By Anna Catherman
First-year student Kendra Warner is seeking to make Houghton a more accessible campus and foster community among its disabled students through a new support group.
Warner, who has several disabilities herself, immediately felt at home when she first toured Houghton University during a Highlander Preview Day last year. She came primarily to visit a friend, but fell in love with the campus and stayed for ten hours straight. She liked the community, classes, and professors. “Literally all of it,” she said with a smile.
Warner, a Communications major, is willing to speak candidly about her disability. On this particular day, she walked unaided, dressed in blacks and grays, wearing high-heeled shoes. But on many other days, Warner uses forearm crutches or a wheelchair due to her functional neurological disorder. The disorder, she explained, can cause “a lot of havoc”: epilepsy, paralysis, fatigue, tremors, and tics. She also has amplified musculoskeletal pain syndrome.
Warner has a deep appreciation for the Houghton community and all she’s experienced here. She has had flexibility from professors when she has been unable to attend classes due to pain or sickness. “Ever since move-in day, life has been 10 bazillion times better than high school, and I could not be more grateful for Houghton,” Warner said.
Still, there are challenges. She struggles to attend some events, especially outdoor events like picnics, in her wheelchair. And disabled students on campus can feel isolated in their unique challenges.
Warner yearned for something she’s wanted since high school: a dedicated disability support group.
That dream is becoming a reality. Warner has founded a new group: ACCESS, short for “ACcessibility, Cohort, Encounter, Student, Support”.
ACCESS will focus on two areas: providing support for students with disabilities and raising awareness of disabilities campus-wide. Warner, who will be the club’s president, has had the vision for ACCESS since her sophomore year of high school. She suffered from bullying and has never had a support group for her chronic illnesses and disabilities.
“I wanted to create a place where people feel safe and supported,” she said.
Fellow first-year student Lee James is a co-founder of ACCESS. James, a History and Education double major, met Warner at a workshop about getting involved on campus during orientation weekend. When Warner asked questions about starting a support group for disabled students, James, one of the other attendees, expressed interest in joining the club once it was started. Warner invited her to help found it. James, who has a tic disorder, shared Warner’s passion and enthusiasm for providing support to disabled students. “Me and Kendra [Warner] were a really good combo,” she shared. Warner used her communications skills to advertise the club, while James enjoyed pounding out the logistics.
Sharon Mulligan, Director of Academic Support and Accessibility Services, will serve as the faculty advisor for the club. Mulligan’s job is to communicate and advocate for students and their needs. Mulligan said that Warner approached her “[S]o excited to be in a place where others were experiencing the same things.” She is glad to see a student-led organization that will provide ongoing support.
ACCESS is planning to begin full-force this semester, providing regular support meetings, awareness activities, and accessible events. Meetings will be open to all students, not just disabled students. And their campus-wide events will be accessible for those with disabilities.
ACCESS’s mission, according to Warner, is simple. “We want to engage the campus.”
For information on meeting times and locations, contact Kendra Warner. ★
