Interview with Ayolabi Martins | AUSA Disabled Rights Officer

My name is Ayolabi Martins or Ayo for short. I study a Bachelor of Laws with a Bachelor of Arts Conjuring Major in Politics and Inter-national Relations and Economics aside that all I also do a diploma in languages majoring in Mandarin Chinese in AUSA my role is Disabled Rights Officer this means I regularly meet with members of the disabled community at UOA to gauge the struggles and difficulties navigating various areas of the campus and online resource tools as well. In addition to this I regularly run events co-hosted by AUSA and AUDSA to boost. disabled students presence on campus and ensure the students feel they have a network of friends and ample support to ensure they study well and have a social life at the university. I also have a disability think tank which meets quite regularly to discuss issues with current and future assessment styles and programmes as well as discuss various initiatives we’re working on. My voice is heard within the AUSA executive through our regular executive meetings where we always discuss concerns and struggles  with our roles and we all contribute in terms of the bigger picture... high-level plans we are working on. I add a comprehensive equity lens over a lot of our projects and events to ensure they're accessible to all students. Prior to AUSA, I was the president of AUDSA, which is- the Auckland University Disabled Students Association. I was a prominent member within the society and ensured that events were run which interested students I also worked as a youth member of parliament, regularly in conversation with various politicians and local board leaders to advance policy and goals to ensure a more inclusive city and by extension country, which supported the disabled students and ensured that barriers were reduced to make life more livable. 

The advice I give to first-year students is to take every possible venture you can as long as it's within some realm of reality and your capacity. Undergrad really comes by once even if you end up doing it again. And it's a great way to make new friends try new things and learn a bit about yourself and your identity. I decided to run for the AUSA exec because of my previous work within the Disabled Individuals space. I'm a huge disability advocate. I've been to parliament to speak on behalf of disabled young people. I met with politicians to discuss the struggles disabled individuals face in their various communities as well and advised NZQA on potential academic reforms to ensure a more inclusive and comprehensive literature structure that serves all students. 

I felt AUSA was a great way to further continue this work and ensure that the university space was accessible for disabled students also. Some key skills I've learned over the past year at AUSA is: 

1. The importance of engaging with your respective community 
2. The importance of showing empathy and compassion towards students of all backgrounds 
3. With various disabilities, whilst we may have some that may have had a fall and are in a sling for several weeks 
4. At the same time, I regularly encounter students who've had a stroke from birth or lost a limb and have had their entire life plans altered because of a significant life event 

This has taught me the value of compassion and understanding the pain and suffering my community goes through. Campaigning tips for prospective candidates are: 

1. Be yourself! 
2. Engage with your respective community and hear what they'd like to see AUSA do! 
3. Be realistic in your policy goals! 
4. Don't be shy! Reach out and talk to people on campus!