Sept 2012 - Jun 2014: President, QMSU Ability Society

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Governance and Leadership

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I was responsible for the daily running of the group as well as being a key role in determining its direction. I did two terms as President. I ensured that the society was well-promoted and social events and campaigns are ran regularly and are successful. This role exposed me to responsibility and strains of running an organisation. It was also an opportunity to lead a team and to offer direction to the committee’s inputs. Being a team player was also a key aspect of being President as cooperation with members and the committee was essential.

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Creating advertisements for events encouraged familiarity with office software such as Powerpoint, Word, Publisher, Pages and Keynote. Perseverance was demonstrated by continuing to host a variety of events in difficult times to discover what the students wanted.

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I took part in debates during events with the QMSU Debate Society by constructing and articulating persuasive arguments. This also allowed for exploration of “reasonable adjustments” contained in the Equality Act 2010 and their effectiveness as well as inclusion of disabled students within Higher Education. A talk on ‘The History of Disability’ was also given to a public audience, which increased confidence and allowed good articulation and public engagement to be utilised.

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Sept 2012 - Jun 2013: Disabled Students' Representative, Queen Mary Students' Union 

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I represented the disabled student population by finding out the views of its membership before constructing and presenting them to the Student Council. 

 

I persuaded Queen Mary University of London to spend over £400,000 on accessibility. I created a campaign that highlighted the difficulty in accessing parts of campus when you have mobility impairments. The video received significant support online, which put negotiations in our favour. The campaign was awarded ‘Campaign of the Year’. I introduced large print and braille menus in the eateries too. 

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The title of the role was changed from 'Students with Disabilities Representative' to the one current used because it was unnecessarily long and did not reflect the usual language used. I also ensured that the Equality and Diversity Policy was being enforced, making sure society events were accessible to all.

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Engagement with the disabled student populous allowed me to learn about the issues that they were facing. Ie often engaged with current and prospective students to ensure that they were or they would enjoy the Queen Mary experience. Engagement with an audience was also necessary to attract them to events and communicate with them to find solutions to their problems. This offered the opportunity to witness how disabled students are affected by equality and diversity policy as well as that set out in statute.

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April 2012 - Sept 2012: Vice-President and Tresurer, QMSU Ability Society

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I oversaw the smooth general and financial running of the QMSU Ability Society, the ability to swiftly learn new procedures without instruction or guidance, run an organisation by helping and standing in for the President. The Vice-President and Treasurer is also expected to illustrate sound time-management and organisation in simultaneously studying and completing the necessary documentation required on behalf of the President. Good use of Office software, in using Excel databases and Word documents in order to maintain good financial running of the group, also needs to be demonstrated.

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Dec 2011 - April 2012: Campaigns Secretary, QMSU Ability Society

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I started a campaign to ensure that all societies made equality a priority. This quest entailed asking them to sign a written declaration pledging that the society would do their best to make their events accessible to all. Queen Mary Student Union then decided to insert such provisions into their constitution. All events that are run by societies have to be accessible to all members as a result. Failure to comply with the constitution leads to punishment.

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I worked with other interested bodies to undertake a successful campaign to ensure equality in, and access to, all society events, which also improved independent learning and knowledge and understanding of the Equality Act 2010 and the Equality Act 2010. Communication and persuasive arguing ability were also demonstrated in making the campaign a success.

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November 2011 - June 2015: Student Ambassador, Queen Mary, University of London

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I took prospective students on a tour around campus whilst being polite, professional and friendly.

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Joe Callum says:

 

'For the past year I have managed Daniel in his role as a Student Ambassador in the School of Law, Queen Mary, University of London. Daniel is clearly dedicated to the law and this shines through in the work he does for me. Whilst Daniel provides specialist tours - to those with disabilities interested in studying at QM - he is very comfortable working with a variety of people, from a range of different backgrounds. Not only is Daniel punctual and reliable, but he is also very informed about life on campus and the London legal community. I very much enjoy working with Daniel and am happy to recommend him to any employer who values intelligence, commitment and genuine enthusiasm in their staff.'

 

On LinkedIn 11/03/13

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November 2011 - June 2012: Student Buddy, Queen Mary, University of London

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I gave compassion and support to ensure first year students were settling into University life by meeting with them, keeping in touch with them and reassuring them when they were unhappy or stressed. 

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