On 27 May 2026, a group of disabled student activists gathered in the SUB over pizza and sodas to celebrate the signing of a memorandum of understanding between Te Awa Kōtui Waikato Students Union and the Waikato Disabled Students Association. This small but influential club is dedicated to supporting and advocating for all disabled students at the University, and this MOU future-proofs its work, preserving WSU’s relationship with WDSA and its parent organization, the National Disabled Students Association.
WDSA, which functions alongside but separately from the university’s Accessibility Services, is one of the oldest disabled students’ associations in the country and a founding member of the NDSA. WDSA was founded in early 2021 by Nikita Van Dijk (Ngāti Kahungunu ki te Wairoa) and Kira Lees in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and accessibility concerns raised by the University’s rapid shift to online learning. Since that time, WDSA has been involved in creating the Disability Action Plan in 2022 and the Students With Impairments Policy in 2023. Despite the vital nature of this work in protecting the rights of disabled students, it was done without any funding and minimal support from previous WSU executives. The signing of this memorandum, however, represents a new commitment by student government to protect the rights of learners with disabilities. Speaking at the meeting, WSU president Seamus Lohrey stated, “Waikato Disabled Students are part of the few clubs in our uni that are essential for students to thrive.”
Van Dijk, who recently spoke at the Hamilton campus’ Fees Free protest on 28 May, is currently serving as the president of the National Disabled Students Association, and WDSA is headed by co-presidents Liv Fountain and Kate Robinson. The association provides peer support, advocacy, and community for all disabled students. As co-president Liv puts it, “We are building a legacy so disabled students feel heard and accepted”.
Part of this work includes a new, anonymous platform for reporting accessibility concerns on campus. Available via the WDSA Instagram account (@waikatodsa) and the attached QR code, the form allows students to report anything from broken lifts to missing tactile buttons and violations of individual Student Learning Plans; no barrier is too large or small. Additionally, the WDSA runs frequent accessible social events on campus, the details of which can be found on their Instagram.
Membership is open to all disabled students, including those with mobility impairments, visual impairments, chronic illnesses, and the neurodivergent and Deaf communities. WDSA understands that healthcare is often inaccessible for those with disabilities, and so no formal diagnosis or registration with Accessibility Services is required to be a member or participate in events. Speaking at the MOU signing, Van Dijk drove this point home. “If you identify as having a disability, we have a space for you…We’re for everybody”.
