Last week, I attended a Rose Cafe where Erin Sember-Chase from Cornell’s disability service came to talk with us about the prevalence of disability at Cornell. The most surprising fact that I learned from this talk was that the ADA (American Disabilities Act) was only implemented in 1990. That, to me, seemed far too late. However, what was most interesting to me about this talk was the discussion of disabilities at Cornell, particularly those that cannot be physically seen such as academic disabilities. The first that comes to mind is when professors mention that students who need extra time for examinations can be accommodated. Although it is excellent that these kinds of accommodations are provided for people who need it, it is also problematic, in a social sense. There is already a stigma present around disabilities, and when you are singled out for your disability by the means of which you obtain your accommodations, the issue becomes quite contentious. A perfect example of this is when you obtain separate testing accommodations, but then on test day your friends wonder where you were and then you have to explain why you were somewhere else. Some people may feel completely comfortable with this, but others may not. The most important thing that this reveals is that although disabilities are increasingly become more and more normalized, in the sense that people are aware of the vast kinds of disabilities present and the numerous accommodations that can be made for them, they are still something that can cause social distress. Keeping this in mind, it should be our goal to destigamatize disabilities by talking about them more in a positive manner in order to better educate all of society on how to create an environment where people with all kinds of disabilities feel comfortable and welcome, no matter the severity of the disability or whether they even have a disability.

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.

The Disability at Cornell chat with Erin M. Sember-Chase really opened my eyes to the battles that people diagnosed with disabilities must face. Erin herself shared a personal story that reflected the absence of a disability center at her college while she was an undergraduate student. At Cornell today students with disabilities are not rare, even though it may not be immediately noticeable. Erin talked about breaking the stigma associated with disabilities. Although Cornell works to help ease students academic life, it is up to the students to connect with any disabled students socially. Today, 1 in 5 Americans have a disability. It is very likely that you know someone with a disability, or at least know of someone with a disability. We have come a long way since 1990 when the ADA was first passed and I believe that we will continue to grow in years to come. Hearing the personal experiences with loved ones with disabilities really shows how this is a topic that is close to everyone’s heart. I believe that a disability center is an amazing addition to schools that helps make everyone feel included regardless of any situation. The advancements that have been made in the history of the university is inspiring. Erin herself has pushed and helped to make these advancements possible. I hope to someday make a difference as significance as this.

Last week at the Rose Cafe, I learned about disability history and disability at Cornell with Erin Sember-Chase. I learned that the ADA which prohibited discrimination based on disability was only instituted in 1990, a mere 27 years ago. But unlike other marginalized groups, the fight for rights for people with disabilities  has never been as visible as other social movements, such as the civil rights movement. At Cornell, most professors will at least briefly mention special exam accommodations for students with disabilities but that is usually the extent of the discussion of disabilities. In our society in general, there are a few public accommodations of disabilities, such as handicapped bathroom stalls and parking spaces. Before our talk, I had honestly forgotten about these sort of accommodations for disabled people. In a way, that is a good thing because it has become so normalized to me but these adjustments are often not discussed. Additionally, while useful for physical disabilities, these accommodations do nothing for other disabilities that are often less apparent. These “invisible” disabilities are unfortunately just as pressing as physical ones.

We discussed the large social stigma that is associated with disabilities and the way that people with disabilities themselves are taught to overcome their disabilities rather than embrace them. We talked about how disabilities shouldn’t need to be justified or explained but rather celebrated and understood. I am grateful that I was able to attend this cafe because it made me think about disabilities and the amount of people who face disabilities much more than I ever do. As a society, we need to talk about disabilities more widely so that its stigma can be lessened and people with disabilities can feel more comfortable and accepted in their lives.

This week’s Rose Café with Erin M. Sember-Chase was incredibly interesting. We discussed the stigma of disabilities and the consistent battles that one must face while dealing with disabilities. I loved how everyone shared their personal experiences with close loved ones and disabilities- it shows how we can all truly understand and relate to each other despite the fact we may not have a disability ourselves. I shared how one of my best friends had extended time in high school due to her dyslexia and slight attention deficit and the stigma she often faced. Despite being in APs and honors classes, everyone always seemed to think it was strange she was allotted extra time – when I know for a fact that it was the quite opposite of strange. It was interesting how we discussed how extended time is assigned too, for I did not know much about it. It was also amazing to hear how she faced incredible difficulties even at college – especially the rude professor who refused to use a mic despite her difficulties. I commend Erin Sember-Chase in her strength to have dealt with such adversities with pompous, inconsiderate professors!

Last Wednesday, I attended a talk given by Erin M. Sember-Chase, the Assistant Director of Cornell’s Student Disability Services. During this café, we discussed the daily struggles of handicapped people; students also shared their own personal experiences with disability. This chat brought to mind memories of my high school’s treatment of disabled students.

In my high school, students with serious mental/physical handicaps were separated from non-disabled students both by classroom and floor. For class, the disabled students were relegated to the basement, a place to which no one else really ventured. It set up a weirdly segregated environment in which there was this fraction of the school that I essentially never saw. Because I go to a small high school, it was strange and sad at graduation when I did not recognize a few names called to the podium for a diploma. All of these unrecognizable names were the names of disabled students.

Obviously, there needs to be a better system of integration between those with and without disabilities. We need to be exposed to what the real world is like, rather than kept in bubbles not representative of the global population. Integration of non-disabled and disabled students must be carefully and smoothly done, though, as I learned from another student at the café. Her high school used a “shared classroom” system, which put disabled and non-disabled students into the same classroom. The student said that the atmosphere of these classrooms was unsettling and uncomfortable, as teachers created an environment in which they made clear that the disabled students were slower than the non-disabled students, vocally encouraging the non-disabled to help the disabled with the material. This is a lose-lose situation for both sides: Disabled students were made to feel inferior, leading to diminished confidence, feelings of competence, and self-esteem; meanwhile, students who weren’t disabled may have felt they were spending valuable class time helping other students instead of getting the educational support and instruction that they themselves needed. Additionally, they probably felt uncomfortable in these positions of teacher-asserted authority. There needs to be a better system where we can have integration with equality, where everyone gets to feel confident and competent and gets to focus on their own learning.