This Rose Cafe was an engaging talk where lots of the students who came could deeply relate to the topic of disability. During the talk, we discussed an interesting concept about students who receive extra time during exams. Often, people look at these students and believe they are receiving an unfair advantage; however, that is not the case. Extra time simply allows people with disabilities to bridge the gap between them and students without disabilities, thus, this extra time makes students equal in a sense.

I could personally relate to this talk because my older sister Mona has down syndrome. Often, when I tell people this, their first reaction is a sympathetic look accompanied with an “awh” as if her disability is a negative barrier that prevents her being “normal.” Only people who get to know Mona realize quickly that her personable character, kind being, and smart thinking, make her a person anyone could easily relate to. Part of the movement to destigmatize disabilities is to realize the fact that disabilities are just physical or mental constraints or barriers that do not define an individual.

I am a transfer student from UC Berkeley which is the first school to accept a person with a disability. The institution is rooted in making the school accessible for all. One tactic they used which could easily be carried over to Cornell is a video about accessibility and extended time. They played this video during freshman orientation for all the new students to see. Short, informative, and catchy, the video was a perfect tool to educating the students.