Disabilities advocacy week, organized by the student
government’s Community Service Commission, aims to educate
students about what it’s like to have a physical,
developmental or learning disability, and how they can get involved
in related community service projects.
“The goal of some of the activities is to put people in
the shoes of those who are disabled,” said Frank Lee, the
commission’s chief of staff .
Twice per quarter, the commission sponsors a week-long series of
programming aimed at educating students on issues addressed through
community service projects. Advocacy weeks are a new program this
quarter.
Special Olympics and Best Buddies are the commission’s two
projects that involve people with disabilities. Member volunteers
will assist in carrying out the programming for disabilities
advocacy week and outreach. There are over 20 other projects
affiliated with the commission.
“We’re not in the community just to fix the
problem,” said Assistant Commissioner Farheen Malik.
“We’re building future leaders here through our
volunteers.”
The week’s events, which include fund-raising for the
commission’s projects, will culminate in an interactive
workshop hosted by Best Buddies that will give students firsthand
experience in what living with a disability is like.
“We want to remedy the entire problem, and learning about
it is the best place to begin,” Malik said.
Advocacy weeks are brainstormed by Community Service
Commissioner Crystal Lee. The weeks begin by educating students and
raising awareness, and follow up by hosting speakers and
workshops.
Students who want to become involved have the opportunity to be
recruited for a related project.
The first advocacy week, which took place earlier this month,
spotlighted financial and racial inequalities in education.
“We were effective in just getting the word out to
students on the inequalities in education ““ a lot of students
came to hear our panel of speakers,” said William Yu of the
commission staff.
Inequalities in education was chosen as the topic of the first
advocacy week because many of the commission’s projects
include mentoring and tutoring.
Advocacy week subject matter is chosen from among important
social issues that coincide with the aims of community service
organizations on campus.
The commission is working closely with campus organizations such
as The Clothesline Project, which aims to combat sexual violence,
to plan an advocacy week on abuse during spring quarter, Malik
said.