(gentle music)
- Our group started as a capstone project for a class
a couple springs or summers ago.
Their capstone project was making this group
that strived for accessibility advocacy,
like institutional change on campus
and going beyond compliance to address disability
and accessibility issues within Dartmouth
and within the institution and the campus culture.
- The name Access Dartmouth is an amazing testament
to the group's vision and mission
of creating a more equitable educational experience
for all of Dartmouth.
Access Dartmouth is so much more
than a disability advocacy group.
They care about access for all Dartmouth students
of varying ability.
- Their work is both advocacy and education,
and something I think is entirely necessary for Dartmouth
as they demonstrate a passion for steering
and leading conversations
that haven't necessarily happened before.
- This club by its nature
is an intersectionality of different.
Is an intersection of different identities,
and so being able to meet people from all different spaces,
all different walks of life,
in a space where intersectionality is already a norm,
I think really helps foster really interesting discussion
and really interesting learning opportunities for everyone.
So I'm so, so grateful that I get to interact
with these, you know, amazing people on a weekly basis,
and I can learn from them.
- I think it's really important to recognize
and acknowledge the obstacles that people have overcame
to come to the same place,
and people's various journeys
and the challenges that people have overcome in that.
And I think that that's giving justice
to the sometimes hostile social climate that we're in today.
- I think it's important to stress that within the kind
of social justice movement in the equation,
the goal from the beginning was to make sure
that everyone can succeed no matter where they come from,
not to benefit or disadvantage or, you know,
shame any particular group for existing as they are.
- Recognizing that there are a lot of things
that we just can't control that impact our lives
and doing what you can to make sure that those things
don't disadvantage someone
and having spaces where there are ways for people
to be able to access the same opportunities.
- I hope that through our work that more people will begin
to like take these small steps.
I think, I'm thinking that I might not be affected
by something, but someone else might.
I think building that kind of consideration
for the wellbeing of everyone,
not just dividing the population into students
with disabilities and students without is really important.
- I want to thank Access Dartmouth for inspiring me
to be a better professional,
to continue working and growing professionally
in my work on disability advocacy,
and just learning more about universal design
and for just being great partners
in everything that we've done.
- I want to deeply thank Access Dartmouth
for all that they've taught us
and inspired us to learn and do.
I want to thank them for their courage
and the joy that they bring to their work
and to the way they have brought joy
to our work in our shared partnership
and for all that they've done for our community,
cannot wait to continue working with you
and doing this work with you.
So thank you so much.
(gentle music)