Here at ABAC, there is a club for everyone- whether you’re interested in agriculture, interested in side-hobbies like Dungeons and Dragons or beekeeping, or just the diversity of the student body as a whole. However, now there is a new club that is on the rise, given that it gets a sufficient amount of support.
The Disability, Rights, Education, Activism, and Mentoring, or D.R.E.A.M. club, is a club that stands to help represent as well as assist those that are differently-abled. The interest meeting was held by leader Lois Friedman on October 26, inside of the Bowen Hall in room 100.
The meeting was to spike interest in what could be a safe space for those with mental or physical disabilities, and for them to unite, share experiences, and make new friends- all free of cost. All of this is positive reinforcement for those seeking it, which is paramount. Feeling comfortable within ABAC’s campus is important, but feeling like there is someone to relate to in terms of experience is also important.
The club is not exclusively for disabled students. It is also for those willing to show their support for the disabled community. People with friends, relatives, or loved ones are also welcomed to join the club if they would like. Doing so would also allow for the spread of awareness on campus about the importance of taking disabilities into account rather than being afraid of them or just afraid for them.
Friedman said, “‘Disability’ is not a bad word.” Disabilities, simply put, are things that are meant to be embraced as a portion of diversity, and diversity is what keeps everybody from being predictable, and solidifies them as special.
At the moment, for the DREAM club to become existent and more fluid within its activities, it needs more members. Activity ideas have been thrown up, like a LEGO-representation activity with each piece representing one’s disability, and other ideas,just trying to configure the groundwork for the club as a whole. The DREAM club is one that can cover the base of the disability portion of diversity on ABAC’s campus, if given the right standing.