Tower Guard, a sophomore student volunteer organization, celebrates their success of another year of service and community building. Tower Guard's vice president, Sakari Wilcox, summarizes their year and the memories they made together.
Christina Whetsel, a College of Veterinary Medicine student (CVM), will receive the Resource Center for Persons with Disabilities 2023 Student Leadership and Service Award for her contributions that bring awareness, inclusion, and accessibility to the greater MSU community.
Megan Weil, a Zoology major who graduates in May 2023, will receive the Resource Center for Persons with Disabilities 2023 Student Leadership and Service Award for her contributions that bring awareness, inclusion, and accessibility to the greater MSU community.
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On the morning of Saturday, March 25 hundreds gathered outside the Michigan State University auditorium despite the rainy, cold weather. Community members, faculty and students came out to support the Resource Center for Persons with Disabilities (RCPD) which serves nearly 3,000 spartans.
This annual event is hosted annually in the spring semester to raise awareness on adaptive sports and alternative ways of exercising. Participants leave the event with knowledge on new sports and a widened perspective on accessibility and inclusivity.
We are honored to announce that our very own Colleen Floyd, Ability Access Specialist with RCPD who works with neurodivergent staff and students at Michigan State, was awarded the Disability Service Provided Award. In addition to her contributions as an Ability Access Specialist, Colleen is the staff co-advisor for the Council for Students with Disabilities (CSD) and works with our staff members on expanding disability education and accessibility to the MSU community!
Today is International Women’s day, a day to recognize the fight against gender and sex based oppression that is deeply rooted in society. The day celebrates women, past and present, that have fought for their place in the world. For women with disabilities, not only have they had to fight against the patriarchy, but also against the oppression of those with disabilities. The history of the world is marked by all shapes and sizes of women, below are only some of those with disabilities.
As we reflect on February as Black History Month it is important to include Black Disability History. Throughout the history of the United States there have been many influential Black people with disabilities who shaped our history.
These workshops will be offered at the same time as the standard workshop and count towards your completion of the program. This workshop defines gender-based violence, explains university policies, and highlights resources available on campus and in the community with a specific focus on providing a sensory-friendly learning environment and experience.
RCPD recently had the opportunity to co-host a film screening and panel discussion with WKAR Public Media. Following the hour-long screening, panelists Colleen Floyd (Ability Access Specialist, RCPD), Emily Abrams (Academic Advisor, TRIO Student Support Services), and Tyler Smeltekop (Assistant Director, RCPD) led a discussion around various themes and concepts that arose in the documentary. Audience members also participated and shared their own experiences with navigating identity after acquiring a disability.
October is a special month for working towards connecting the value of higher education to success in our community. We are thankful to these outside sources that worked to highlight RCPD’s efforts of maximizing ability and opportunity at MSU.
The President of the Council of Students with Disabilities, Caroline Downes, worked to get these containers implemented on campus for the past few semesters. We did an interview with her to gather more information on this process.
Over the past month, the MSU IT Academic Technology team offered several webinars for educators that focused on accessibility. Of the nine webinars offered, three were accompanied or led by RCPD staff Leslie Johnson, Assistant Director of Assistive Technology, and Ashley Maloff, Chronic Health Ability Access Specialist.
If this month-long focus on Alex’s Great State Race has shown us anything, it is that wonderful things can be done through perseverance. In our final week of the 2021 AGSR Gratitude Campaign, we share stories of the Race's unique "running" over the past couple years and say our final "thank yous" to ALL who make this event possible.
Welcome to week three of the 2021 Alex’s Great State Race Gratitude Campaign! Let’s take a step back and remember the rivalry that is celebrated on the day of this wonderful event. Get a recap of the Campaign in our February 1st Ability Blog post.
The Alex’s Great State Race committee is excited to introduce the month of February as the AGSR Gratitude Campaign month. We are looking forward to sharing stories, videos, and pictures honoring Alex Powell, the history of the race, the MSU U-M rivalry, and more!
Every year for one week in June, Big Tech titan Apple Inc. hosts the Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) showcasing new and innovative technologies for software developers of all skill levels. The event is a chance for attendees to gain early access to the future of iOS through diverse presentations delivered by Apple employees as well as hands-on experience with Apple engineers. One such engineer is Jordyn Castor, an MSU Alumna who began her career at Apple as an intern in 2015 shortly after receiving her undergraduate degree in Computer Science.