SGA House learns about living with disabilities, education projects
Rather than using the same format as most weekly Student Government Association meetings, members of the House of Representatives were met with something different.
They were asked to read a short page about Katy Perry. Afterward, they were quizzed on their retention of the subject. Many students had a hard time due to the unorthodox typeface and the juxtaposition of the letters “D” and “B” within the paragraphs.
The difficulty wasn't due to typos; House members gained insight on what it was to be dyslexic with the help the David Garcia Project.
The project is one of the many offered by the Mary Ellen Brandell Volunteer Center. Through DGP, students are put through different exercises in which they are given a seemingly mundane task to complete; only to find out that what once was simple has become incredibly difficult with disabilities.
Megan Potts, graduate supervisor for Campus Programs, said the project’s overall purpose is to raise awareness for people struggling with both “visible” and “invisible disabilities” on campus.
“(It’s) for students largely, so that they’re aware of what possible students on campus are facing and what’s going on,” Potts said. “We don’t want (able-bodied students) to think that (disabled students) are a completely different and disabled population.”
The project is not limited to teaching students about learning disabilities, but also focuses on teaching students empathy for those who have physical or mental disabilities.
Sessions are not limited to student organizations, but are also open to the campus community. The next open event is from 7-8:30 p.m. Friday in the Bovee University Center in the Lakeshore Room.
SGA president Chuck Mahone said working with the David Garcia Project was a “great opportunity” for SGA to gain insight into the different types of students at Central Michigan University.
“We really want to take the opportunity to be as intentional as possible,” Mahone said. “Here at SGA we’re supposed to be representative of the entire student body. I feel there’s no way we can actually be representative of the entire student body if we’re not educated on the student body.”
Senior Devann Hattis said the project helped to teach patience and understanding to those who are neurotypical, another name for those not affected by mental disabilities.
“These are invisible disabilities," Hattis said. "These are things that it can literally be anyone on the street. Everyone needs to be very, very aware of what other people are experiencing on the day-to-day. You never know what someone else is working with.”
Mahone was proud of the enthusiasm the project was met with by House members. He hinted at the possibility of working with the David Garcia Project again in the future stating that he “saw value” in the teachings of the volunteer center.
