DISABILITY INCLUSION Toolkit

BROUGHT TO YOU BY THE MULTICULTURAL RESOURCE CENTER & STUDENT ASSOCIATION DISABILITY SERVICES

Resource Toolkit For The Ualbany Community

The Multicultural Resource Center in collaboration with the Student Association Disability Services has created a toolkit that provides a host of resources to help you explore, plan, communicate, and engage your teams on disability justice.

This toolkit contains links to videos, photos, articles, and shared folder to be used at the University at Albany to explore the intersections and experience of people with disability both historically and in American life today, while also sharing the various ways our Student Association Disabilities Services collaborates with the Office of Intercultural Student Engagement.

1. Getting Started a. What is DDAM? b. Awareness Month Theme

2. Getting Involved a. SA Disability Services b. What is Disability Justice? c. Disability Awareness films d. Disability Etiquette and Awareness

3. Taking Action a. Resources and further information b. Week of Action 3/2024 c. Shared Resource Folder, click here.

Figure 1. The logo that will be used to unify our efforts in educating and raising awareness about inclusion and addressing the barriers people with disabilities face to ensure everyone has equal access to opportunities in all aspects of life.

The Disability Inclusion Toolkit presents the four major types of disability: physical, developmental, behavioral, emotional, and sensory impaired disorders. The logo's sign language 1 and 3 symbolize the estimated 1.3 billion people with significant disabilities. This represents 16% of the world's population or 1 in 6.

WHAT IS DISABILITY?

It is important to remember that in the context of the ADA, “disability” is a legal term rather than a medical one. Because it has a legal definition, the ADA’s definition of disability is different from how disability is defined under some other laws, such as for Social Security Disability related benefits.

The ADA defines a person with a disability as a person who has a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activity. This includes people who have a record of such an impairment, even if they do not currently have a disability. It also includes individuals who do not have a disability but are regarded as having a disability. The ADA also makes it unlawful to discriminate against a person based on that person’s association with a person with a disability.

WHAT IS DDAM?

March is Developmental Disabilities

Awareness Month. It’s a nationwide event to raise awareness about inclusion and addressing the barriers people with developmental disabilities face to ensure everyone has equal access to opportunities in all aspects of life.

This is a key awareness month for DSHS Developmental Disabilities Administration. “It aligns with our mission and the work we do every day,” said Shaw Seaman, a DDA office chief who oversees provider compliance, quality assurance and communications.

In 1987, President Ronald Reagan made a public proclamation – dedicating the month to increasing public awareness of the needs and potential of Americans with developmental disabilities. The goal is the same today and focuses on the importance of inclusion and living life side-by-side. To learn more, click here.

The 2023 theme is Beyond the Conversation, focusing on the question, “what next?”

STUDENT ASSOCIATION DISABILITY SERVICES (S.A.D.S.)

The department advocates for the student body by pushing for more accessibility on campus, from asking for ways to make campus easier to navigate physically, to raising awareness of disability needs on campus. They communicate with outside groups to invite them on campus to share their experiences, as well as communicate with campus administrators to share the needs or complaints students bring to their attention.

Director: sadisablityservices@albany.edu

Associate Director: Jaas Bellamy

Intern: Maverick Stott

Location: Campus Center West B84

Instagram: @sads.ua

The department oversees our Developmental Disability Awareness month with the support of multiple Student Affairs offices.