The transition to college can be tough for students with disabilities, but it doesn’t have to be.
Enter: Campus Disability Advocates, an organization created to facilitate dialogue among UT students about disabilities.
After noticing a lack of understanding and awareness on campus, Lindsay Lee, recent UT graduate and former president of CDA, founded the organization during her sophomore year.
“There are all sorts of groups for other minorities, but no on was really paying any attention to the students with disabilities,” said Lee, a graduating senior in math and Spanish. “No one was really thinking about the larger social issues that students with disabilities have to face.”
CDA focuses on encouraging discussion and furthering education and awareness about disability issues. The club hosts education forums, films, guest speakers, a yearly disability awareness week and an issues and advocacy conference.
Allison Gose, former vice president of CDA, sees the organization as a crucial opportunity for incoming students with disabilities to hear about resources within and outside the university.
“For students with disabilities, the transition to college can often be a very stressful and difficult experience,” said Gose, a rising senior in history and political science. “CDA provides these freshmen with a place to talk to other people who understand their unique situation because they’ve also been through it.”
College might be the first time students with disabilities meet others with disabilities, Gose suggested, and having “someone to talk to who faces similar struggles” can make all the difference.
But any student, regardless of whether they possess a disability, can become a member of CDA.
“Almost everyone is affected by disability in someway, whether it be through a friend, a relative, or his or her own personal experience,” she said. “CDA not only provides students with an opportunity to support these individuals and their education but also to create a more diverse community of scholars at the UT.”
For Lee, the organization’s primary goal is to bring disability issues to the community’s attention.
“The biggest hurdle is that people need to realize that people with disabilities exist and they’re here and they can do the same activities as everybody else,” Lee said. “When you have a disability it’s kind of isolating and there is not a lot of opportunity to meet other people who have your own disability or other disabilities. I think it’s important to meet new people and learn about people who are not like yourself.”
Lee also said she hopes that students with disabilities realize they are not alone when they come to campus.
“I want them to know that there are other people like them and groups like this are here to make the transition easier,” Lee said, “and to help them get the most out of their college experience.”
CDA will host the 3rd annual Disability Week from Sept. 29 to Oct. 3, 2014. For more information about CDA, visit utkcda.com or send an email to [email protected]. CDA can also be liked on Facebook and followed on Twitter.
