I Write Letters: Followup

A week ago, I wrote a letter.

Today, I received a reply. Here is my response to that reply.

Dear etc,

Thanks for your reply.

Thankyou for committing to an exploration of access possibilities in the future. I look forward to hearing the outcome of that.

In regards to the tight time schedule, I did first enquire about registration and access to this conference back in February. After your further explorations with the university, would you please let me know how many weeks’ or months’ notification would be needed in order for access to academic events to be arranged?

I am fully aware that this conference is not a “public event”, that there are registration fees, and that access needs and arrangements are typically organised at the registration phase. There is certainly no point me fronting up registration fees for UWA conferences in the current situation, given that 100% of my enquiries about accessibility have been rebuffed so far.

With regard to obtaining copies of papers after the event, or podcasts of public lectures: I am looking to be a participatory member of UWA’s academic community. Being relegated to a passive consumer role because of my disability is not an acceptable “compromise” to me.

It was a particular slap in the face that a podcast of the public lecture – without even the Q & A included – was my only access to the Radical Disability Inclusion series. The University hasn’t so much as apologised for that yet.

Yours sincerely, etc.

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