Congratulations to Josef Baines!

Press Release
March 21, 2005

A challenge for President Joe - Brunel University students’ union elected Joe Baines as its President, on Friday, [March 18], making him what is believed to be the only third deaf student union president of a higher education institution in the country, since the National Union of Students was founded, more than 80 years ago.

Joe, 22, a final year Sport Sciences student, is almost certainly the first deaf, international sportsman to be elected to the position.

He will be playing in the Deaf Rugby World Cup, in Wales, in August, a month after he is officially installed as President of the Union of Brunel Students (UBS).

A student representative on Brunel University’s Senate, where he has a communicator to help him follow the proceedings, he is “pinching” himself at his most recent success.
“It’s my dream come true,” he said. “I’ve wanted to become president since my first year at Brunel. The three past UBS presidents each encouraged me to stand for the post.”

He is a member of the England Deaf Rugby Union, and is an extreme sports enthusiast with a particular interest in bungee jumping and sky diving.

After a skiing accident that fractured his back in France last year, he became determined to succeed in every aspect of his university career.

“Personally, I’m very proud of what I’ve achieved so far because of the challenges that I’ve had to overcome,” he added.

“It has made me more aware that being deaf is not a big deal. It has also made me want to seek out more challenges, to see what I’m capable of. I want to see how far I can go, how far I can cope with the pressure.”

NUS Students With Disabilities Officer Sian Davies commented:
“I would like to send my congratulations to Joe for his election victory. The result demonstrates that a disability such as deafness is not a barrier to achievements like this.

“It is really important that students with any form of disability are never discouraged from taking part in student politics and that their aspirations are not thwarted by concerns over their ability to lead an active student life.”