Podcast transcript
Tayissa: Hi everyone and welcome to today's episode. Curtin University acknowledges the Whadjuk Noongar people and traditional custodians of the land in which Curtin University Bentley campus is situated on and we pay our respects to elders past, present and emerging. So today's conversation aims to provide a unique glimpse into the lived experiences of individuals with invisible disabilities here at Curtin. My name is Tayissa and I will be your host. In 2026, I'll be entering my fourth year as a Curtin student, studying a double degree in Law and Arts, majoring in International Relations. Alongside my studies, I work within the Faculty of Business and Law as a Disability Engagement Officer, a role I've held since June 2025. In this role, I've helped lead and develop the Invisibility Project, which focuses on highlighting and elevating the experiences of Curtin students navigating invisible disabilities. The goal is to inform how the faculty can meaningfully support these students through inclusive practices, policies and culture. Consultations with Curtin staff and students have revealed a communication gap between students and staff about invisible disabilities and the experiences of those affected. This is really important in a university setting where independent learning relies on strong student-staff interaction. When students feel uncomfortable disclosing their disability, it creates barriers to their success. Staff, therefore, must foster safe, judgment-free environments to encourage openness and support. Additionally, we found that while Curtin Access Plans, or CAPs, provide essential adjustments for students with disabilities and provide many benefits to students who need support, many students, especially those in their first year of uni, are unaware of them or feel overwhelmed by the process. Improving communication and education around CAPS and available support is crucial to ensure students understand their options and feel confident accessing help. In addition to these findings, I myself bring both personal and professional lived experience with disability. Professionally, I have worked as a disability support worker for approximately 2 years, which has given me insight into the challenges faced by individuals navigating systems of support and education. Personally, I was diagnosed earlier this year with a neurological condition called Chiari Malformation Type 1. This condition causes symptoms such as chronic migraines, neck pain, brain fog, and coordination difficulties, all of which have impacted my ability to learn and work effectively. These challenges have required me to adapt my study habits, including finding new ways to retain information, allocating extra time for assignments, and occasionally missing classes on days when my pain is severe. Despite these obstacles, I have developed strategies to manage my condition and remain committed to advocating for greater awareness and support for students with invisible disabilities. Joining me today, I have Curtin student Rachel. Rachel: Hello. Tayissa: And staff member Shirl. Shirl: Hello. Tayissa: Who will share valuable insights into their own experiences shortly. But before we dive in, let's clarify what we mean by an invisible disability and why these conversations matter. So the Sunflower Project, a popular initiative advocating for hidden disabilities, defines an invisible disability as one that isn't immediately apparent. While some disabilities are visible, like people who use a cane or a wheelchair, others aren't obvious at all. You might work or study alongside someone with a disability and never know. In a university setting, a person's lived experience can deeply influence how people learn, teach and interact. That's why normalising conversations about hidden disability, acknowledging these experiences, and educating ourselves about the barriers people face are all essential steps toward making Curtin a more inclusive and accessible place for everyone. With that in mind, let's jump into our conversations with Rachel and Shirl and hear their stories. So, Rachel, could you start us off by telling us a little bit about yourself and your experience with disability? Rachel: So hi everyone, my name is Rachel and I'm a final year Bachelor of Commerce student majoring in Human Resource Management and specialising in Public Relations here at Curtin University. My experience with disability is unique as I have dyslexia. It is not a disability that you are able to notice. This is something that I've been able to adjust and adapt over the years, growing up and within my university career. Tayissa: That's really interesting, thanks Rachel. And then what does the term invisible disability mean to you personally? Rachel: The term invisible disability is a disability that you're not able to physically see in one's own behaviour and how they act. This disability can be something that people suffer with but is not shown. For example, ADHD, dyslexia and anxiety and many more. Tayissa: Great, thanks for that, Rachel. Let's move on to Shirl. Can you tell us a bit about yourself and your experience? Shirl: Yes, hello. I'm Shirl and I'm a member of the teaching staff here at the Faculty of Business and Law. I'm in my mid-50s. My lived experience of disability is that of living as a neurodiverse person. I was... I was diagnosed with hyperkinetic disorder at the age of 6 and was put on Ritalin in 1976 to help keep me out of trouble at school. It was very unusual at that time for a girl to be targeted, but I was a bit of a handful. The condition of hyperkinetic disorder is now called and is known as ADHD, or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. For me, ADHD has been a lifelong journey. It's often co-joined by other related diversities. So there's a fair bit of high-functioning autism spectrum in me and some dyslexia. I'm prone to anxiety. I seem to have a natural distrust of authority. I think that's called oppositional defiance. But I'm also really intelligent and I'm intuitive and I'm fun. I find life really interesting. I think it might... I think being normal would actually be quite boring. Although when I was young, that's all I ever, ever wanted to be, was just to be normal. Why can't I be normal? But I'm pretty sure it's all of these things that make me a musician and an artist. My first undergraduate was from the West Australian Academy of Performing Arts. I became a teacher. I became a high school art teacher. I think Having diversity, neurodiversity, makes me a better teacher, makes me a more patient teacher, it makes me a better person, but it also definitely makes me the most popular grandparent to our grandchildren. I'd like to think that I've learned to embrace being a little bit different. It certainly doesn't bother me like it once did. but I still find some situations extremely challenging, and I still have to be prepared to develop coping strategies to manage day-to-day life. Tayissa: And what would you say the term invisible disability means to you personally? Shirl: It's a good question. Invisible disability is, it's like a double-edged sword. On one hand, it's not in everyone's face until it is. Sometimes you just blow up, and certainly that is the case when you're on the spectrum. But