The Disability and Accessibility Resource Center is hoping to raise awareness with several events this month in celebration of Disability Awareness Month.
Coordinator of the Resource Center Julie Alexander hopes that these events will educate the student body about disability awareness month as well as the services DARC provides to students attending Ferris.
“Disability is a really misunderstood thing,” Alexander said. “A lot of people look at it in a negative light. A lot of times people think that if you have a disability in one area, it cancels you in every area. We’re challenging some of those misconceptions about disability and hoping to lead people to understand that disability does not render somebody incompetent. That is especially important on a college campus.”
On Oct. 16, the Resource Center hosted a Disability Awareness Trivia night, one of their many events for the month.
Alexander expressed a desire to spread awareness in a fun and positive manner, and to have more students attend these events.
Psychology junior Kya Ceburn-Adams was grateful to know that DARC is here for students.
“It’s so helpful. It’s always already stressful enough just as a college student alone, and then with other struggles, it most definitely helps a lot,” Ceburn-Adams said. “I’m thankful to have some resources.”
The DARC participates in events year-round to promote its services on campus. The DARC works year-round to advocate for students with disabilities on campus and provide the best support possible.
While the office is mainly a compliance office under the Americans with Disabilities Act and Section 504, the office also focuses on providing other resources for students in need. The DARC’s mission is to provide students with any necessary accommodations to thrive in learning environments across campus. The center is also heavily involved with disability awareness, advocacy for students and student development.
“We go into colleges and talk to people about disability and educate faculty and staff,” Alexander said. “Students were at tabling events, so we were just at the academic opportunities fair just trying to get out to as many events as we possibly can, to let the campus community know that we are here.”
Among the resources and services DARC offers include testing accommodations, resident hall accommodations, educational counseling, help with emotional support animals and personalized assistance for students on a case-by-case basis. Along with the assistance DARC offers, the center also promotes an inclusive and accessible campus for all Ferris students.
“Our goal is to ensure, at a minimum, that the civil rights of students with disabilities are upheld,” Alexander said. “But we want to go further than that and encourage universal design and full inclusion of students across campus. The ideal, one day, is to see no accommodations needed, because we’ve designed everything to be inclusive of everybody.”
Students seeking assistance or accommodation are encouraged to reach out to DARC to explore options that are available to them. Julie Alexander wants students to know that there is no judgment behind utilizing the aid offered by DARC.
“Up to 20% of college students report having a disability. Not all of them are using accommodations, and a lot of that is due to stigma, but they’re definitely not alone,” Alexander said. “Knowing that there are students with disabilities in all disciplines across campus, including the College of Pharmacy and College of Optometry, and these are highly intelligent students who are very hardworking. They might need accommodation in certain areas, but that does not mean that they’re any less than any other student on campus. They have every right to be here, and they add to the diversity.”
A Disability Awareness Fair will be happening on Oct. 31 in the David L. Eisler Center Ballrooms at 10 a.m.