A Wolverhampton woman has graduated with a PhD in Education from the University of Staffordshire after secretly practising to walk across the stage at the ceremony on Monday.
Bal Deol, 33, has lived with generalised dystonia since being diagnosed aged eight. The condition causes painful muscle spasms, fatigue, and progressive loss of mobility and vision. She normally uses a wheelchair to get around.
At her graduation, Deol made her way across the stage using a walking aid. She said the applause from the audience helped her to continue and that she expected it to stop as she walked.
"I still can't believe that I did that," she said of the achievement.
Years of study and preparation
Deol joined the University of Staffordshire in 2011 to study Business Management and later served as president of the Students' Union. Her graduation on Monday marked the end of a 15-year association with the institution.
She began preparing for her stage walk in February and kept it secret from her family. She described the preparation as very hard.
On her time at the university, Deol said: "I came here as a very insecure, quiet individual and now I'm leaving [as] a strong, powerful, independent woman."
Family reaction
Deol's mother, Amrit Deol, from Wolverhampton, said the graduation was overwhelming. "I was so close to tears, I had to calm myself down, it was wonderful.. honestly I can't explain, it was such a fantastic time to see her walk," she said.
Amrit Deol described her daughter as a very determined individual who would not allow her disability to hold her back. "We've always brought her up to believe anything in life can be achieved," she said.
Future plans
Deol wants to stay in the education sector and says she is passionate about helping people better understand disability.
In 2018, a taxi driver was fined after refusing to pick her up because she used a wheelchair.