Syracuse University Libraries is hosting an annual book exhibit celebrating disability identities and cultures throughout October, which is National Disability Employment Awareness Month. The display is on the first floor of Bird Library, outside the Peter Graham Scholarly Commons.

The Disability Cultural Center, Disability Student Union and disability studies program all coordinated the exhibit.  The organizers of the groups said they hope to get people thinking about disability history, culture and arts on campus through print and digital media.

“Disability matters,” said DCC director Diane Wiener. “The world wouldn’t be the same without the contributions of disabled scientists, teachers and artists.  We have a huge array of people in the disability rights movement and disability cultures.”

Wiener said the DCC is a supportive, educational and cultural resource, as well as an organization that advocates for disability rights. The DCC works with academic departments, the Office of Equal Opportunity, Inclusion, and Resolution Services and cultural centers on campus such as Hendricks Chapel, she said.

The center listens to stories from students about discrimination on campus and hopes to push for rights for students with disabilities, Wiener said. She recently spoke at Crouse Hospital about the meaning of the month and queer disability rights in front of the CEO and hospital staff. On Oct. 7, DSU hosted OrangeAbility, a sports exposition for athletes with disabilities.

The United States Department of Labor announced in a news release that the 2018 theme for National Disability Employment Awareness Month is “America’s Workforce: Empowering All.”  The goal of the month is celebrating contributions, skills and talents to create an inclusive workforce.

The unemployment rate of people with a disability was more than double that of people with no disability — 7.3 versus 3.4 percent — in September 2018, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

“Every person I’ve met knows someone who’s disabled,” Wiener said. “It’s probably the biggest ‘minority’ identity in the world.”

DSU aims to provide a space for students with disabilities to congregate and network with each other, as well as share their thoughts as a group to advocate for disability rights on behalf of undergraduate students, said Priya Penner, president of DSU.

In March 2019, DSU will take part in an annual mourning vigil to celebrate the lives of people with disabilities who have been killed by their family members or caregivers, Penner said.

“If we don’t remember our fallen siblings, siblings who lost their lives due to ableism, then who will?” she said.

Next semester, DSU plans to host Disabilifunk, an open karaoke event meant to be a fun social event and a bonding space for students.

“Many social events are not ‘meant’ for us,” Penner said. “They’re created with other people in mind.  A lot of the accommodation and access needs just aren’t being met, because they’re not thought of.”

Published on October 24, 2018 at 8:32 pm

Contact Richard: rjchang@syr.edu | @RichardJChang1