‘People Work to Get Tired—I Work to Rest’
The accessibility of digital services for all users is a widely discussed topic both in society and at educational institutions across the country. Ensuring equal accessibility of digital services for people with disabilities is a task for every university, and Russian society is purposefully moving towards ensuring equal access to digital services for all. The Unit for Strategic Digital Development and Partnerships of HSE University’s Digital Office is also engaged in these tasks.
Students with disabilities take an active part in digital transformation as digital assistants, participate in the development of digital service accessibility, and take practical steps to ensure the accessibility of HSE University’s digital environment.
One of the highest-priority areas is the work of students with disabilities as digital assistants on the HSE University Hotline—the topic of this article. Another important area is building relationships with the providers of digital solutions to ensure the accessibility and convenience of digital services for people with disabilities, which will be examined in an upcoming news release.
Read on to learn what students think about service accessibility and working in the Digital Office.
Alexandra works at the HSE University Hotline as a first-support line operator, helping students and staff solve issues related to using the university’s digital services.
Alexandra Polyakova
First-year Master’s student at the School of Foreign Languages
— Tell us about the importance of accessibility for people with disabilities.
— Accessibility is one of the most important, basic, life-supporting concepts to us, and the accessibility of digital services let us live fully. I actively help people with disabilities outside of HSE University—I do interviews and podcasts on VK and YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@amymozhem/videos, https://vk.com/amymozhem. My respondents and I do not feel disabled until we notice limiting factors. For example, while studying for a bachelor’s degree, I acquired an inferiority complex just because I could not get hired.
For people with disabilities, accessibility helps you to stop blaming yourself for your disability, start accepting it, and understand that you have the same right to success and equal opportunities as people without disabilities. Maybe it is psychosomatic. Health can deteriorate from cerebral palsy, hypertension, meteosensitivity, and so on. I remember getting sick from fatigue during the Unified State Exam period. Working on the hotline is also a big load, but I do not feel chronic fatigue—perhaps the work actually helps to switch gears and stabilise the nervous system when I take a break from study. People work to get tired, but I work to rest!
— What do you get from working on the hotline?
— This is a job that suits me as an applicant and satisfies my psychological needs. As an early-career scientist who studies people with cerebral palsy, I can say that people with this diagnosis have childhood trauma of ‘uselessness’, when we hear that we are of no use since it is difficult for us to move. Working as a digital assistant on the hotline allows us to change this mindset. I love helping people solve complex problems. I like routing algorithms, the structured and understandable Knowledge Base, and automatic answers to frequently asked questions. I know how to analyse and communicate with applicants. Now I am an example for less-socialised people who do not believe that it is possible to work remotely in Moscow without living there and with moderate cerebral palsy.
— What experience do you gain from helping colleagues who struggle with digital services?
I see a therapist and I understand that such work is important to me because it is difficult for me to express my feelings and ask for help. To solve this problem, I recall my work and the atmosphere where everyone is helping each other, and I do not hesitate to turn to mentors and colleagues for support. Now, when I make new acquaintances and want to ask or offer something to a person, I imagine that they are my colleagues, digital assistants, and will not refuse. The power of self-suggestion works, and the number of failures in life decreases!
To me, on a subconscious level, asking for help is a sign of weakness. However, when I reflect on calls on the hotline, I see that, for example, an associate professor, a highly qualified specialist, and a scientist, may not know how to use a new application and are not afraid to say so. I am learning courage from such people, and now I am rebuilding my mindset, thinking that the ability to admit that you do not know something and need help is, in fact, a sign of strength and you can respect a person for this, especially if they want to learn new things or improve the situation.
— What difficulties can people with disabilities face?
I have a ‘wish map’. There are many goals and dreams there, but the main one is—and I am implementing it now—to stop underestimating yourself and making negative predictions. We are the kind of people who are always prepared for the worst. To defeat this, you need to evaluate your actions after doing something, and not before it. Another problem for people with disabilities is low self-esteem and self-worth. We are used to being treated disrespectfully... My advice to colleagues is that it is better to engage in dialogue with other people to discuss what limitations you have and what you can do to minimise them.
— In your experience, how can one help students with disabilities overcome these difficulties?
It is important for us to feel security, trust, and respect towards a person, and to loosen up so that we can show ourselves more in life. Many are embarrassed to offer their ideas; therefore, if you see that a person pulls back and gets shy, you need to push them gently. For example, I was asked to talk about my experience, and I thought that these thoughts of mine and my experience could also help someone. There is an important line here: do not exert pressure in the conversation. We have two types of reactions: resistance and submission. When you require a person with a disability to do as you ask, you can talk to them face to face, and not in a general chat. Give arguments and be sure to ask their opinion. This will give you access to the person’s soul, and it will stimulate them. It is pleasant for us, but at the same time, it is unusual that there is a choice, because we have little choice in the family. Everything that gives us choice inspires us. This is already a big step forward. This is how people with disabilities learn that talking about their desires—and talking to people in general—is normal, and when we begin to express ourselves, the need to be heard is realised and inspiration appears, since the sense of compulsion disappears.
It is not necessary to pay for treatment or to make extra efforts—you can just be a reliable person, someone who is ready to support us. Then we will show unimaginable devotion in return and will hold on to you, because intolerance still prevails in society, unfortunately.
HSE University students with disabilities are people who care. They help everyone they can help, raise important issues, gather interested associates around them, conduct research, and create new opportunities for everyone. Zlata Askerko is the coordinator of a project on inclusion by a working group of university students.
Zlata Askerko
Second-year bachelor’s student at the Faculty of Social Sciences
Our future is impossible without information technologies; they create the modern world. But the world can only be called ‘modern’ and ‘civilised’ if it is accessible to everyone. People’s lives are changing before our eyes, and HSE University does not stand still. Today, HSE University is a school that accepts students with any disability, and the university team does a lot to make the educational environment fully accessible to people with disabilities. Recently, a working group of students and administration on issues of inclusion was created at the university; this working group conducted a study on the needs of people with disabilities. In the near future, a separate survey on the accessibility of digital services will be conducted; it will identify ‘pain’ points and determine the further trajectory of work in this direction. In the near future, I plan to assemble a team of proactive students and win a grant to implement our ideas and solutions regarding digital services. Unfortunately, the number of people with disabilities in Russia is steadily growing and will continue to grow due to the current situation. I am glad that my university already understands how important and necessary it is to develop inclusive education.
Olesya Klychikhina
Head of the Unit for Strategic Digital Development and Partnerships
‘We work every day in a team with our students, and they give us tremendous support, show other aspects of reality that we often do not notice. We see that to them, “accessibility” is not just a buzzword, but a matter of support and development. They teach us a lot—our colleagues actually went through a tough school of life, and they have digital skills that many people would never dream of. They overcome so many obstacles every day, they take on such difficult challenges that they are an example of resilience and determination, we learn many qualities from them.’
The Digital Office is open to communication and continues to develop digital service accessibility. If you are interested in the development of this sphere, please send your suggestions to digital@hse.ru