BY JESSALYN KIRCHHOFF
Every year, the Fort Hays Honor Society plans and puts on Disabilities Awareness Week (DAW) during the last week of March. This year, DAW will take place Monday, March 28 through Thursday, March 31.
Hannah Wiebe, the community service committee coordinator for the Fort Hays Honor Society is the mastermind of the entire week. Wiebe explains what the main focus of DAW is and the overall mission she is hoping to accomplish.
“The goal of Disabilities Awareness week is to encourage students and faculty to put themselves in others’ shoes, to amplify the voices of those who have disabilities, to educate our campus and community on what resources are available, and to engage in conversation on how to best support someone with a disability,” Wiebe said. “Our mission is to spread awareness, increase education, and defeat stigma surrounding physical, mental, and developmental disabilities.”
She goes on to illustrate what each day will consist of and the activities that will take place.
“Each day of DAW will have an emphasis on a different type of disability. Monday will focus on physical disabilities, Tuesday will focus on mental disabilities, and Wednesday will focus on developmental disabilities. Monday through Wednesday we will have various organizations tabling in the Union from 10-2, and Tuesday-Thursday we will have panels and presentations at 6:30 pm in the evenings.”
Wiebe expressed her enthusiasm for a few specific activities during the week – the mental health panel on Tuesday and the developmental disabilities panel on Wednesday.
“…we have great panelists with unique perspectives and experiences lined up to speak,” she said. “These panels will have opportunities for Q&A from the audience, which will allow for meaningful conversation on these topics.”
Wiebe believes that Disabilities Awareness Week is more than just another event that takes place on campus.
“DAW is an important event because even though some disabilities are more visible than others, I believe everyone has something,” Wiebe said. “It is important to recognize the prevalence of disability around us in everyday life and create space, empathy, and respect for diversely-abled bodies and minds. By increasing awareness of the prevalence of disabilities and how to access specific resources and accommodations, we hope to help individuals with disabilities seek the help they need while also reducing the stigma surrounding disabilities.”
Wiebe clarifies that although DAW is sponsored by the Fort Hays Honor Society, it is open to all students, faculty, and the general public.
“If you are interested in getting involved in DAW, you can attend any and all events scheduled for the week,” she said. “You can also anonymously share how disability has affected you or someone you know by writing on the whiteboard in the Memorial Union throughout the week of DAW, or by going to this link.”
Individuals can also take the Implicit Attitudes Test for Disability to become aware of their own biases
Those with questions or anyone interested in volunteering at an event for DAW can contact FHHS at fhhs.fhsu@gmail.com or Wiebe herself at hmwiebe@mail.fhsu.edu.
Below is the complete schedule for the week:
Monday (3/28) – Accessibility Services & Physical Disability Simulation – Tables in the Memorial Union from 10 am – 2 pm
Tuesday (3/29) – Counseling Services & Student Athlete Advisory Committee – Tables in the Memorial Union from 10 am – 2 pm
Tuesday (3/29) – Mental Health Panel – Black & Gold Room from 6:30-8:00 pm
- Panelists: Jessica Albin, Leo Herrman, Bob Duffy, and Will Stutterheim
Wednesday (3/30) – Education Department, DSNWK, & Accessibility Services – Tables in the Memorial Union from 10 am – 2 pm
Wednesday (3/30) – First Responder Art Collaboration Training – Atrium of Art & Design Building from 10:30 am – 12:30 pm
Wednesday (3/30) – Developmental Disabilities Panel – Stouffer Lounge from 6:30 – 8:00 pm
- Panelists: Karen McCullough, Sara Biggs, Scott Stults, Brie Bradshaw, and Betsy Crawford
Thursday (3/31) – Military & PTSD Presentation – Zoom link will be made available on FHHS’s Tigerlink closer to the event
- Guest Speaker: Veteran Jason Veetch