Berndina Eck

Born and raised in Belize City, Central America, my passion as a disability advocate stems from my own condition of albinism. Growing up with albinism posed significant challenges in accessing primary education. However, the full extent of my visual impairments—nystagmus, strabismus, and myopia—only became evident during my early school years.

Throughout primary and high school, I struggled to see the chalkboard, making it difficult to fully engage with lessons. As a result, I reluctantly abandoned my interest in the natural sciences and redirected my focus toward the social sciences. I found a renewed sense of purpose in helping others with disabilities. Inspired by my own challenges, I became driven to support people with disabilities (PWDs) who often faced even greater barriers.

What are your aspirations once you have completed this course?

Once I complete this course, I aspire to be a positive agent of change for my fellow Belizeans with disabilities. Although the majority of my work focuses on advocacy for children with disabilities, I aspire to work towards an inclusive Belize that supports the needs and well-being of all PWDs, especially children, elderly people and those in rural areas.

How do you envision you will apply the learnings from this course to your professional or personal life?

Upon completing this Masters in Disability Studies, Rights and Inclusion, I envision that the knowledge, attitudes, and skills learnt from this program will equip me to become a key source of guidance in the establishment and mission of Belize’s National Disability Commission. I plan to apply my knowledge to help establish and oversee Belize’s National Disabilities Strategic Plan, where key government ministries, civil society organisations and stakeholders will have equal input into the necessary changes that PWDs need.

What made you want to apply to your course and to Leeds?

I wanted to apply for this course because I have been personally impacted by the barriers that PWDs face in Belize. I recognised the need for PWDs to define and lead necessary changes that are often complex and difficult to make. I recognised the need to educate myself as a means to gain more confidence and experience to lobby on behalf of PWDs.

I was excited to apply to Leeds for a second time because, when compared to the other UK Universities that offer Disability Studies, Leeds offers a more holistic program which covers most, if not all, the issues that PWDs face. Other universities mainly focused on inclusive education, which, although important, is still limited to understanding the dynamic and intersecting needs of PWDs.

What do you think of your course so far?

So far, the best part of this course has been analysing and conceptualising the intersectionalities that result in inequities that PWDs face. I am able to articulate and better advocate on behalf of PWDs after learning this concept. I enjoy the fact that this course is very accommodating to my disability and to my work and school balance. I appreciate the pace of the courses and the structure of the graded assessments. I look forward to learning more about climate change and its impact on PWDs and how to advance sexual health services for women and girls with disabilities. Mostly, I look forward to executing my final research on how to establish Belize’s National Disability Commission. 

What would you say to anyone thinking of applying to your course? 

Go for it! Whether or not you are a PWD, we need more people educated about the issues and dynamics of PWDs. Increasing education around disability rights and inclusion potentially increases the chances of ending ablism.

What do you plan to do once you’ve finished your course? What are your career aspirations?

Upon completing this course, I plan to use my knowledge and skills to be a voice for PWDs in Belize. I plan to be a partner to work with key stakeholders who are not too sure about how to make adaptive changes to accommodate PWDs. 

What would you say are the main advantages of studying this programme online?

The online experience allows you to take full control of your learning, and it makes the learning materials more accessible to individuals with disabilities. Having access to the Leeds online library and a broad array of content is also very helpful.

The disability services provided by the University are also useful in accessing screen reader applications for the visually impaired. Another significant advantage is that multiple methods of presenting final assignments can be used.