New Co-Chairs elected by Disabled Staff Network

04 Nov 2013

Melanie Sharpe, Training Officer in IT Services, has been elected to serve as Co-Chair of the Network alongside Hamied Haroon.

Elections were held in July for two Co-Chairs, following Hamied's resignation as Chair after several years in post. The two Co-Chairs will work together in future to lead the DSN in focusing on key issues for disabled staff at the University.

Melanie said: “I am very grateful that so many members of the DSN voted for me to take on the role of Co-Chair of the Network, working alongside Hamied Haroon. The Network plays a big role in promoting and raising awareness around disability equality, as well as providing support, advice and guidance and providing an opportunity to share experiences, amongst other things.

“I would like to be able to organise a Disabled Staff Network Open Day to raise awareness of our existence around the University and the ways in which we can support colleagues with disabilities, including the provision of a qualified palantypist at meetings for those with hearing impairments.”

The DSN is open to all members of staff at the University who consider that they have an impairment or long term health/medical condition. Anyone who has an interest in this area is also very welcome to join.

Formal meetings are held about four times a year, but members try to get together informally as often as they can. Most meetings are attended either by an external speaker or by someone from an area of the University that the Network is interested in learning more about.

At the most recent DSN meeting on 29 October, topics of discussion included Staff Survey results for disabled staff and progress with the organisation of the national conference ‘What are we hiding?’ in June 2014.

Further information

If you have any questions about the Network:

• Contact melanie.sharpe@mancheter.ac.uk or hamied.Haroon@manchester.ac.uk
  or
• Visit Disabled Staff Network