Since 2020, I have been involved with the Council of Students with Disabilities (CSD) at Michigan State. The council is comprised of registered disabled people – a diverse group! When I started, I was a general member, the following year I joined the council as their Residence Halls Association (RHA) representative (see the sharps container initiative that I brought to campus below). Following a successful year as the representative, I was elected as the president where I have served for two consecutive years. I love this group of people and representing the voices of disabled undergraduate students at Michigan State!
Michigan State University personal sharps container initiative 2022 by the Residence Halls Association, Council of Students with Disabilities, and Transcend: In-Hall Health Resources
Image by KAMWO
The sharps container initiative started as an idea in an RHA general meeting where myself and another representative recognized the lack of sharps containers available for personal use by our students. Sharps containers are a vital access need for some people and ensure greater safety for our fantastic facilities workers. With these points in mind, we pioneered this project at MSU. Implementation began in the Fall of 2022 at all major residence halls. Not only does this program seek greater campus accessibility, but access to affirming care!
MSU Training Videos
Alongside my 2022-2023 vice-president Megan Weil, we created and filmed a series of training and informational videos for campus-wide dispersal. The series of videos is comprised of one for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion – to be included in all future Spartan’s mandatory DEI training. This ensures (for the first time) disability’s inclusion in DEI trainings at MSU. Additionally, we filmed a similar video for all Registered Student Organizations on campus to increase awareness of access barriers students with disabilities may face when attending club events. See the two videos below!
Scholarship
I would be remise if I forgot to mention the scholarship(s) I have received from the Resource Center for Persons with Disabilities (RCPD) at Michigan State. Below is a promotional film for the Education Abroad Scholarship I received in 2022 for my study abroad in Germany. In addition to this scholarship, I also received the Samaritan Scholarship in 2023. Both scholarships significantly supported my education as a disabled student at Michigan State – thank you!
Want to learn more about the Medical Model of Disability?…
Read my 17-page honors paper on The Medical Model of Disability in Health: What Needs to Change. I reference key disabled activists like Alison Kafer and Judith Heumann – revolutionary people!