Living with a disability can be challenging, and UH has a group to help.
The Disabled Student Association focuses on providing a strong support system and awareness throughout the city through campuswide activities and get-togethers.
The student-run organization hosts weekly meetings, called ‘Hour of Power sessions,’ at the Cambridge Oaks clubhouse, where students with disabilities gather to discuss concerns on various issues from accessibility to campus safety.’
‘We believe in the support system of, ‘If I’m down, then you’re down.’ We all feel the same thing together because we’re a close-knit team,’ Hearne said.’
The group is considering adding more campus maps, increasing signage for wheelchair-accessible entryways on campus and cutting more ramps in curbs for students with wheelchairs.
‘We have met with architects on campus and an accessibility issues committee, and we have voiced our concerns,’ Hearne said.
Each year, in conjunction with the Center for Students with DisAbilities, the Disabled Student Association hosts Disability Awareness Week.
Last October, the week began with an awareness presentation at the Campus Recreation and Wellness Center by the Houston Challengers, a non-profit organization that assists people with disabilities through physical activity to foster an independent lifestyle.
In order to welcome students with and without disabilities, the student-run organization coordinates accessibility awareness groups open to the entire campus.
‘We will allow you to push yourself all throughout campus in a wheelchair or be blindfolded, and you can get a feel of some of the challenges that disabled students face and how they courageously overcome them each and everyday,’ Hearne said.’
Hearne, who was born with cerebral palsy, attributes his attitude and lifestyle of service as his reasons for joining the Disabled Student Association.
‘I would just challenge everyone on campus, and this is just a personal philosophy of mine, to look at your ability rather than your disability,’ Hearne said. ‘In the end, it’s not about your destination, but rather about your journey that will allow you to reach your destination.”
