Living with a disability is like being a mountain climber for Erin Waterman.
“Mountains are a part of your every day,” said Waterman, a 23-year-old UF second-year physical therapy doctorate. “Eventually, you get your mountain legs, and they’re just a part of the path.”
Waterman was the keynote speaker at the Disability Resource Center’s first-ever Disability Advocacy Assembly Thursday night in Cypress Hall. Roughly 50 people attended and received free pizza and T-shirts.
“The purpose of this event was to gather a community together that cares about disability inclusion and to celebrate disability identity,” said Beth Roland, the organizer of the event and the assistant director and learning specialist at the UF Disability Resource Center.
UF Student Government, the Ambassadors for Disability Awareness and Delta Alpha Pi, an academic honor society that recognizes students with disabilities, spoke about disability awareness at the event.
Ms. Wheelchair Florida 2018, Shavaughn Barnes, 29, uses American Sign Language to perform “This Is Me” from “The Greatest Showman” at the UF Disability Advocacy Assembly Thursday night.
The event included a performance by Ms. Wheelchair Florida 2018, Shavaughn Barnes, in American Sign Language. She came donned in a large tiara and white sash, signing the song “This is Me” from the movie “The Greatest Showman.”
“I hope they take away that having a disability basically doesn’t stop you from doing anything,” Barnes said.
Asha Jackson, a 19-year-old UF communications sciences and disorders sophomore, said UF doesn’t talk about disability enough.
“Disabled people are an undermined group and we don’t think about what they go through,” Jackson said. “We need to raise awareness.”
Pins are passed out with words of encouragement at the UF Disability Advocacy Assembly Thursday night. The event, which aimed towards building a more inclusive and aware campus, took place at Cypress Hall.
