Students advocate for disability rights
National Disability Independence Day, celebrated every July 26 on the anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) being signed into law, serves as an opportunity to continue the advocacy for individuals with disabilities.
Two students in the Disability Studies minor program, Cheyenne Hennesay and Marissa Reeves, share their story and the work they do to continue advocating for accessibility.
Cheyenne Hennesay
Have you thought about what you’d like to do after graduation?
I like the idea of advising. I’m was an advising intern for the Department of English, and as I got more into the role, learned more about how advising works, and knowing what it’s like to be returning student, I fely very passionate about making people feel included and comfortable in continuing their education. I like trying to find pathways for them to want to continue. However, my ultimate goal is very high up there—I would like to produce films and be a screen writer so I can write the stories that I'm living and that I see people with chronic illness and disability living.
You mentioned you were a returning student. What made you come back to UTA to complete your studies?
I left due to my mental health; my anxiety was very severe. Imposter syndrome also played into it, so I ended up leaving in 2018. I took about three years or so to come back, and I don’t want to leave now. During the pandemic, I started taking my health more seriously and I also started going into therapy. As a natural homebody and someone who is immunocompromised, I stayed in a lot and started watching so many new things on TV. I watched a miniseries called Howard’s End, and I loved it. I don't really know how to verbalize exactly what I felt, but I do know that it was the thing that really pushed me to actually sit down and set up an advising appointment. I just suddenly missed learning.
What’s been your biggest takeaway from being in the Disability Studies minor program?
It’s really interesting because you take such a variety of courses because it is an interdisciplinary program. It has broadened my understanding of universal design and what access to the world looks like for everybody—it's not always black and white. Then in that same vein, going hand-in-hand with being back in school, I’m learning about my own learning disabilities. And overall, just compassion, that’s been one of the biggest things I’ve learned. I think that's one of the reasons why I've become much more of an advocate, because we tend to think about disability so black and white, but there's a lot of gray area that also needs to be talked about.
Marissa Reeves
As part of your major you had to pick a minor to study. Why did you choose Disability Studies?
Whenever I was informed that I needed a minor, Disability Studies stood out. Since I’ve been directly involved in the world of disability for many, many years, I was like, let me just see what it's about. After doing some reading on it, I looked at the curriculum and liked the options, so I decided to go with it.
What has been your experience with disability?
I have family members who have disabilities. A lot of the people in my family have been directly and indirectly involved with caring for someone, whether it be because of old age or illness or disability of some kind. It is just a big part of how I grew up and a part of me. I'm really passionate about disability rights, and I've always been super passionate about public access for people with service dogs. For my internship for the minor, I was an intern with Canine Companions. It’s a nonprofit that trains service dogs and pairs them to the right people. It was a very nice experience to see the dogs go through their training and potential clients be paired with the right dogs for their needs.
Can you tell me how you want to continue your advocacy work after graduation?
I want to work in human resources when I graduate. It’s a field that really focuses on making sure all ADA polices are upheld by employers. Some of the things the minor has taught me are all the different practices and policies that have to be implemented for the protection of people with disabilities. I think will be really beneficial to me because I now know what to look for, what is right and what can be seen as a violation. It’s taught me how to advocate. I would like to be the advocate I would like to have if I ever needed help in my workplace.