“It takes a group – it takes a village – to be able to hear voices, understand voices, and make change…if we don’t have the voices, it’ll never get done.”
These words from junior Cassidy Walker encompass the purpose of the Accessibility and Disability Open Discussion held on Aug. 13: to hold space for students and faculty to talk about disability, acceptance, and ways to create spaces that are accessible to all.
Walker, who hosted the open discussion, has been an advocate for individuals with disabilities for years. Identifying as a person with multiple disabilities herself, she shares her experience learning the need for advocacy as part of the inspiration for holding this open discussion: “I grew up in a family with people that are disabled…and then I became disabled myself, and I realized how little to no advocacy there is, and how everything needed to change.”
She went on, “If you don’t struggle with it, or you don’t see someone directly with you that struggles with it, you would never know how hard this world is and how inaccessible it is to everybody.”
The open discussion panelists featured a mix of speakers with and without disabilities. Participants included second-years Milee White and Quinn Kimble, senior Jada Schutt, Associate Professors Lindy Backuesand Heike Peckruhn, and Center for Interfaith Engagement Associate Director Trina Nussbaum.
During the discussion, Peckruhn used “disability adjacent” to distinguish her position among the group of speakers.Peckruhn says she does not have a disability, but has personal connections to the subject. She has family and friends who live with disabilities, has studied disability and disability theology, and has worked for individuals with disabilities. She uses the term “disability adjacent” to express not only her affinity and appreciation for these individuals in her life, but to also acknowledge the role she plays in their lives.
She says, “We can all experience disability, but we often hold it at a distance,” mentioning the “that’s them, but not me” mentality many individuals hold in regards to disability. Peckruhn pushes back against this mindset, using “disability adjacent” to position herself differently. “[W]e are all part of what disability experience is, and at the same time [I can] say I don’t share the experience of oppression or exclusion.”
Schutt, one of the student panelists, shared her experiences as someone who is hard of hearing during the open discussion. She described both strengths and barriers in experiencing hearing loss. She named her ability to “turn-off” the world around her as a strength, to be able to spend and enjoy time in silence and her difficulty hearing certain voices as a challenge she faces.
Schutt also shared her personal story of when she first experienced hearing loss as a teenager.
Talking with Schutt after the discussion, she shared further details of her advocacy for individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing. She noted the companies and nonprofits she works with: Phonak, a company that produces hearing aids, and The Better Connect Academy, an organization that, according to their website, provides certification to individuals “to fill the communication gap between hard of hearing individuals and staff.”
In addition to these partnerships, Schutt also mentors youth at the Virginia School of the Deaf and Blind and competes in pageants under her pro-accessibility platform “All Words Should Be Heard.”
Schutt went on to explain her reasoning for this extensive involvement: “It is something I am really passionate about because it affects my everyday life. There also aren’t many resources or even individuals close by who are deaf or hard of hearing, and it is something I want to shine light on and make awareness of.”
White was another student speaker during the open discussion. She shared her perspective on being visually impaired, describing some of the challenges she has faced with accessibility and ways others can be more inclusive to members of the blind community.
One piece of advice was accidentally demonstrated in an interaction between White and Kimble on stage. Kimble went to hand White a microphone, but White was unable to see it, so, Kimble tapped White on the leg to get her attention. This interaction was highlighted by White as just one way others can be more inclusive to individuals who are visually impaired.
Following the open discussion, White further explained her desire to participate in the event: “Being disabled is something that I’ve always had to live with and work with. It can feel really isolating at times, especially when no one around me is aware of what I experience or need. I’ve always felt called to share my experience and knowledge with others, and to spread awareness for people like me.”
She went on to share her desire for more events that feature the voices of students and faculty with disabilities, a theme echoed by many of the featured speakers.
“There is always a never ending discussion to be had about different disabilities and how to encompass everything there is to know about the people with those disabilities, so there’s always more to say.” White admits she could have “spoken for hours, not out of self absorption, but because it’s so liberating to talk about it to people who are willing to listen and learn.”
Walker plans to hold more breakout groups and open discussions surrounding the topics of disability, accessibility, and inclusion. Keep a look out for information surrounding these events in the future.
