By: Victor Mays, Reporter
Being aware of the disabilities of others is something that every person should do. What better time to start than Disability Awareness Month. There are many types of disabilities in the world. Some disabilities are very common in college students, but not all disabilities are visible.
According to Day.yale.edu the most common disabilities in under- graduate students in a four year col- lege are learning disabilities, ADHD, Autism, difficulty hearing and seeing.
Autism Spectrum Disorder is a disorder that mostly affects behavior and communication. It is considered a developmental disorder but can be diagnosed at any age.
There are accommodations specifically on UNCP’s campus that help people who struggle with these disabilities. The school offers reasonable and individualized accommodations for students with a disability.
To get these accommodations students must go to the Accessibility Resource Center with records of a documented disability. It is the responsibility of the students to go to ARC themselves to receive accommodations.
It is very important to be aware of your fellow students so you do not accidentally hurt their feelings or offend someone. Everyone regardless of them having or not having a disability is important and contributes to society.
Some of the world’s best and brightest are people who were either born with a disability or were diag- nosed with a disability later on in life. Anyone can have a disability.
Stephen Hawking was a great theoretical physicist who was physically disabled. He made great contributions to physics in how we understand the world around us.
Helen Keller was blind and deaf. She became a famous author and public speaker. Christopher Reeves was the first actor to play the role Superman in a feature theatrical film and he was paralyzed after a horse riding accident. However afterwards he still continued to act in movies and he even directed some aswell. Kyle Manyard was the first quadruple amputee to climb Mount Kilimanjaro.
James Earl Jones had a speech impediment, but overcame his disabil- ity and became known for his voice. Voicing many famous characters such as Darth Vader from “Star Wars” and Mufasa from “The Lion King.”
Students with disabilities can contact the ARC by calling 910-521-6695 or by using their email address. The email address is arc@uncp.edu.
For information detailing the process, go to UNCP’s website and search in the search bar accommodating students with disabilities.