New organization to empower students with disabilities
The Unique Students Council Association is a new organization that is geared toward students with both visible and invisible disabilities.
Unique Students Council Association was started by student Faith Clemons early this Fall semester.
According to Clemons, the association wasn’t born out of positivity, but “anger and sadness.”
Last Spring semester, Clemons recounted a social media post that attacked her disability after a confrontation in the dorms. She described her experience with her own disability and how difficult it is for others to understand the effects of it.
“At that point,” Clemons remembered, “I decided to form an organization that would educate individuals on our campus, advocate for and support students with both visible and non-visible disabilities.”
Clemons also noted that had she not been a leader of this organization, she would “most definitely” join to “be a support and to assist in spreading awareness.”
On the Unique Students Council Association logo, there is a slogan printed across the bottom: “There is no ‘Dis’ in our ‘Abilities.’”
When asked on the particular phrasing, Clemons recalled that she had heard the phrase in middle school. She had also researched the meanings of the two words.
“I looked up DIS and found its word origin was a Latin prefix which meant “apart, separate, missing, absent, etc. Whereas ABILITY was defined as power or capacity to do or act physically, mentally, legally, morally, financially, etc.,” Clemons said.
“In merging the two definitions my own way,” she continued, “there was nothing absent/missing about my performances, physically, mentally, morally, etc, (sic) I still could do what others did.”
Her hopes for the organization are that the student body and faculty become more educated in the abilities that students with disabilities have.
On what her organization has to offer, Clemons describes the benefits. She also mentioned that allies, or “advocates,” are welcome as well.
“The organization currently offers disability rights and types of disability education, mentorship, support, advocacy, and a social outlet for its members,” she added.
For more information on the Unique Students Council Association, contact Faith Clemons or Rebecca Schander.
