Between 2014 and 2017 I worked as a Research Associate at the Open University as part of the Inclusive Archive of Learning Disability History project. (1) On the project I worked in a big team, which included two other researchers who do not have learning disabilities, Sue Ledger and Nigel Ingham. I also got support from my PA, Row Richards.
When I applied for the job I was told that attending and presenting at conferences was a big part of the role. At the time I wondered: why do I need to go to conferences? This article tells the story of my conference experience on the project – the good, the bad and the ugly.
Challenges of going to conferences
I went to a lot of conferences during the project. At the start I found it really hard. Sometimes I thought: if I’m not following the presentations and I’m fidgeting and not understanding, is there any point me being here? But I thought I might regret it if I didn’t go, and I might miss something interesting, even if it’s not very accessible. Also, it’s part of the job, and I couldn’t just present my bit and then leave. I think it’s important that I get a chance to present at that type of conference where some of the presentations are more academic or complicated. Staying over in new places was very hard for me at the beginning of the project, but I found this got better.
What has helped me at conferences
I noticed I started to feel more confident attending and presenting at conferences as the project went on. When I was talking to my colleague about this, we wrote down a few things that seemed to make a difference. A big thing was preparation. Being involved in co-writing the slides, especially the ones I would be reading, definitely helped. Also, I realised I needed to practise a lot. I did this in the office and at home. I did lots of reading through the slides and making changes until I was happy with the words. I did this with my PA and one of the other researchers.
Having a PA was a massive help – she helped to explain things I didn’t understand. Row supported me to write the slides, get my ideas down and practise them. I also found that having my PA with me helped when I was going to new places. I didn’t feel so nervous. Also, Row took notes which meant I could concentrate on listening. Things also got easier as I got to know the other researchers on the project. This helped me relax and meant I didn’t feel as lonely and unsure as I did at the first conference I attended.
The final thing that helped was just going to lots of conferences! The more I did, the less worried I felt. Also, I was involved in organising and presenting at ‘sandpit events’. These are a type of workshop where everyone can be involved. They are very inclusive and we used lots of different methods to make them accessible and fun. Such events helped me practise my presentation skills and build up my confidence and experience with people I know. Sometimes these events were hard and made me feel like I did at the beginning.
The good
At the end of the project I would say that the good things about conferences are: they give you a chance to tell people about your work; they help you meet new people (whether they’ve got a learning disability or not); and you get to hear about other exciting projects.
the bad …
The bad things are that conferences can be really tiring, especially when they are over two days or more. Also, there is a lot of work involved to prepare properly and sometimes you need to make last minute edits, which is frustrating.
… and the ugly
The ugly bits are that conferences could be a bit confusing, or even boring. They can leave you feeling unsure – especially when you can’t understand everything and can’t take it all in. A big help for me in that situation was building in lots of breaks and having some time out.
Although conferences can be tough, I do like taking part in them now. It’s important that people with learning disabilities get a chance to join in. Why should someone like me, with a mild learning disability, not be able to present at conferences, like anyone else?
(1) The Inclusive Archive of Learning Disability History Project was funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council, 2014-2017
The Inclusive Archive of Learning Disability History: www.inclusivearchive.org
The Inclusive Archive Project Website: www.inclusivearchiveproject.org
