Mai: Medical condition (endometriosis) accessibility persona

Mai is a 26-year-old student who uses she/her pronouns. Her life motto is “Try everything once”.

Mai has endometriosis. She is passionate about healthcare access for all, and her goal is to be able to enjoy her studies while still being able to choose how she participates in university life, so that she can manage her condition.

Mai’s condition causes a number of different symptoms (such as chronic pain and fatigue) that can make it difficult for her to participate in university life and in class. Here are some of the things that Mai needs for accessibility:

• Needs flexibility and understanding – Mai may need to take breaks and leave the classroom to manage symptoms.
• Sometimes finds it difficult to sit/stand/walk for a prolonged period.   
• Benefits from having access to class materials like weekly topics, assignments and reading lists ahead of time so she can begin early, and recorded lectures for when she can’t make it to class in person.
• Will request extensions when her symptoms prevent her from completing her work on time.
• Appreciates opportunities to have 1-1 conversations with her teachers as they help her to feel less isolated.
• May benefit from alternate ways to complete assessments – including having a balance of tasks (e.g. spreading weightings/percentages over a number of different tasks).
• For exams, Mai relies on various accessibility accommodations depending on the severity of her symptoms – she may use a reader, need extra time, a take home exam, or an alternative assessment.

Here are some of the barriers that Mai deals with in daily life.

• Teaching staff may be unwilling to grant accessibility accommodations and misunderstand Mai’s condition, dismissing it as just ‘a heavy period’. Due to stigmas around menstruation, male teaching staff and peers can be unwilling to understand or acknowledge her condition.
• Mai’s peers might also be dismissive, and mistake her need for flexibility as a lack of cooperation or work ethic, especially when doing group assignments.

Online

• Lectures may not be recorded, and those that are may have poor audio or visual quality, meaning Mai misses out on important content.
• Tutorial slides and learning materials are not always shared online.
• Symptoms can be distracting and make it difficult for Mai to focus.
• Taking breaks is crucial for Mai, and often online classes do not include breaks.

On campus 

• Missed classes or placements and requirement to have replacement hours.
• Inability to focus in class.
• Breaks might not be offered during long classes.
• Frequent trips to the bathroom.
• High stress and anxiety managing the condition and attending scheduled classes as needed.
• Fitting medical appointments around on-campus classes.

The following resources provide information about how to support students with chronic illnesses or health conditions.

• ADCET: Health conditions 
• ADCET: Reasonable adjustments – Health conditions
• AIHW: Chronic disease 
• Education Express blog: Supporting students who have invisible chronic pain 
• Education Express blog: Not all chronic illnesses are visible 

Learn more about chronic conditions

Mai has endometriosis, but there are many other medical conditions that can impact students’ lives and their studies in different ways. For example, some students might have epilepsy, requiring them to avoid flashing materials and lights or needing immediate medical attention in class (Dial 6 from a campus phone or 1800 249 559 from any phone). Additionally, conditions like chronic fatigue syndrome, diabetes, or severe allergies can also significantly affect a student’s daily life and academic performance. Each student’s experience is unique, and it’s important to pay attention to their specific accessibility requirements for their studies. There is a broad range of student experiences under the category of medical conditions, and being understanding of these diverse impacts is crucial for creating an inclusive and supportive learning environment.