Bangor: University lecturer with learning disability offers new insight

Paul Taylor wants students to understand what it's like to live with an intellectual disability

A Welsh university has appointed its first honorary university lecturer with autism and a learning disability.

Paul Taylor holds regular presentations to students and helps with interviews and academic papers.

The 35-year-old has an intellectual disability and began his university career by sharing some of his personal experiences with students.

Bangor University says his work gives trainee mental health and learning disability nurses a unique insight.

It also says Mr Taylor is the first person with a learning disability to become part of the academic team at a UK university.

Paul also volunteers for the British Heart Foundation

"I wanted to share my story about my personal life and personal experiences of living with a learning disability and autism," he said.

"I wanted students to understand what it's like to live with an intellectual disability so that they are able to improve the ways in which they work with patients who have a learning disability, and increase their understanding of their feelings and needs."

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Paul also volunteers at the British Heart Foundation shop in Bangor and was part of the Wales football squad at the Special Olympics in Bath in 2013.

He started doing presentations to students in 2019, but both he and the university soon realised that there was potential for him to work more closely with the school of medical and health sciences.

So, in December 2022, he was formally made an honorary lecturer.

"When teaching I talk about my hospital experiences as a patient, my sporting experiences, my mental health experience and one day I'd like to discuss my experience of Covid," he said.

Paul took part in the Special Olympics in Bath in 2013

"In the past I've spoken to rooms with 70-80 students in them. I enjoy speaking and I feel good when speaking in front of these people because it makes me more confident.

"I really enjoy lecturing because I like meeting new people, and I feel it gives me an opportunity to help nurses to understand better when they work with patients at the hospital or in the community."

Dr Ruth Wyn Williams, a lecturer in healthcare services at Bangor University who works closely together with Paul on preparing and delivering his lectures, says he is "very much part of the team".

"As well as giving lectures to students, he'll attend conferences and help present academic papers," she said.

"He's also been on interview panels for new students and helped with open days.

"It's been small steps since he started but our job as a university is to find more and more ways for him to bring something to the table.

"There's still room for us to do more to learn from him and change the way we work."