Managing medication side-effects and peer support networks
A research assistant with nocturnal epilepsy has been supported in managing their condition in the laboratory setting in a number of ways.
Whilst undertaking a PhD, their supervisors provided office space for a mini-fridge to store refreshments and snacks, as well as providing a quiet place to rest. This can also be useful for others with disabilities or conditions such as diabetes. Flexible working is also helpful in managing side-effects and general tiredness from being on strong medication.
The research assistant has also noticed that some students with dyslexia encounter challenges with reading numbers from spreadsheets and then pipetting the correct value. For important experiments, the research assistant offers to double-check the numbers on the pipette with the students.
The research assistant then felt that there was a need to connect with other people in the department who have disabilities or conditions, and so they set up a Disability Network, which meets once a term to chat and share experiences.
By sharing our experiences, we can perhaps offer suggestions to others on how to overcome any issues they had no idea how to solve regarding working in the lab or in the office. I believe that solving issues and coming up with ideas together can be very beneficial, and also learning from each other and how people overcome their disabilities is one of the most inspiring things in science (sometimes more than incredible scientific discoveries!)