Second-year marine biology student, Niamh Craig, is running for Stirling Students’ Union’s next President. After an ACL injury which put a pause on their rugby playing, and a year of representing the disabled students at the university, they’re ready to take their experience and perspective to a new position.
Q: Why are you running for Union President?
A: “I was working under the Union President this year as disability officer and I’d just really like to see a change happen this year, with both accessibility on campus and the support network.”
Q: What is the first thing you would do if elected to the position?
A: “I’d like to create a peer support network. So, that involves getting people from some society committees to train in mental health first aid so that there can be more of a support system in place and [I’d] try to get some staff involved as well.”
Q: What are your long-term goals for the position?
A: “At the moment, we’re trying to get braille signage on campus as well as tactile paving—hopefully, that should be coming very soon.
“[For the most part] my disability campaign focuses on university accommodation. With my knee injury, I was lucky enough to be in crutches only for six-to-eight weeks, but even then, I was living on the top floor of Fraser [of Allander, student dorm] and there was no lift or anything, so it was a struggle for me.
“Even then, campus is quite hilly as well, so I’d like to see if there can be something done about that, or even just getting railings in place as a support.”
Q: what did the current Union President do in their work that you liked? What would you strive to replicate in your own work?
A: “Justine [Pédussel] focused a lot on equality and trying to make it so that everyone has equal opportunities. I’d really like to continue that.”
Niamh Craig’s manifesto can be found here.
Featured image Stirling Union
