“There’s this whole idea that if you are working at a college, there’s this professionalism that you hold yourself to, and if you don’t fit this very narrow ideal of what professionalism within college looks like…, then you’re not fit for higher education,” Gagnon said.
The partnership between the McKeen Center and Spindleworks reflects a broader commitment to bridging campus and community, and Seames emphasized that the McKeen Center exists as a resource for students looking to make those connections.
“The silent disco idea came up last fall in the Diversity and Inclusion committee as something that we wanted to do as an alternative way of having fun—being able to dance and enjoy music, but also being able to get away from the noise by just taking off your headphones,” Shim wrote.
“I think art can be a fantastic form of resistance because it’s just taking up space in a world that’s not always made for disabled people, and it’s an act of resistance in the [sense] that it’s often looked over or looked past,” Gagnon said.
“I would like faculty to know there might be ten percent of students in your class—maybe two or three in your classroom right now—who are neurodivergent who would benefit from different learning and teaching strategies, and by implementing UDL [universal design for learning] strategies in your classroom, the entire class would benefit,” said Chong.
You are meant to be rearranged. You are meant to take on many forms. You are meant to find out who you really are, as a consequence of all your minor and major f–k-ups.
June 9, 2019. Ali Stroker wins Best Featured Actress in a Musical at the 73rd Annual Tony Awards. An actor, singer, and wheelchair user, Ali Stroker has been a trailblazer for disability representation on the stage. She was the first wheelchair user to graduate from the Tisch School of the Arts Drama Department at New York University. In 2015, she was the first wheelchair user to appear on Broadway, starring as Anna in the musical, Spring Awakening. For her performance as Ado Annie Carnes in the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical, Oklahoma!, Stroker became the first wheelchair user to win a Tony Award in 2019.
Being Young and Disabled
By Noah Griffth, Auburn University
I Was a "Student of Concern"
By Kate Jackson, Rutgers University
In My Moment of Distress
By Anonymous, Temple University