Lotte Bagshaw

What is your role at the Bartlett, and what led you to pursue this career or area of expertise?

I am Teaching & Learning Administrator for the Bartlett School of Planning. I manage the administration for three MSc programs, including a Degree Apprenticeship.

I have been working in HE admin since 2015. I was drawn to working in HE admin because I am passionate about higher education and wanted to work in an industry that I was passionate about and could see the actual difference I was making! 

How do you like to spend your spare time?

I sing and have a few musical projects on the go! I also love to read fiction, particularly mystery and crime, as well as playing video games and playing with my two cats!

Can you describe your disability and how it impacts your daily life?

I have Type 1 diabetes and ADHD. I was diagnosed with diabetes at 3 years old, and ADHD at 29. My diabetes requires 24/7 management, although I am now on an insulin pump and continuous glucose monitor that communicate with each other and automatically correct my glucose levels, so this is a lot easier than it was! I still have to calculate the carbohydrate content of everything I eat and give myself insulin for it, and I am still at risk of hypos (dangerous low blood sugar) and other long-term diabetes complications, like damage to the blood vessels in my eyes, nerve damage, kidney damage etc. 

My ADHD affects me both functionally and emotionally. I struggle with time-management, planning, distractibility and emotional regulation. This can make managing all areas of my life difficult, including managing my diabetes, and my work. 

How has your relationship with your disability evolved over time?

I feel lucky that I was diagnosed with diabetes so young, as it means I can’t remember living without it, which in some ways has made it easier to live with. I can’t miss what I never knew! However, I still struggled with managing it growing up, particularly as the way of managing it has evolved so much in the 30 years I’ve lived with it. As a teenager I was on multiple injections a day and had to prick my fingers for blood glucose tests multiple times a day. I also resented having to do all of this when everyone around me didn’t. However, the advances in diabetes technology have given me greater control over my diabetes which is so liberating.

I was only diagnosed with ADHD 5 years ago and growing up I had lots of difficulties with the symptoms, which at the time I didn’t understand were undiagnosed ADHD! I blamed myself for issues with my memory and time management, and thought they were personal failings. I underperformed at university as I could never complete projects properly, and I lost jobs. Getting diagnosed was one of the best things to happen to me, as it allowed me to start to let go of a lot of shame and guilt I had. Medication and support from friends, family and colleagues has allowed me to find ways around the difficulties my ADHD cause and I’m now proud to be neurodivergent. 

What do you wish your colleagues or students understood about living with a disability?

That you only see the tip of the iceberg, and that invisible disabilities can be just as debilitating as visible ones.

What principle(s) or motto do you absolutely live by?

I don’t believe there’s any meaning or reason to me having ADHD or T1 diabetes. It just is what it is, and the only thing that matters is the choices I make to deal with them. I can dwell on the difficulties, or I can focus on enjoying my life. I try to choose the second option! 

Are there any resources, tools, or practices you’ve found particularly helpful as a disabled professional?

Access to Work provided me with an ADHD coach for the first 6 months of my role which was immensely helpful, as well as a large PC monitor for home use with my work laptop. I recommend all disabled professionals contact Access to Work to see what support they can get!

Are there any resources or initiatives you’d recommend to other disabled students or staff?

Students should look into Disabled Students Allowance – it works in a similar way to Access to Work. 

If you could influence one change in the way universities support disabled staff and/ or students, what would it be?

To remember that we are all individuals, and our disabilities affect us all differently, even within the same disability. Not to assume that the same adjustments will work across the board.