Because a just cause is always worth fighting for.
Posted on: Wed, Aug 27 2008 12:22 AM
Posted by: Blake Posts: 65
NOTE: This is a post from my blog. I wanted to get some feed back from the community here at Disaboom. Thanks in advance. Oh, and I apologize for the formatting. It's just the way Disaboom is rendering it.
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Mississippi State University is home to a small group of students with disabilities who seek to improve the college experience for other students with disabilities. We are called United Students. With the new school year beginning, we are preparing to have our first meeting and begin coming up with ideas.
I want us to do more this year. Over the last year or two, we've narrowed our efforts to two main events during the school year.
In addition to these events we discuss accessibility issues on campus, and generally support each other as students with disabilities.
I'm fairly happy with our Mahalo Luau. We do need to tighten up on invitations and planning, but the event is fun and appreciated by our guests.
However, I am not satisfied with our disability awareness event in the fall. Not that we didn't try, but that our event wasn't effective. I want to do more than sit at a table in the sun and pass out literature about a handful of disabilities. I don't mean to be harsh, I just think we can do more.
So I'm going to be meeting with the other officers and our new faculty adviser sometime in the very near future to discuss our approach for the coming year. We will also be having our first meeting soon. I'm hoping we can get some brainstorming going on to find a more effective way to increase disability awareness on campus.
In the simplest terms, I would say that the disability awareness of a person is his or her ability to treat a person with a disability like any other person. That is the goal I would like to achieve with our awareness fair. I want to bring down social barriers between people with and without disabilities. When people with and without disabilities on campus feel just as comfortable around each other as with anyone else, my desired goal will be reached.
I realize this isn't a scholarly definition, but it's what I think disability awareness is. What do you say it is?
That's what I need. And actually, I have one. I just to need to find it. But I would like some ideas from the community, especially ideas that you know, from experience, work.
Our disability awareness events need not take place all at once. We can do several things and spread them out. One year, we had an outdoor awareness fair during the middle of the day, and had a panel discussion that night. We had somewhat low attendance, but that was more of a PR failure. I liked the idea because it was a more intimate atmosphere, and our personalities could really show. I wouldn't mind trying this again if we could come up with the right questions and topics.
Any ideas?
Posted on: Wed, Aug 27 2008 12:42 AM
Posted by: DSB Posts: 767
As an older person here I would really like to see you get a bit more in depth and would be more then happy to assist I think many here. Ok Ok maybe only me but expand this idea a bit further like specifics of what chapetrs a manual would cover that abilities and or lack of them how to put it in a manual? After ll life is not a manual you can read but information is aother matter.
Posted on: Thu, Aug 28 2008 10:26 AM
Posted by: TriDog Posts: 1,896
You say that you are trying to “improve the college experience for disabled students”. Question, do you activities have to always remind them that they are disabled? Look around your campus. Find out what other student groups are doing just for fun. Does it always have to have a “meaning”? Can’t it just be a fun event?
When I was in college in the stone ages of the early 80’s, I stayed as far away from the Disabled Student Center (DSC) as possible. In the beginning I attended a couple of information meetings with the DSC. I never met a more depressing, dower and boring group of people in my life. Everything was serious and had to have “meaning”. I swore that these folks were just attending college until passing away. At the same time, I belonged to the Physical Education Club. As we jokingly called it Delta Phy Ed. We would throw parties. Why you say? Because it was Tuesday and it was fun.
My point is that your group should do something that will bring people in because it’s a good time. This will show that other students on campus that the disabled students are an active part of the campus. And what better way to meet, greet and improve a students college experience then to be part of the campus life.
Posted on: Fri, Aug 29 2008 10:14 PM
Posted by: kbear Posts: 91
I agree with Tridog...get out and be yourself. Don't let your group become a "Pitty Party" like many folks on this website. You are an individual with a brain that can contribute to the community whether you are physically diabled or not. Heck, I can wear shorts and show everyone my disability, but I do not want recognition for that...I want to mingle and have fun with new friends. Try the game plan that Tridog suggests and let us know how it turns out.
Posted on: Fri, Aug 29 2008 10:32 PM
Posted by: Nanal Posts: 1,809
Posted on: Mon, Sep 22 2008 4:12 PM
Thanks for your suggestions. The things we do are not always serious. Our group does meet to discuss issues on campus. We don't think it's boring. But we don't always have meaning to everything... sometimes we have movie nights or game nights.
I like the concept behind your suggestions. And while I may not follow them specifically, I'm going to make sure we do stuff just for fun, along with the meaningful stuff we do.
Posted on: Mon, Sep 22 2008 4:19 PM
Posted by: rainey826 Posts: 3,961
blake good luck at school , don't forget to live and enjoy as they said don't get caught up in the pity party of it all .... live and love
rainey xo
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