Oxford University student criticised for dressing as Stephen Hawking to college party

A student at Oxford University has provoked fury from fellow students after he went to a college party dressed as Stephen Hawking.

The unidentified student, who is able bodied, used an office chair with wheels to imitate the professor’s wheelchair for the ‘Dress as your degree’ party over the weekend.

However, the student was referred to the Dean for his “offensive” costume, in light of Professor Hawking’s paralysis from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).

A spokesperson for Lady Margaret Hall (LMH) said: “Our Dean will be speaking to the student to express the college’s disappointment and to ask him to reflect on why his behaviour would be seen by many as offensive.”

The President of the Junior Common Room, Lana Purcell, said the student’s behavior “breaches our clearly expressed expectations” for party costumes.

Oxford SU Students Disability Community (OSDC) added to Cherwell.org: “Mobility aids are an important tool in many disabled people’s daily lives, and so it is disrespectful for them to be parodied in this way.

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“Using disability as a punchline is unacceptable and this proves we need wider awareness of disability issues at this university.”

However, some students believe the incident has been “blown a bit out of proportion”.

One unnamed first year student added: “From talking to people, it has been taken very much in the spirit with which it was intended.”