ten years now. I am in the minority. We have community members and colleagues that are not so lucky.

Lastly, I wish people knew and understood how a disability can affect other aspects of your work and how you interact in the world. For example, I have auditory processing issues as a result of my disability. There are lots of examples of waterfall effects of disability that others may not ever consider. I would never expect someone to know them all, but asking and thinking about this with others is always a compassionate and helpful approach.

What accessibility changes would have the biggest impact on your experience here at Dal?

A particularly interesting piece to my work is that it’s very externally facing. Some days I speak to more folks that aren’t working or going to Dal than those that do. And so, it’s not necessarily the colleagues or students that may not completely understand disability – sometimes it’s those in the community. I think it’s a long journey of making sure everyone understands what disabilities can look like (and that they are often invisible). HÂþ»­ can help lead that work, though. It really takes consistency in discussion, accommodation, and understanding. And there’s no end to that. There’s no final step in achieving accessibility on campus – it’s a constant dialogue for everyone to become more and more comfortable.ÌýÌý

Previously in this series:

You can findÌýall entries collected here.

Interested in sharing your own experiences?

We'd love to hear from you. Please take a look at our questions below and how to submit them. Please note that you can choose to remain anonymous if you wish. (Note: names will be visible to individuals receiving submissions by email).

Our questions for you:

• Tell us a little about yourself and your role here at Dal. (Note: If remaining anonymous, this prompt can be skipped — or, simply share as much detail as you feel comfortable doing).
  
  
• What do you wish people knew about your disability?
  
  
• What accessibility changes would have the biggest impact on your experience here at Dal?

If you’re interested in sharing your experiences navigating university life with a visible or invisible disability, please contact us atÌýtoday@dal.caÌýwith answers to the above questions or to set up a short interview.