Taylor Bembery
Associate Editor
Jackson State University students were able to get firsthand experience of the obstacles faced by the disabled at the Disability Awareness Day Informational. The informational was held on the Gibbs-Green Pedestrian Walkway on Oct. 28 from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
During the month of October, many issues are observed, including Breast Cancer Awareness and Domestic Violence Awareness, but many people do not know that Disability Awareness is also observed. To recognize this month, Disability Services created events that got the entire student body involved.
Monica Walls-Jones, the Assistant Director of Disability Services, wanted to start hosting events that teach students more about the disabilities that some students have on campus.
“We have a disabled community of about 300 students at JSU. Non-disabled students are learning the different types of disabilities. We have students in wheelchairs, dyslexic, ADHD, visually impaired, hearing impaired, lower extremity impairment, and more,” said Walls-Jones.
Simulations for each disability were available for students. Walls-Jones gave community service hours for each table visited. There were a total of 10 tables and each visit was worth five hours. Even though it sounded easy to obtain the hours, it wasn’t an easy task as non-disabled students struggled during the simulations.
Alexis Williams, a freshman accounting major from Aurora, Ill., had a difficult time maneuvering in the wheelchair and lower extremity impairment simulations.
“It gives me a realization of what the disabled go through and that I should think about other people before I judge them, because I didn’t know things were this hard for them,” said Williams.
Mario Henderson, a senior music vocal performance and psychology major from Jackson, Miss., serves as the assistant director of the ADA Street team. Henderson has not let his confinement to a wheelchair define or hinder him from living his life. He said the Disability Awareness Day informational was a rewarding experience for him.
“It’s actually quite fun. I’m just surprised at the support that we are receiving from the student body and I look forward to doing it again next year. What we wanted to do is make the campus more aware of more than just being in a wheelchair. We want to make them know how it is being hearing impaired, vision impaired, and sensory impaired. Just to give them a rough idea of how people are continuing to live life despite their disability,” said Henderson.
Along with the simulations at the informational, students were able to listen to different life testimonies from disabled students and speakers. Disability Services also hosted a wheelchair basketball game, ‘Rolling Tigers vs. Greek Unity’ in the Walter Payton Center at 6:30 p.m. on Oct. 29.
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