Accessibility Meet & Greet

I co-hosted the Accessibility Meet & Greet for University of Technology Sydney O’Day — an orientation event for new students to connect with support staff, learn what accessibility actually means here, and ask the questions they might not know how to ask yet.

Alongside fellow student consultant Jason Chau, we walked through the essentials: what academic adjustments are, how to decipher UTS room codes so you can actually find your class, how to access services early, and why speaking up sooner can make a real difference.

When Jason did his speaking segment, everyone really listened. His story was personal, honest, and hit home for a few people in the room. I then shared my five “I wish I’d known this sooner” lessons (I got a couple of quiet laughs. Always a good sign.)

We followed with a group activity where students shared what makes them feel comfortable in new spaces. We got a wide mix of responses — funny, reflective, and unexpectedly deep.

We’d set the tone from the start: lights dimmed, captions on, fidget toys and colouring pages out. Hopefully it showed that good access is just good planning.

I’m getting more comfortable leading from the front. And I’m starting to notice all the things that make a space feel like it’s for you — and I want to help create more of them.
Thank you to the accessibility team for backing this. Let’s keep it going. And thank you to the educators and UTS staff who joined us and made the space feel welcoming from all sides.