During my Lead Forward initiative this year, I have been working on improving accessibility within student organizations so that all students are able to be members and participate meaningfully. This project began when one of our HonorServes members, specifically, my Lead Forward project partner, Francis Corvin, expressed that they were unable to participate in our events due to a lack of accommodations. As the primary leader of HonorServes, I wanted to ensure that all members could fully participate and worked with Francis to develop this Lead Forward project to implement accessibility in the HonorServes committee.

As a nondisabled student, I personally do not require accommodations to participate in student organizations. However, through learning about accessibility barriers, the current state of inaccessibility, and the number of individuals impacted, I have come to understand the significance of this issue and project. That said, I acknowledge that I am still learning. If I were to undertake this project alone, I might have caused more harm than good. Projects like HonorServes Accessibility require open and honest collaboration and communication with Disabled individuals to ensure their actual needs are being addressed, rather than assuming that small, surface-level changes will suffice. To that end, my research inquiry question asks: In what ways can nondisabled individuals effectively advocate for and address the needs of Disabled individuals?

The article by Evans et al. (2005), Encouraging the Development of Disability Allies, examines attitudes toward Disabled individuals, the concept of appropriate nondisabled allyship, and actions allies can take in the pursuit of social justice. Their research found that indirect experiences (such as portrayals of Disabled individuals in media), direct experiences, and the attitudes of one’s primary social group (e.g., parents or friends) are the primary factors that shape an individual's views on disability. These findings are important because they offer understanding into how negative attitudes can be changed through the same mechanisms. For example, sharing media that accurately portrays disability or creating meaningful interactions with Disabled peers or professors can lead to more positive attitudes and a better sense of disability. However, a change in attitude is simply not enough for true allyship. Additional components of ally development include raising awareness, promoting accurate disability education, developing dialogue skills, organizational strategies for change, and critical thinking to challenge barriers (Evans et al., 2005). To implement these strategies, nondisabled students, including myself, must educate ourselves through reliable resources and conversations with Disabled individuals. We must raise awareness by ensuring events and materials are accessible and take direct action ourselves to address access issues instead of relying on Disabled students to advocate on their own behalf. These behaviors can result in social change and help create more inclusive, safe spaces for Disabled individuals, while simultaneously improving the education and advocacy skills of nondisabled allies.

In the article by Ostrove et al. (2019), Actors Against Ableism? Qualities of Nondisabled Allies from the Perspective of People with Physical Disabilities, they conducted interviews with sixteen Disabled individuals (aged 28-70) who described nondisabled individuals in their lives who were effective allies that understood and cared about their concerns. The article describes allyship as more of a verb rather than an identity as it requires an ongoing process of learning, critical self-reflection, and engaged action. The six central themes of an effective ally identified by Disabled individuals included offering appropriate help, being trustworthy in understanding identity, advocating and acting, making personal connections, being willing to learn, and communicating effectively (Ostrove et al., 2019). There is often a harmful stereotype that Disabled people always “need help.” It is not wrong to offer help, but it must be done so in a way that is supportive, welcomed, or requested. Another important way to be a good ally is to form authentic personal connections where an individual's disability is acknowledged without defining them solely by that identity, and creating spaces where they feel comfortable sharing their concerns. One way to implement general engagement of all individuals in HonorServes could be to facilitate activities that promote inclusive interaction, such as team-building exercises or guided discussions, so that no student feels excluded. Further, advocacy, action, and a willingness to learn are necessary aspects of allyship. As our accessibility team prepares to engage with other student leaders next year, we want to encourage open-mindedness and thoughtful questions, as well as raise awareness about the current conditions of inaccessibility in student organizations. Our goal is to inspire these student leaders and organizations to actively engage with us to reduce inaccessibility at Purdue. As we move into these conversations next year, we need to construct a presentation that enables student leaders to learn about accessibility barriers, promote open dialogue, and make the problem visible enough to them to recognize the need for change. In general, as a nondisabled person, I need to recognize the need to continue this lifelong learning process about accessibility and do what I can to advocate for accessibility across campus without inadvertently harming the Disabled community.

Both articles state that learning is a significant aspect of advocacy. To be transparent, I began this project with limited understanding of accessibility and disability, and my perspective has changed significantly as we near the end of the school year. For example, when it came to captioning, I previously assumed that free, AI-generated captions were adequate. However, after testing different formats with Francis, we found them difficult to follow due to errors. While these options may be helpful on a minimal budget, they often miss critical words, which can make it difficult to comprehend the conversation. In comparison, using live human captioning significantly improved clarity and understanding. It taught me that captioning is beneficial for everyone, whether someone momentarily zones out or struggles to hear clearly. Another important aspect of advocacy is being a good listener. As someone who enjoys contributing and being actively engaged in projects, I initially found it difficult to step back. Yet, this project has taught me that sometimes the most meaningful contribution I can make is to listen, especially when I do not have all the answers. This does not diminish my role, but rather signifies the importance of openness and responsiveness to lived experiences.

Overall, as I continue to grow as a leader, I recognize that I may never fully understand the lived experience of inaccessibility. However, I can commit to ongoing learning, education, advocacy, and the intentional implementation of accessible practices. Inaccessibility is an urgent and significant issue that must be addressed. With the right resources and an open, inclusive environment, Disabled individuals can experience a stronger sense of belonging.