One great resource we have on campus is our Center for Disability Services center. For me personally I know I have not always fully understood all disabilities and the fact that they may not always be seen. I sat down with Jenise Jenkins the Senior Program Associate in our Center for Disability Services to have a better understanding of what the center provides for our students body. She also gave me insight on the different types of abilities that our students face. “Well you may not see because not everybody’s disability can be seen, everybody may be dealing with a disability that is invisible. We are here to be an advocate to the students and the professors, we are here if they need to talk, we’re here to help them and put them on the same playing field as everyone else. Nothing above but nothing below, we just want to make sure our students know that they can come to us. Of course they have to do the work, they have to have the supporting documentation but we are there to try and make them successful at AUM.”
In an effort to help educate our student body better about the center Jenkins explained the resources we have that are available to the whole student body. “One thing is Warhawk Disability Alliance. That is a student led organization, we have students in that organization that have disabilities visible and invisible, but you also have students who do not have disabilities they are trying to teach people around our campus the importance of and worth of students that have disabilities and what we can do to help them or better yet what we can do to make them feel like a normal student.” This is a topic that is not talked about as much on campus I feel as if more light should be shed on this. The importance of inclusiveness is so crucial on a college campus and the amazing thing the CDS is accomplishing gives our students another place to call home.
By Darya Farsinejad
