Disability Services Student Panel (Event Response #2)

I went to a Disability Services Student Panel early last month. There were three students each with different disabilities on the panel that were there to discuss how their lives on campus are impacted by their disability and how the school helps lessen that impact. I had never considered many of the things that the students were talking about as something that could negatively impact someone’s life on campus. For example, a student with a physical disability talked about how just walking around on campus is hard for her because there are a lot of hills. Getting around buildings is also difficult because elevators are not noticeable in each building so they can be hard to find. This student has had to work with her professors so that they will allow her to be late to class when it is difficult to get around campus. It was interesting to hear how most professors are very accommodating to students with disabilities and specific needs. I’ve often heard around campus that Disability Services does not provide adequate support to students, especially for those with mental health problems, but it was nice to hear from a first-hand account that there is support on campus for a lot of students.