As many of you may know, March is Disability Awareness Month. Throughout the month of March, our office, as well as our student organization Alliance for Disability Awareness (ADA) hosted several events across campus for all to enjoy.

Disability Services' Office Assistant Director, Jordan Grammas, stands masked holding a poster that reads "Accessibility takes from no one, and gives to everyone". Holding the right side of the poster is a masked photo of the Graduate Assistant from Disability Services. In front of them is the table with several flyers and handouts. March 1, 2022 – March 20, 2022

At the start of the month, our office hosted Tabling events at the Student Center, where people could come by and pick up some of the amazing posters, flyers, and goodies that we had put together to celebrate this month. We also continued to have Wheelchair Basketball bi-weekly throughout the month. Over the second weekend of the month, ADA hosted two tabling events at the scramble light as well.Three women sit in wheelchairs. One is facing away from the camera, the other two are facing the camera. One girl in white, with a pony tail, is looking towards the other girl, in a red sweatshirt and her hair down, who is holding a basketball preparing to take a shot with it.

March 21, 2022 – March 26, 2022

The next week, on Monday, March 21st, our office co-hosted a movie night with the Women & Gender Studies Department for Women’s Week, where people could come and watch “Temple Grandin” together. During this same week, the Disability Services Office also hosted Goalball at the Recreation Center. Goalball is a Paralympic Sport wherein players wear blindfolds and defend their net on their hands and knees. The objective is to throw the ball into the opponent’s net. The ball is filled with bells and players listen to figure out where the ball is at on the court.Six people are spread out across a basketball court. They are blindfolded and on their hands and knees. One person on the far side of the court holds a yellow ball.

March 27, 2022

That following Sunday, March 27th, Alliance for Disability Awareness hosted a speaker, Imani Barbarin, via zoom. Imani Barbarin is a disability rights and inclusion activist and speaker who uses her voice and social media platforms to create conversations engaging the disability community. Born with cerebral palsy, Imani often writes and uses her platform to speak from the perspective of a disabled, black woman.

March 28, 2022 – March 31, 2022

Finally, to round out the end of the month, on March 30th, the Disability Services Office also had a speaker share their story as well. Staci Manella is a U.S. Paralympic Alpine ski racer, speaker, and academic. She was born legally blind which has provided her the chance to compete for Team USA at two Paralympic Games. This image shows a large group pictured together. There are twelve people in total, with one service animal as well. Staci Manella, the speaker for this event, stands second from the left in a gray blouse. She is smiling.

We appreciate all the support from those who were able to attend our events and encourage you to be on the lookout next year for all the fun events that our office and ADA hope to bring you.

 

Donate to DS! https://connect.bsu.edu/18/give

Choose “Other” from the drop-down menu and enter 8603 in the box that appears below.  No gift is too small!