Starting at 11 a.m. on April 12, ETSU celebrated Disability Awareness Day in the Cave of the D.P. Culp Student Center. The event was open to visitors until 4 p.m. and featured information and resources about common disabilities.

The event was organized by the College of Clinical and Rehabilitative Health Sciences along with Delta Alpha Pi Honors Society.

March is celebrated as Disability Awareness Month and last year ETSU celebrated Disability Awareness Day during March however this year it was celebrated a bit later.

Several booths with information on disabilities were available for the public. They included descriptions of the disability, treatments, accommodations, history and discussions on their impact.

(Contributed/mainstreetdfs.org)

Some of the disabilities that were included were attention-deficit/hyperactive disorder, cerebral palsy, obsessive-compulsive disorder, autism-spectrum disorder, general anxiety disorder, brain injuries, hearing loss, hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos syndrome and down syndrome.

Much of the information highlighted how these disabilities will impact people not just physically but also emotionally and mentally.

There was also a table featuring resources to help people with disabilities succeed in finding employment and education.

Another table that was featured was one for members of the LGBTQ+ community who have experienced traumatic experiences.

The event also featured a table for Access ETSU, an organization that aims to make ETSU more accessible to students with disabilities. One of the programs that they were advertising was BucMates.

(Contributed/ Access ETSU)

BucMates is a program where peers can mentor and provide support to students with disabilities daily. You can be part of any major or program at ETSU, the only requirement is an interest in accessibility, inclusion and equity.

Organizers of the event were giving away stickers and popcorn to visitors as well as encouraging people to visit every booth and collect signatures to receive a free shirt.

For more information visit ETSU Disability Services at etsu.edu/students/ds/ or call (423) 439-8346.

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