The most formidable barrier facing individuals with disabilities is often the behavior of others, including beliefs and assumption. If a person considers another individual to be ‘deviant’ than what they consider to be the ‘norm,’ that person will treat the ‘other’ often times negatively, including ignoring or otherwise discounting the other person’s existence. The behavior of others has given rise to a general stigma of disability as a deviance or defect rather than as a characteristic that is part of the human condition.
Such behavior may be due to a lack of understanding or knowledge about what disabilities are and what it means to have one. Providing information and awareness is one method to address these negative perceptions regarding individuals with disabilities to hopefully fill in the blanks for others unfamiliar with the disability experience.
Individuals with disabilities, too, may have specific misperceptions as to what it means to have a disability. Our goal is to provide disabled students with relevant information so they continue to acquire the knowledge to negotiate their place in society in a positive and successful manner.
The links below will provide information directed towards educating others about people with disabilities, with an emphasis on disability as part of the human condition, not deviate from it. Any current awareness programs on campus throughout the year will be posted on the SDC home page.