The Disabled Student Assembly is a recently chartered organization Loyola that aims to end stigmas and cultivate community for students with disabilities and their allies.
DSA President Kaley Delker said, “As a disabled person, I can speak to the importance of community. There are very few people who can truly understand the disabled experience other than disabled people themselves.”
According to Delker, disabled students may receive aid in classes and housing, but other areas of need such as transportation to and around campus, or access to student events that are held in inaccessible places or contain loud music and bright lights.
“Institutions have a hard time addressing systemic issues that they think they effectively handle. Student advocacy is a necessary way for disabled students to get the accommodations and understanding they need to thrive at Loyola,” Delker said.
Loyola meets federal regulations, but those are the bare minimum, she said.
“All of that responsibility is put on the students, which can be incredibly difficult for students transitioning into college,” the history junior said.
For DSA membership secretary, Mia Nieto, the DSA is important because of the community it provides for disabled students, along with the ability to educate and spread awareness about the disabled community.
Nieto said, “I have arthritis and wanted to connect with people who experience similar struggles that I face. Everyone needs people they can relate to on a deeper level, and DSA is a community that has people I can do with.”
