Students participated in activities like wheelchair basketball and a blindfolded obstacle course to experience what it might be like to live with a disability as a part of UNM’s Disability Awareness Day on Friday.
Advocates for Universal Design, a student organization, hosted the event along with UNM’s Accessibility Resource Center, the Office of Equal Opportunity and the Office of Equity and Inclusion.
AUD President Randy Holley said the goal of the event was to raise awareness about challenges people with disabilities face, and educate students with disabilities about resources that can help them.
“We want people to take our wheelchair obstacle course challenge to see how hard it is to go down that ramp (by the SUB) to the library, go in the library, pick up some study materials and come back the same way they went and go back up that ramp,” she said.
“That ramp is horrible; it’s definitely not a pleasant trip.”
Student Amanda Youngblood, who is blind and a member of UNM’s division of the National Federation of the Blind, helped lead the “blind challenge.” She blindfolded challenge participants who were asked to maneuver using a cane while being led by a person who is blind. Youngblood said she thinks Disability Awareness Day is an effective way to help students understand disabilities.
“I think it’s just really about educating the public and spreading awareness about various disabilities and getting the word out there,” she said. “I think they’ll learn that we’re people just like everyone else and we just have to do things a little differently and it’s not scary.”
The Albuquerque Kings, a wheelchair basketball team, was also at the event encouraging students to try playing wheelchair basketball. Team member and student Dominique Rogers said students need to realize people with disabilities are just like anyone else.
“I think people notice people with disabilities, but don’t always feel comfortable with approaching them,” Rogers said. “Events like this allow them to feel comfortable about approaching them and asking questions.
Student Jaime Astorga tried playing wheelchair basketball and said it was a challenge.
“You’re really not aware of what people with disabilities do with sports,” she said.
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