By Alex Murray
De Montfort Student’s Union (DSU) has this week launched a campaign to highlight hidden disabilities.
The student-led campaign, led by Disabled Students’ Representative Demi Rixon, aims to educate students on what hidden disabilities are and what it can be like to live with one.
Demi Rixon at the stall in the De Montfort Student UnionMiss Rixon, who suffers from a Chronic Pain disability herself, believes that it is important that people understand what people who suffer from these disabilities are going through.
“It is extremely important that people understand because obviously we are doing these degrees which are quite full time and people who suffer with these conditions are almost doing another degree in itself,” she said.
The campaign hopes to raise awareness of multiple conditions. These include chronic illnesses, heart conditions, hearing impairments and autism. The events began on Tuesday, with an explanation on what people with chronic pain go through during everyday tasks.
Miss Rixon added “It’s a struggle for me to deal with the degree and the illness itself, and if you have people around you who you feel comfortable to be around and are more understanding then it makes the whole process a lot easier.”
Events will be taking place across the rest of the week, taking place in the atrium of the Campus Centre. Events are free, although students are encouraged to sign up for the basic life support training course on Wednesday.
For more information on what is going on, check out the Students’ Union website. Miss Rixon has recorded several videos that give more information about the disabilities the campaign is raising awareness about.
