Philippa Barraclough

Specialist at Apple

With all the conversations occurring around inclusion and diversity it is more important than ever to ensure Disabled People are not left behind. We deserve a place at the table.

Why I chose to attend Leeds Trinity and my favourite memories

As someone who is Disabled there were a lot of concerns for me about how I would manage at University. Being Visually Impaired one of these concerns was finding my way around. Leeds Trinity was a good size and having everything on one campus made it easier to manage. The campus had a great community feel to it, which made you feel welcome. 

What I enjoyed most about my course  

The Media degree is so valuable, the skills you learn are applicable to a lot of areas. I tend to be great at analysing and deconstructing things, so for me Media gave me the opportunity to do this in many ways. Learning about how the world around you is impacted by the media and how we consume it has always been interesting to me. 

Invaluable placements  

For one of my placements, I spent a week at the Theatre. It was amazing! But as a Visually Impaired Person, it was hard. But it was fun seeing how stories are told from a variety of different angles. The next placement was with The British Heart Foundation, with whom I’m still volunteering with. Learning about fundraising and how communication is key to growing a community of volunteers was an excellent experience. 

How my career has panned out since graduating

I’ve done different things to what I thought I would be doing, but I love what I do! My Media degree taught me a lot of skills which I can apply to my current role and my volunteering. To celebrate turning 30 in 2021 I proudly completed my Charity Challenge for The British Heart Foundation and The Children’s Heart Surgery Fund. I used my blog to raise awareness of Congenital Heart Disease, something I was born with, and to raise money for the charities to celebrate my 30th Birthday.

My advice to prospective students

If you are studying Media, especially in Leeds, don’t be afraid to reach out to companies and ask if you can do a placement with them, big or small. You might find an interest you never knew you had.

Get stuck into any and all opportunities the University has on offer, you can learn a lot. One thing I remember doing was helping out with the UNESCO City of Film project in my first year. It was fun to be part of such a landmark moment. As students at the University we learned a lot about the running of an event and gained insight from our lecturers who gave some pretty amazing talks. I was also lucky enough to take part in project where we created a time capsule with the BBC. We had to capture images of what life was like in 2012. Which was a massive year for Britain with the Olympics and the Jubilee. 

Inclusion and Diversity

When you are Disabled and looking to study something, especially Media, you may wonder ‘can I realistically do it?’ Something I found hard was finding a job in the media industry, but now with all the conversations occurring around inclusion and diversity, it is more important than ever to ensure Disabled People are not left behind. We deserve a place at the table. 

By you choosing to do a Media or Film course you are helping to ensure we have a space at that table. You are demanding we have a voice too. Be that change. Create that space. We are here.