October is Disability Awareness Month and students and faculty are encouraged to learn more about disabilities from events that will occur throughout the month. Students and staff were greeted by an email on the first day of October, highlighting the many events and the importance of Disability Awareness Month.
Many people do not know how much time is spent increasing awareness on these issues. Many things can be done to assist individuals with special needs on campus. Meredith Courtney, freshman, is excited about the upcoming activities. She was not aware that October is Disability Awareness Month until the month began. “I think that it is great that October is dedicated to bringing awareness to people with disabilities,” said Courtney. “I believe that it is unfortunate that the month is also shared with other issues such as Breast Cancer Awareness, Bullying Prevention Awareness, Domestic Violence Awareness and many, others. I think that disability awareness is being overlooked because it is being shared with so many other awareness causes.”
Courtney said she hadn’t heard of Disability Awareness Month until very recently. “Personally, I wish that more people were aware that this month is Disability Awareness Month because so many people in our world suffer from disabilities and other humans tend to take their lives for granted.”
Krysten Brannick, junior education major, shared the same idea. “I feel that it is necessary to have disability awareness because all students and faculty should know about the importance of having disabilities resources on campus,” said Brannick.
Senior psychology major and head Resident Assistant, Rachel Conners, did not even know about the special happenings to celebrate the month. “I don’t know much about the events to be honest,” she explained. That was until a student came up and shared some of the happenings to her. This is one of many causes to be celebrated in October along with Breast Cancer. Other events include a quiz which students can take online and a speaker discussing his internship experience despite a physical challenge on Tuesday, Oct. 29 at 11:30 am.
Some may have not had experience working with special needs people until very recently. Sophomore Brianne O’Neill was intrigued when her special education class recently went to the Harbor School in Eatontown. “I never knew they had so much out there in terms of technology for people with disabilities,” said O’Neil. “I think it is very important that all students see this so they have a better understanding on what is going on around them.”
This is very important not only because she is a teacher candidate, but also as a college student. There could be people sitting in class struggling due to a disability and one may not even know because some disabilities are hidden. It is also important to see people being active because helping to make the campus more diverse and increasing one’s understanding of the world around him or her can have a significant effect on people with disabilities.
One of the events, called “Disability in the Workplace,” will feature a panel with University students with disabilities. Many students currently attend the University and others are in the workforce. In addition, agencies such as the Commission for the Blind and the Department of Vocational Rehabilitation will be on it as well to help give attendees a better understanding of the resources available to them.
Director of Disabilities Services, Skip Carey, said, “This has been evolving nicely and much larger than in the past.” He added, “In the past we have had very few people attend, but we expect to have a sizeable group this year.” Panelists will tell their story about strengths and the challenges they have encountered while in college and the workplace.
IMAGE TAKEN from artabilitystudio.org
