What is your role and what does it involve?
I support the inclusive design and delivery of building projects, so that people feel more welcome and comfortable in spaces at UCL. This means anticipating people’s potential physical and sensory needs in a space as well as consideration for Equality Act-protected characteristics such as faith and gender.How long have you been at UCL and what was your previous role?
Prior to joining UCL one and half years ago, I worked in inclusive design consulting, with clients ranging from local community organisations to global companies. I’ve also worked in disability advocacy, intersectional gender equality, and academic research in Canada (where I grew up), the Philippines and Australia.What working achievement or initiative are you most proud of?
Collaborating with teams within and beyond Estates on projects such as the Teaching Spaces Refresh programme. Incorporating best practice inclusive design standards and staff and student feedback, the programme is working to improve people’s experiences of using these spaces year on year.Tell us about a project you are working on now which is top of your to-do list
Across the hundreds of projects we’re involved in, something as seemingly small as furniture can make a big difference for people. For example, the ability to use a chair with arm and back support, to find a quiet corner to work or decompress in, or to use a desk that can be adjusted to the appropriate height can boost a person’s focus and overall wellbeing.What is your favourite album, film and novel?
I can’t pick a favourite album, it’s always been a mixtape/burnt CD/playlist for me (depending on the era)!Documentary films and memoir novels are my favourite genres, but lately I’m enjoying a historical fiction, the TV adaptation of the novel Pachinko by Min Jin Lee. The story resonates with migrant readers and viewers alike. Next on my list is one of the disability history month book recommendations , Sipping Dom Pérignon Through a Straw: Reimagining Success as a Disabled Achiever by Eddie Ndopu.
What is your favourite joke (pre-watershed)?
What did one snowman say to the other snowman?"Do you smell carrots?"
