Humble Beginnings
United Students has been around for a long time. However, the organization as we know it today began in the spring of 2005. Dr. Donald Prisock, Disability Services Coordinator at Student Support Services, recruited one Blake Watson to be a member of United Students. Blake then recruited Jade Cummins and it wasn’t long before the organization was ready to embark upon its first official year of operation 8 members strong in the fall of 2005. Dr. “Donnie”, as they call him, was made Faculty Adviser. He retired in 2008 and will be greatly missed.
What We’re Doing
There are over 200 students with disabilities at MSU. Our goal is to make their lives as students easier and more fulfilling. We address many issues that concern students with disabilities. One such issue is accessibility. We wanted people to be able to find out accessibility information, such as the location of a ramp or an automatic door, for any building on campus. With this goal in mind, we started the Building Access Project, an online information system that is capable of providing such information.
United Students also strives to promote disability awareness. To do this, we sponsor a Disability Awareness Day and a panel discussion. The purpose of these activities is to help people gain insight into the lives of people with disabilities. In addition, it helps people feel more comfortable about approaching people with disabilities.
I Want to Join United Students!
Great! We would love to have you. Aside from the above activities, we usually have movie or game nights, just to hang out with each other. Side effects of joining United Students include meeting new people and gaining new friends.