Exhibition shows visible and invisible challenges of students and staff

The exhibition is part of AccessAbility Week (25 March to 1 April) whose theme this year is Inclusion in Action: From Awareness to Change. The exhibition invites visitors to look beyond the surface and think about what it means to have to navigate the world with visible and invisible challenges. It displays 13 photos of students and staff members, each with their unique storiy. There is a brief description beneath each photo, and three of them share their experiences more deeply in Delta. They explain how they find their way around TU Delft, how they turn obstacles into strengths, and the impact that the latter has on their studies or work.

ADHD as a super power

Vim Gunatilleke is a Board Member of Studable Delft and one of the people who came up with the idea of the exhibition. As a freelance photographer he took the portraits of the others. He says that it was a unique experience. “It was so special that the people in the photos dared open up about themselves and share their stories with me. We met each other first and I came back later with my camera. This created a more relaxed atmosphere and this is clear in the photos.”

Creativity as medicine

Vim also took a self-portrait. He was diagnosed with ADHD when he was an adult. It gave him some challenges when he started studying, but when he started studying Strategic Product Design he flourished. “I’m doing well in a creative environment where there are few boundaries. I feel that I have less ‘difficulty’ from ADHD.”

‘I prefer to study when everyone is asleep’

Distractions remain a challenge which he has to deal with every day. “There are so many distractions in which I could lose myself. During a lecture I also use my telephone or laptop, for example. But I am dealing with it better and better. I tend to procrastinate, but the time pressure helps me deliver my best work. Without that pressure it would be virtually impossible to start.”

Studying at night

Vim grew up in Sri Lanka where the first signs of ADHD became visible in primary school. He did well at school, but his parents received complaints that he was impulsive and walked around the classroom at random. “I needed to use my energy and empty my head,” he explains. Later, in secondary school, he had to adjust to the pressure. There he discovered that studying worked best for him if the rest of the house was quiet. “I still prefer to study when everyone is asleep. Then, I am less distracted.”

He does not want to take much medication. “I have medicine, but I don’t want to become dependent on it. I also don’t see my ADHD as a limitation, but as my super power that helps me flourish creatively.”

An invisible battle

This is the photo of Sanne Alblas. Sanne works at the Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Mathematics and Computer Science and is the point of contact and advisor for PhD students and their supervisors.

Sanne had a double ear infection 20 years ago. It was unpleasant, but not alarming. A little later however, she had an inexplicable pain in her face. The pain never went away and since then Sanne has had chronic facial pain. It is an atypical type for which there is no treatment. “I feel pain as soon as I wake up. It feels like I am wearing a tight mask, a stinging and constant pain all over my face. I get migraine-like attacks once in a while, which makes the left side of my face in particular hurt badly. It feels like my skin is completely open and my eyes are popping out. I sometimes look in the mirror to prove to myself that this is not the case.”

‘I have been advised not to talk about what I have’

The cause is probably a damaged nerve ending on the side of her face, but doctors are not certain. “I always hope for a cure, but so far nothing has helped. The chronic pain takes a lot of energy and limits my lifestyle. But luckily it does not limit me in my work. I get energy from my work and it give me structure.”

Vulnerability is power

Sanne is happy with her photo and the exhibition. But still, taking part was not automatic. “I have been advised not to talk about what I have as people could see it as a weakness. I believed that for a long time, but partly because I’m in DiversAbility, a TU Delft-wide platform for staff members with a vulnerability, I can talk about it more easily. I actually see the strength in vulnerability. Despite the odds, I work full time and have a full life. I hope to be a source of inspiration for others. So be open, it really helps.”

Always feeling different

This is the portrait of Corné Arentze. Corné studies Life Science and Technology and is almost ready to graduate. “About time, after eight years,” he jokes.

Corné was about to graduate just before the Covid pandemic. But when all the structure he had fell away, the problems started. “I only needed to write my thesis and reports and had to plan these myself. I got stuck and I realised that it was not going to happen alone. I sought professional help to find out what I have. I was then diagnosed with ADHD and later also with autism.”

‘I often come up with original ideas and see opportunities everywhere’

“In practice it boils down to my head always being full and chaotic which is expressed in my communication with others. It is hard to separate important things and less important things, and I always see lots of paths to take. I then get stuck in a mesh of options and this means that I get nothing done.”

Corné definitely sees some advantages in his situation. “I am an out-of-the-box thinker. I often come up with original ideas and see opportunities everywhere. I am happy with these qualities.”

A career with impact

In the summer of 2024, Corné was involved in setting up Studable Delft, an association for students with vulnerabilities. He can now call himself the Chair and the role suits him. “It is good to get recognition at Studable Delft from others and to talk to each other.” He does not yet know what he will do after he graduates. “It would be great to do something in the circular economy and to work in wastewater purification. It would also be interesting to help create a more accessible society and inclusive education, but right now I don’t see how I can play a role here.”