By: Brianna Pearson, Campus News Editor
On Friday, Oct 25 2019, anybody passing through the dining hall, around 11:00 am to 1:00pm, could notice a little stand with posters and pamphlets near the exit doors of the cafeteria. The activity served as a conclusion to the different events endorsed by Saint Leo in order to raise awareness on disabilities for Disability Week.
All week long, quotes have been posted around the school’s facilities from people with disabilities. A lot of influential people throughout history, comprised of movie stars and athletes or simply historical figures, have struggled with disabilities. Disabilities are pretty common and it is how one overcomes these struggles that is inspirational.
A lot of modern stars suffer from disabilities. Orlando Bloom, actor famous for his portrayal of Will Turner in the Pirates of the Caribbean, is dyslexic. Despite having a relatively high IQ, the actor struggled with reading. Tom Cruise, another actor, famous for his portrayal of Ethan Hunt in the Mission Impossible series also suffers from dyslexia. Anthony Robles, former college wrestler, was born with only one leg and worked hard to win an NCAA wrestling championship. These are few examples among many others that it is possible to rise over the disabilities and to not let them define how one wants to live their lives or stop them from striving for their dreams.
This week’s activities, which were very successful, have been brought to the Saint Leo community by the MISO, the Office of Accessibility Services and Students Activities departments. Saint Leo’s very own Katie Huettel, senior student majoring in theater said: “They are always very nice to me” when asked about her experience dealing with the offices that have organized the events. These offices are always ready to help out students that either have disabilities or are trying to get information on disabilities.
Michael Bailey, head of the Office of Accessibility Services told us “Disabilities really aren’t just about what people can’t do, but the amazing contributions that people may have”. He also wanted to put an emphasis on how representation was crucial when talking about disabilities. It is not impossible and the only wall between achieving one’s dream and one’s current situation is their mindset.
