Experiencing Disability as a Graduate Student

Navigating graduate school can be difficult at the best of times. Navigating graduate school as a student with a disability can add layers of complexity to the experience, that are often coped with in isolation.  Common experiences during this time can include but are not limited to questions around disclosure of disability status, accommodation, impact on relationship with supervisors and peers, impact on productivity and output, comparison and self-criticism, additional stress in relationships with family and friends, self-doubt, the impact of disability on our sense of identity, and anxiety about the future. 

Feeling overwhelmed, frustrated, isolated, stuck, or unsupported can interfere with the process of writing and research, as well as your ability to enjoy and learn from your graduate student experience. You are not alone.  This group is designed for any graduate student who identifies as having a disability who would benefit to have the opportunity to connect with other students who share a lived experience of disability. The aim of this group is to provide the opportunity for group members to learn from one another in a safe space that honours and is sensitive to the unique challenges of navigating graduate studies as a person with a disability.

What can you expect?

This group will provide a safe and confidential space for graduate students with disabilities to share their experience and receive support from each other and the facilitator, as well as give support to each other. We will start by creating group norms together, and identifying and exploring struggles currently experienced by group members, and tailor the group to address these specific issues. Interactive activities and discussion will help us to understand our experiences and explore new tools and skills for coping with these and other challenges.

This group is appropriate for students who:

• Are enrolled in a graduate program
• Identify as having a disability – this group is open to all diagnoses/disabilities
• Are experiencing challenges navigating graduate school with a disability
• Are interested in being a supportive part of a group of fellow students with disabilities
• Find it hard to balance the challenges of life and graduate school
• Are having difficulties with their program/supervisor
• Are willing to engage in group activities and share at their own pace

Former group participants/members:

If you participated in this group in previous offerings you may contact the facilitator directly to be placed on a waitlist for possible participation this semester, should space allow: sean_heaslip@sfu.ca

Registration

To register, please contact your CAL disability advisor and let them know which group you are interested in joining, as multiple groups are available this term. Your advisor will then email you with instructions on how to book an intake appointment with the group facilitator. After completing these steps, you will have a 30-minute group screening meeting with the facilitator to determine if the group is a good fit for you. Limited space is available, and once a group is full, it will be closed for the semester, and a waitlist will be created for future groups. Please make sure you are able to commit to attending all sessions before joining, as new members will not be admitted once the groups begin.

If you have any questions, feel free to email Sean at sean_heaslip@sfu.ca for more information about individual or group counseling.

About The Facilitator