Walking into my first day at RIX, I had no idea what to expect. I knew that the team conducts inclusive research, but I did not know what that meant in practice.
Through my 6 weeks at RIX, I learned that the majority of inclusive research occurs away from the computer. Although I spent time conducting desktop research, I learned how to make the world a more equitable place outside of those moments. Whether in-person or online, I loved the times when I was able to speak to the co-researchers. Prior to this internship, I had not had the opportunity to work alongside people with lived experience of disabilities. I was aware of the many access barriers that are present in the world, however, being able to hear directly from those with disabilities opened my eyes to how exclusive society is. My time at RIX taught me how important it is to have the affected group as the drivers of the research.
One of my favorite experiences during my internship was creating an accessible travel guide for the Summer School. My fellow intern Meredith and I were able to create a fully step-free route from UEL Docklands to Olympic Park. Although there is information on the TFL website, we found that marking the route ourselves gave us insight that the website was unable to provide. For example, the elevators at Canning Town are confusing and if someone with a disability was in a rush or if the station was crowded, it is possible that they would be delayed in their travel. The unfortunate news is that this was one of the easier routes to map in the travel guide. People with disabilities rely heavily on public transport but are often unable to make effective use of it because the stations were not designed with this demographic in mind. I was able to attend the Olympic Park field trip with the Summer School, and it was rewarding to assist in navigating the step-free route.
My internship at RIX provided me with a perspective on disabilities that I will take into my future career as a physical therapist in the U.S. When I am treating a patient with a disability, I will be equipped to provide them with the proper care because I will listen to exactly what their unique needs are and cater to those needs. Additionally, I will become an advocate for accessibility at my future place of employment. Everyone has the right to healthcare, and I desire to make that a reality using the knowledge I have gained at RIX. I am incredibly grateful for this experience and would like to thank everyone at RIX for being welcoming and supporting me in my internship.
Katie Brown, RIX CAPA intern