“People have different disabilities and a lot of them are very hidden. If anyone has any issues, including accessibility issues or anything they want to discuss – I’m here.”
Nico Henry is Deputy President (Welfare) for Imperial College Union, having recently completed his undergraduate degree in theoretical physics.
Championing the students’ union
While he was studying, he didn’t know much about Imperial’s student union or what they did. Now he is on a mission to promote the great work that goes on and speak to as many students as possible.
“Every other Friday I am going to be outside the Senior Common Room at lunchtime. Come along – ask us what we’re up to, leave some feedback or complain. We’re here!”
Priorities for welfare
In his role Nico supports the liberation and community networks at the students’ union. Some of the projects he is currently working on focus on working conditions for students, shared ownership of spaces, active travel (particularly cycle safety) and standardising student experiences of mentorship programmes across faculties.
Nico is keen to ensure students from underrepresented groups receive targeted mentorship if they want it.
“Right now, the mentorship programmes we have are very random, and the person you might be paired up with might not understand your struggles as they might not be from the same background, for example if you’re disabled or LGBTQ+.”
The power of representation
Nico was born with a congenital malformation which means that his urinary tract wasn’t fully developed in the womb. He was one of the first people to have an experimental procedure to create a fake bladder neck.
Nico hopes being open about his condition will help students with similar conditions.
“People have different disabilities and a lot of them are very hidden. If anyone has any issues, including accessibility issues or anything they want to discuss – I’m here.”
For Nico, Disability History Month is about empowering people and asking how we can be more inclusive.
“I think it’s important for those that don’t really know what it’s like to be disabled to ask themselves – am I privileged in any way that I haven’t noticed before? Is there anything I could do to make a situation more accessible? Am I judging someone for behaviours that might be attributed to a disability?”
Championing neuro-inclusive practices
“I’ve always considered myself disabled physically, and I found out a few months before my final exams that I’m dyslexic and dyspraxic.”
Nico is passionate about bringing neuro-inclusive practices to the students’ union and the university and is pleased that this is also a focus for EDI Provosts Professor Lesley Cohen and Dr Wayne Mitchell.
“We have a culture of excellence and perfectionism at Imperial. It can seem like there is not much space for flexibility. I think there is a shift towards being more flexible and more open to people’s needs. But there is a lot more work to be done.”
Life outside Imperial
In his spare time Nico enjoys spending time with his two cats and making music.
“I DJ a bit, but mainly I play a native Argentinian instrument called the ronroco.”