Disability Narratives
Institutional Support: Human resources, Occupational Health, IT support, and Unions
Interview excerpt: Roberta found the process of getting a referral to occupational health confusing and untimely, causing her condition to worsen.
© Disability Narratives
So it took about six weeks to get my desk fitted out. So it took about six weeks to get a chair. It was a constant struggle. You had to keep saying, you know, "I've registered" [completed the pre-arrival assessment]. And no one seemed to talk with anyone. So it seems like the department has like a health and safety thing. But then the university does, down at [occupational health], and no one knew who the other one was, and. "Oh, you can't go there unless you go through them." And it was all really confusing. So within about three weeks, not only was my back really sore, I was getting - it's just something that when my neck's funny, that it's in a position that it triggers quite severe headaches. So it was - That was all compounding. But it didn't seem - It wasn't really on anyone's radar. No one seemed to care, really [laughs]. It was a struggle- it was a real struggle, and a push. Because it's unacceptable to come to work - it's unacceptable for work to cause you quite moderate plus pain.