Disabled experiences are all too often forgotten, overlooked, or misrepresented. This leaves us in a world where our needs are unmet, our struggles are ignored, and our abilities and contributions are undervalued. We have a long way to go when it comes to appropriately supporting disabled people with regards to healthcare, employment, and even basic respect.

These problems manifest in all aspects of society, including higher education. Professors will teach classes with old and ableist viewpoints, adding to the harm disabled people face. Campuses are cluttered with outdated infrastructure that physically exclude disabled students from classrooms, university services, and public gatherings. 

Disabled people make up 19% of the undergraduate student population nationwide, and yet we experience an 18.1% dropout rate compared to the 6.1% overall dropout rate. This is fostered by the existence of unwelcoming spaces and ableist culture. If we want a glimpse of the true potential disabled individuals have in academia, we must first acknowledge and meet the access needs of all students.

It is important to recognize that access barriers and a lack of equity in the treatment of disabled individuals is a global issue. Accommodations and access needs are an afterthought or never even thought of at all, and this needs to change. As students of the University of Massachusetts Amherst we request the following with the understanding that change is needed everywhere.

• Improve infrastructure so all students experience equity in physical access to campus spaces
• Educate faculty, staff, and students on disabled experiences and disability rights (specifically in the scope of education)
• Create and enforce policy surrounding disability on campus to ensure a truly inclusive and equitable college experience for all students, especially those of us with disabilities

You matter at UMass, disabled or not, so let’s be revolutionary and become the number one campus for accessibility and inclusion! 

Please sign and share this petition to support disabled students. A better future is ahead of us!