mostly, if I can manage myself, disclosure is completely up to me until those moments when it isn't. By that I mean a seen disability, say someone in a wheelchair, is always disclosed, and we're able to adjust the physical environment to help and support people in a wheelchair. With a hidden disability, it's not always front and centre, which is fine until something happens and suddenly it's exposed. The intensity can often take the people around you by surprise. And then when the disability seems to come and go, it can be really challenging for your colleagues to know how to handle that. And In thinking about what a hidden disability is, this morning I realized that my most hidden disability is my dyslexia. As an intelligent person with a relatively high IQ and a PhD in information systems, it's not something that I ever have to disclose. But in my job as an academic, where I have to do a lot of reading and marking, the techniques that I learned to overcome my reading difficulties in my 20s, these techniques are pushed to their absolute limit in terms of the effort to get things done in the amount of time we're given. Tayissa: Thanks so much, you guys. Now that we've heard a little about both of you, I'd like to take some time to focus on each of your experiences individually, starting with Rachel. We'll explore some of the challenges you faced, the supports that have helped, and what inclusion looks like from your perspective. So Rachel, as a student, can you describe a moment when accessibility or lack of accessibility really impacted your experience on campus? How did that situation make you feel? Rachel: Yeah, for sure. So I've had a mix of both good moments with accessibility and moments where I've lacked it. Having access to the CAP plan and having Curtin staff made known that the CAP is available and I'm ever needing any extra help or resources really made me feel supported and allowed me to excel within my units. Where I've lacked accessibility is when teaching style or the resources available weren't suitable for my learning, which made it hard for me to learn, interpret content and feel less supported. Tayissa: Do you think communication between students and staff around accessibility could be improved and how do you think this could happen? Rachel: Yes, I definitely think this is something that needs to be addressed. Vital communication between staff and students while also making students feel comfortable for this conversation is important. This could be done at the start of the semester in class if the teacher either sends an e-mail to the students with a CAP or have had a conversation with the students. This will allow students to feel comfortable to ask questions and know that teachers are there for them. For example, I met this teacher at the start of 2025, and she honestly helped me so much. She provided so many resources, checked in with me daily, and provided that extra hand when I needed more time or special considerations for sitting certain assessments. Tayissa: Rachel, thank you so much for sharing your experiences. That was really insightful. In my opinion, as someone who hasn't accessed a CAP, I think it's really the little things, like you said, that actually make all the difference. That's why initiatives like the Sunflower Project, for example, are so important, because a staff member can walk into class wearing the sunflower lanyard or the sunflower badge, and a student can immediately know that they can be open and honest with this staff member about their experience without worrying about being judged or misunderstood. Especially if the student doesn't want to take that first step to start the conversation, they can rest assured knowing that they're in safe hands and that a safe space has been established. I also think that a lot of that safe space comes from staff creating a non-judgmental space overall. Actively listening to students, showing empathy and normalising conversations about disability and accessibility can all show to students that their challenges are going to be met with understanding rather than scepticism, which can really encourage them to seek support. These small but meaningful actions can, in my opinion, really help build trust and support between students and staff. I'd like to now turn to Shirl to hear about her perspective. Shirl, as a staff member at Curtin, your experience navigating invisible disability is likely quite different from a student's. After hearing Rachel's answers, how easy or difficult is it to address experiences like this within the current university environment? Shirl: Well, from my perspective, I'm lucky enough to teach a subject that probably requires a bit of those hyper-focused, obsessive attention to detail aspects of my personality. I teach students how to design and program databases. So the 50-something years of learning to be relatively comfortable in my own skin means I'll often disclose my neurodiversity the first time I meet a new class of students. It's not heavy or anything. but I've found it opens a dialogue with those students who wish to have a conversation about how I can better support them and their neurodiversity or hidden disabilities. It doesn't mean staff that don't have a subjective lived experience of neurodiversity can't support those students. I believe anyone can be empathetic and an open conversation is a good place to start. Tayissa: Thank you so much for your contributions, Rachel and Shirl. Before we finish today's episode, I want to take a moment to reflect on what this conversation has been about. Invisible disability is something that often goes unnoticed, yet it can deeply shape how people experience university, whether as a student, a staff member, or in any university role. The stories we've explored today remind us that inclusion isn't just about physical accessibility or visible accommodations. It's about understanding that not all challenges can be seen, and that empathy and awareness are powerful tools for creating a truly inclusive culture. If there's one message I'd love for you to take away from this episode, it's this. Every person's experience matters, even when you can't see it. Invisible disabilities are real, and they deserve the same recognition, respect, and support as any other. I encourage you to reflect on what you've heard today. Ask yourself, How might this change the way I interact with others? What assumptions do I make about people that I could challenge? How can I contribute to making Curtin a more inclusive space? If you're teaching, it can be as simple as an e-mail out to all of your students, or simply being prepared to open an inclusive dialogue. Educating yourself is an important first step. If you'd like to learn more or need support, there are resources available, either through Curtin's Disability and Accessibility Support Services or initiatives like the Sunflower Project, which advocate for hidden disabilities globally. And don't let the conversation stop here. Share what you've learned with friends, colleagues and peers. Talk about invisible disability and normalise these discussions. Thank you so much for listening today. By engaging with these stories and reflecting on them, you're already helping to create a more inclusive and understanding environment.