CUSU Disabled Students' Campaign

CUSU Disabled Students' Campaign (DSC) is an autonomous campaign affiliated with Cambridge University Students' Union (CUSU); this means that CUSU fund and resource the campaign, but the campaign's members decide what it does and how it functions. The DSC is concerned with campaigning for the welfare & representation of the University's disabled students, as well as providing a source of community and running events for its members.

Point of contact: disabled@cusu.cam.ac.uk

Find us on Facebook

Find us on Twitter

Sign up to our mailing list

Members:

Any person who self-defines as disabled, or as having themselves experienced disability, and who is pursuing or intermitting from a course of study or research at the University of Cambridge, is considered a member of the campaign.

Committee:

The DSC is democratic and non-hierarchical, which means that none of the officers have more power than any other officer, and every officer is elected by members of the campaign. Each position holds specific responsibilities.

Disabled Students' Officers: Jessica Wing & Robert Corbyn-Smith

Responsible for: representing and co-ordinating the campaign, and voting at CUSU council.

Academic Affairs: Esther Leighton

Secretary: Richard Birkett

Computing: Richard Birkett

Women's Officer: Calista Hobart

There are currently several vacant positions within the campaign. By-elections will be held at the first open meeting of michaelmas.

Decision-making:

The DSC operates through fortnightly open meetings. From the committee, a facilitator is chosen for each meeting, and this this person is responsible for;

Before the meeting: publicising the time, date and location of the meeting; collecting agenda items; circulating the agenda and any other meeting notices

During the meeting: ensuring that people are speaking in turn and not interrupting each other, and to find ways of structuring discussion so as to keep it productive and move it towards consensus.

After the meeting: circulating the minutes of the meeting

The committee are responsible for ensuring that, as far as reasonably possible, all members are able to attend either physically or virtually.

Decisions are typically made by consensus; if it is deemed impossible by the facilitator to reach consensus, a vote may be taken. For a decision to pass, the number of members in attendance (physical or virtual) must be a minimum of 8 (the current quoracy requirement).