United Students, a campus organization for students with disabilities and friends, held several events Wednesday to raise awareness of disabilities and relieve some of the discomfort between people on this issue.
During the day, between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m., US held a Disabilities Awareness Fair in front of Chick-Fil-A and the State Fountain Bakery.
Members of the organization were present to talk with students who came by.
The fair also featured a wheelchair challenge where students used a wheelchair to get to Montgomery Hall to retrieve a token that would get them a free chicken sandwich at Chick-Fil-A, public relations officer Joseph Sanders said.
“A lot of people talked about how hard the wheel chair challenge was,” US president Blake Watson said. “I think they really got some awareness from that.”
About 20 people participated in the wheelchair challenge, and about 100 people attended the fair throughout the course of the day, Sanders said.
Beginning at 6 p.m. Wednesday, the US hosted a Coffee Discussion: Students With Disabilities Revealed, a panel discussion on what students with disabilities in general experience.
“It’s an informal meeting to discuss issues related to students with disabilities,” Sanders said.
The panel was made up of students with disabilities brought on by cerebral palsy, brain injuries and even an injury inflicted by a land mine.
The goal of the panel discussion was to open the floor for people who have questions about issues related to students who have disabilities but may be reluctant to voice them, Watson said.
“The goal of the event is to get people into a situation where they won’t be uncomfortable,” he added.
Aaron Rice, a junior political science major who lost his leg below the knee due to a land mine in Iraq, sat on the panel and took part in the discussion.
He said he recently got involved with the organization.
“I’m just looking forward to seeing what it’s all about and getting involved with it in the future,” Rice said. “I’ve experienced what it’s like to be in a wheelchair, and that’s a tough place to be, even though I was only in one for a short while.”
Rice now uses a prosthetic leg. He said his main goal for getting involved comes from his understanding the difference some students face everyday.
“I never gave a second thought to ADA compliance before I experienced this,” Rice said.
Most people who do not have disabilities may not be aware of what being ADA compliant means, but he said everyone should be aware of these regulations.
According to www.usdoj.gov/crt/ada/, the Americans with Disabilities Act gives civil rights to citizens with disabilities along the same lines afforded to people based on their race, color, national identity, age or religion.
“(United Students) is dedicated to meeting the needs of disabled students,” Sanders said.
Events such as the panel discussion and the Disabilities Awareness Fair provide an opportunity to enlighten people and dispel the rumors and myths surrounding people who have disabilities, he added.
“We are a support group for students with disabilities who attend Mississippi State,” Watson said. “We want to make sure the campus is accessible to students with disabilities.”
Watson added that he feels that MSU may have one of the most accessible campuses in the region.