MSc Stories: After a Neuroscience degree, I wanted to use my understanding of disability and join the field of inclusive design

Hi, My name is Amélie and I am currently studying the Disability, Design and Innovation masters course at UCL.

After graduating with a Neuroscience degree, I wanted to use my understanding of disability and join the field of inclusive design. This area had been on my mind for a while prior to applying and I really wanted to be a part of it even if at the time I had very little design experience.

UCLs Disability Design and Innovation course struck me as the perfect balance between learning new things and developing existing skills. I am happy to say it has definitely exceeded my expectations.

The course touches on a wide range of areas related to disability innovation from international development, to concept design, to business implementation and learning about each of these disciplines has been an excellent way of helping us figure out where our strengths lie.

For example, I have discovered that I really enjoy creative design and coming up with new ideas compared to their technical implementation, which I find more challenging. Someone else might find their strengths lie in the business aspect of the design process and want to improve their coding abilities. One minute you’re learning about society’s influence on disability and the next you’re learning how to code a microcontroller.

My favourite parts of the course have been to work alongside passionate peers and teaching staff with a variety of experiences, knowledge and backgrounds, but also the notion that each idea and project we come up with during the year doesn’t have to end once the module is over. We are encouraged with numerous opportunities to develop our ideas beyond the course and combine the knowledge acquired from different modules to create great sustainable ideas that can potentially make a real impact.

If you are someone who likes to be challenged, have their ideas turned on their head, meet new people and want to make a difference then I recommend you apply to this course. My advice to someone who is unsure about applying because they don’t think they’ve got the right skillset is: just do it! You’re here to learn and you will learn. What matters is that you have enthusiasm for the topic and want to be a part of the future of disability. Every background is valued, the more diverse the cohort the better.

The future of Disability Innovation is bright and needs more ambitious, passionate change seekers. I for one am impatient to put into practice what I have learnt with this course and be part of this exciting and growing movement.