Tell us about your career since studying with us.
I work in supporting the delivery of affordable housing for people with disabilities for the United States state government.
How did studying anthropology prepare you for your career?
Anthropology helped me understand how the lives of people with disabilities is shaped by the opportunities that are available to them. Anthropology provides a foundation for innovative critical thinking that is essential for designing new and reforming existing government programmes for specific subsets of the population.
Could you tell us about who you work for and what you enjoy most about working in the sector?
Working for state government in the United States, I enjoy developing new programmes and policies that favour positive community development and integration for this population. As my team creates policies for accessible apartment construction, including the addition of features like grab bars, lowered sinks, and front controls on ovens, we survey our constituents to better understand what the needs are for individuals with different disability types. This helps inform regulations that are established.
How do you apply anthropology in your work?
I apply Anthropology in my work by developing communications that cater to the needs of people with disabilities. Anthropology also comes into play as we design affirmative fair housing marketing materials for different groups of people in our population - the design must be developed for in such a way that aligns with their preferred modes of communication while delivering the same information to the rest of the general public. Depending on the needs of the community in our state, we develop communications content using braille as well as different languages. Members of my staff conduct outreach to disability communities across several cultural groups, including some who may not typically access government services. Places and spaces where different cultural groups receive human services information can vary significantly, so staff members need familiarity with the points of engagement for various linguistic and cultural groups in the state.
What are some important lessons you’ve learnt during your career?
I've learnt that career development over time isn't always linear - sometimes a significant amount of self-discovery within a specific position could lead to a need to explore additional types of roles within organizations.
What advice would you give students who want to find similar roles?
Generally, I would recommend researching policies and regulations that influence governments as they design programs that meet public needs. For accessible housing design and development specifically, I would recommend researching organizations in your country that are leading these initiatives, seeing what type of interventions they have deemed effective, and meeting with members of their team for informational interviews. It is beneficial to think of the implications of regulations that structure and constrain the scope of government and philanthropy-funded programs, specifically how they impact their roll-out.