On March 23, students and staff members at ETSU gathered to participate in a range of festivities for Disability Awareness Day. Attendees were able to come together and celebrate unity, community and the spirit of being an ETSU Buccaneer.
“It’s really important to not only raise awareness but increase individuals’ knowledge of disabilities and all the services and opportunities that students have at ETSU,” said Laurel Singleton, head of ETSU Disability Services.
In addition to Disability Services, the event featured informational booths from the Multicultural Center, College of Nursing, Department of Sustainability, College of Rehabilitative Health Sciences, Graduate Studies, Campus Recreation and Access ETSU. ETSU Votes assisted students in registering to vote and Tri Iota, the Women’s Studies Honor Society, handed out free feminine hygiene products and pin buttons.
“My favorite part of Disability Awareness Day is that we are finally acknowledging people with disabilities on campus,” said Zoe Cameron, a sophomore ETSU student and member of Tri Iota. “I think that there needs to be more awareness on campus and kindness in others towards people with disabilities.”
The event concluded with a special performance by Will Gott, an Access ETSU student. Access ETSU, a prime example of the inclusion and celebration of differently-abled individuals on campus, is a two-year inclusive post-secondary education program that “provides young adults with intellectual disabilities a college experience.” ETSU students can apply to be BucMates, peer mentors who are paired with AccessETSU students to support them throughout their college journey.
If interested in learning more about ETSU Disability Services and what it has to offer, students can visit www.etsu.edu/students/ds. If interested in applying to be a BucMate or get involved with AccessETSU, students can visit @accessetsu on Instagram.
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