WSU’s Access Center is a resource on campus for disabled students and allies, providing accommodations and services to students with disabilities.
The Disabled Student Center serves as both an advocacy hub and a space for community building. To strengthen these efforts, the center has revived a club that was offered at WSU more than five years ago.
The center reestablished the Student Disability Alliance and is working to revitalize and expand its presence on campus.
Breana Ramirez, an alliance member, said the alliance lost participation before the pandemic and she wanted to help bring it back.
Ryleigh McWilliams, an alliance member, is a frequent visitor to access services.
McWilliams said they hope the alliance will serve as a tool to build community for both disabled and non-disabled students.
“It’s so important to have a space for everyone where everyone feels included and accepted,” McWilliams said. “We need to spread lots of awareness in different ways as to how we can help our university as students.”
Along with restarting the club, the center is hosting a program on disability rights and resources at WSU. From March 25-28, the center will hold Disability in STE(A)M Week, a week-long celebration focused on disabled individuals, STEM and the arts.
Last year, the center hosted a similar event—Disability in STEM Week—which was exclusively online and featured speakers from different campuses discussing inclusivity in STEM fields.
Trina McConnell, an alliance officer, said when she learned the center had no plans to bring back Disability in STEM Week, she asked if she could revive it—with the addition of the arts. This led to the creation of Disability in STE(A)M Week.
“I think the arts help me get over those learning gaps you really need in STEM,” McConnell said.
Events for STE(A)M Week will include awareness sessions on accommodations for lab classes, seminars on assistive technology and skill-building workshops, all leading up to the main event on Friday, March 28.
“Access, Art and Academia” will be the centerpiece of Disability in STE(A)M Week, taking place at the WSU Alumni Center from 5—7:30 p.m. Guests are invited to enjoy snacks, discussions and an art gallery.
The event will feature speeches from disabled individuals and an art gallery displaying student-created pieces illustrating their majors. Teachers, graduate students and undergraduates are invited to speak about the barriers they face in STEM due to their disabilities and how they have handled them.
McWilliams said the alliance’s goal is to create awareness about academics for disabled students and to improve student life. With the return of the Disabled Student Alliance and Disability in STE(A)M Week, WSU is taking steps toward greater inclusivity and awareness. Through club meetings, advocacy efforts and initiatives like “Access, Art and Academia,” students have the opportunity to connect and share experiences.
Club meetings will be held every Friday from 3-5 p.m. in the Disabled Student Center, located on the second floor of the Washington Building. The club will also meet via Discord on the last Friday of each month.
The alliance is also hosting a “Paint Your Major” Night on March 25 from 8 a.m.—- 5 p.m. Students can pick up five-by-five canvases to decorate and are encouraged to submit past artwork related to disability, STEM or both. Canvases can be taken home but must be returned to the center to be featured in the gallery.
