Thursday, October 18, 2007
Angela Lindsey-Nunn hung a handicapped parking identification permit on her shirt as she introduced herself in the Kansas Union Wednesday afternoon.
Lindsey-Nunn, Salina senior, is a mother, teacher, student, businesswoman and volunteer. She also has epilepsy. She said being labeled as handicapped was derogatory, and being labeled as disabled was inappropriate.
Angela Lindsey-Nunn, Salina senior, explains what she does in her daily life to change societal views of people with disabilities. Lindsey-Nunn was part of a four-person panel that discussed women with disabilities called "Critical Conversations: Women, Disability, and Power" that was at noon yesterday in the Pine Room of the Kansas Union. The others members of the panel were, from left, Dot Nary, an applied behavioral science doctoral student, Dr. Jean Peterson, associate professor of social welfare, and Dr. Mary Ann Rasnak, director of the Academic Access and Achievement Center.
“That’s the same term used to describe a truck holding up traffic on I-70,” Lindsey-Nunn said.
Lindsey-Nunn participated in the panel discussion “Critical Conversations: Women, Disability and Power,” hosted by the Emily Taylor Women’s Resource Center. The Center has previously hosted Critical Conversations, but this was the first time they had discussed women and disabilities.
“The main reason we are doing this is because it’s a topic that’s never really talked about,” said Angela Oliver, assistant director for the Student Involvement and Leadership Center and moderator of the discussion.
Lindsey-Nunn stressed the importance of using person-first language, for example saying ‘she has epilepsy’ rather than saying ‘she is epileptic.’ She said person-first language kept the focus on the person and not what the person had.
Mary Ann Rasnak, Academic Achievement and Access Center director, said she was not satisfied with the University’s policy on diversity because it did not take into consideration people with disabilities. She said society had not yet reached the point where the range of potential of individuals with disabilities could be accepted.
“The biggest disability is always attitude,” Rasnak said.
Lynn Bretz, director of University communications, said Chancellor Robert Hemenway was proactive in making the University a welcoming and accommodating place for students with disabilities. She said the chancellor took a tour of the campus in a wheelchair in 2004, then funded additional accommodations such as power doors.
Bretz said the original language of the policy was intentionally put into broad terms to cover a range of people with disabilities including “financial, social, family, physical or educational hardships.”
“Awareness can change,” Bretz said. “If the disability community wants to revisit the policy, they should contact Student Success and the chancellor’s office, both of whom have been very receptive to concerns from students with disabilities.”
Edited by Luke Morris
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