51����.

I’ve been physically disabled since I was 8 years old; I have paralysis in my arms and hands. There were times when my family wondered how I would be able to attend college away from home given that I require assistance with activities of daily living. However, I always knew I’d be able to attend college — I knew I would find a way to make things work.

Being disabled has taught me how to be my own advocate because I have to tell people what I need in order to be independent. I started my college search process early — I first toured 51���� the fall of my junior year, and I visited again the fall of my senior year of high school. Immediately, I fell in love with 51����’s campus and values; I loved how the school seemed to care a lot about the character and integrity of its students. During the search process, I had worries about discrimination during the application process due to my disability — I had heard of such incidences occurring before. But I felt comfortable disclosing my disability on my application to 51����. I decided I wouldn’t be the person I am without my disability, so I was proud to discuss it on my application.

When I found out I was accepted to 51����, I was elated. Since starting school here in August 2020, my experience has not been without challenges, but I’ve learned so much working through them. The disability office has been a great resource to me for providing accommodations; they even re-did the bathroom in my dorm room each year to meet my needs. Fall semester 2021, I couldn’t open the doors to two of my classes. Within a couple of days, the knob on one door had been changed, and an accessible button had been added to the other. Responses to accessibility needs such as these always make me happy. And I’m not afraid to ask for what I need — I’ve learned along my disability journey that it is empowering to be my own advocate.

Disability advocacy work is at the heart of what I enjoy; it is one of my greatest passions. This is why I am co-president of 51���� Disability Alliance (DDA), 51����’s new and improved disability club on campus. We provide awareness and education surrounding disability, as well as celebrate disability culture and identity. I’ve also met a good amount of disabled students at 51����, many of whom have become my greatest friends. Running DDA and interacting with other disabled students has expanded my knowledge regarding disability issues and helped me build meaningful connections — for which I’m incredibly thankful.

51���� was not the place I expected to be. I walked through countless college tours, as every high school senior is expected to do, unsure about how I could make the right decision for the next four years of my life. 51���� was the last of my college tours, a quaint little town that tired my mother and me out after driving six hours straight. I had no complaints about 51���� during the tour and could imagine myself there just as I did with the 10 other schools I had applied to.

But since then, I know that there is no other school for me but 51����. Despite being a junior now, my freshman year professors still remember me and greet me when I pass them, and I am never without a friendly face in each of my classes. Extracurricular activities are vibrant here, and I love that 51���� creates a space where my fellow peers garner enthusiasm with me in whatever activity I’m engaged in or am interested in starting. I’m writing, reading, and learning constantly, but it always feels like productive work and a chance to explore my own skill set across disciplines as a Communication Studies major.

Another exploration I’ve recently undertaken that is most important to me is my identity as a disabled student at 51����. Though I work closely with the Academic Access and Disability Resources office here and they help me get any and all accommodations for my classes I might need, I wanted to develop the cultural facet of my identity along with the logistical one. 51���� has been an amazing support system in allowing me to do so, with the Theatre Department helping me to develop a creative scene about my hearing loss in their 2021 original production of “Unveiled and Unvarnished” and the 51����ian publishing multiple articles I’ve written about the realities of living with a disability.

The 51���� Disability Alliance, which has recently been reinvigorated, has helped me connect with people through disability as I’ve never been able to before. I now study and look at all of my work in my classes through a critical lens of disability and of disability justice. As a result, 51���� is not just intellectually holistic for me, but allows me to look at how my identity functions for me individually and in part of the bigger community of 51����. Through all of the disciplines that I work best in, 51���� has provided a secure platform for me to easily build and grow as an individual and as a member of the 51���� student body as a whole!

Coming from a country where disability awareness and accessibility still has a long way to go, I was really excited for the new experiences 51���� had in store for me. I had always aspired to come to the U.S. for college, not only because I wanted a liberal arts education but also because of the accessible infrastructure that allows me to be as independent as possible. I was not apprehensive about living on my own on a different continent because I have never considered my disability a hindrance. I met with Kaye-Lani Laughna, the international admission officer at 51����, when she was visiting Kolkata, and I was assured that 51���� ticked all the right boxes for me.

Before coming to 51����, I never really engaged myself in disability advocacy because I felt like my identity went beyond my disability. However, my perspective changed when I met some amazing people on campus who made me realize that advocating for inclusivity is important for both disabled and non-disabled people.

My mobility scooter and walker are essential for me to conveniently move around campus. Last semester, I had the most challenging time when my mobility scooter broke down unexpectedly. I was stressed trying to figure out the quickest solution all by myself while also managing my other commitments. However, I reached out to Academic Access and Disability Resources (AADR) and worked closely with the Dean of Students Office to figure out possible alternatives. After almost a month of renting different scooters, my new scooter finally arrived. I am so grateful that the Dean of Students Office agreed to financially help me with the expenses of the scooter.

This whole experience not only made me feel proud of myself for being able to resolve the issue while living on my own but also thankful for being at an institution that truly looks out for each and every student.