Audra Nemirow/The Hofstra Chronicle

A sign outside Heger Hall commemorating Hofstra’s dedication to creating a barrier-free campus.

The world and campus we live on is riddled with ableism. Hofstra’s new chapter of DREAM is determined to spread awareness of this by strengthening the sense of community among disabled students and tackling issues head-on. DREAM stands for Disability Rights, Education, Activism and Mentoring. It is a national organization whose mission is “to empower students with disabilities to work for local and national change, encourage the development of disability culture and peer support and advance the study of disabilities within academia.

The idea of starting DREAM Hofstra was encouraged by Director of Disability Studies Craig Rustici. Rustici said that a former student of his had once expressed to him that she wished Hofstra had one club for students with all types of disabilities and student allies. He later came across an announcement about an upcoming meeting for the national board for DREAM. From there, he researched DREAM and figured it would be perfect for Hofstra students to have their own chapter. Rustici then reached out to students to see if there was enough interest to get the chapter started, and there was.

Among the students he reached out to was senior psychology major and president of DREAM, Kada Jackel. The way Jackel sees it, it’s up to disabled students at Hofstra to make themselves heard and initiate the necessary reformations to make campus more accessible. “A lot of change can’t really be done from inside administrative positions … I knew that a lot of it needed to be student-driven,” Jackel said.

DREAM has not yet been officially recognized as an organization by the university, but they are still managing to be active with students by holding Zoom meetings open to all of Hofstra’s disabled students and allies every Saturday from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. There, members talk about the experiences and challenges they face as disabled students at Hofstra. “That fosters a community, but then we also get information on what else needs to change that we weren’t aware of,” Jackel explained.

While DREAM is run entirely by students with disabilities, most of the people on their e-board have invisible disabilities., therefore they can’t always know the obstacles that students with different disabilities encounter. Creating a space where they can hear directly from students allows them the insight they need to better understand the challenges those students face. From there, they can work towards eliminating said challenges. “We aren’t looking to necessarily cater to everyone equally,” Jackel said. “It’s more equitably. So, if for instance, we notice that one specific subsection of the disabled community needs more support, then that’s where we’re going to focus more.”

The Americans with Disabilities Act’s definition of what a disability is goes beyond most people’s preconceived idea of what qualifies as a disability. According to the ADA, “An individual with a disability is defined by the ADA as a person who has a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities, a person who has a history or record of such an impairment, or a person who is perceived by others as having such an impairment.” The ADA recognizes PTSD, asthma and allergies as disabilities.

Sophomore pre-law and sociology major and secretary of DREAM, Sinjita Bhattacharya, says DREAM is an affirming and validating space where she can talk about the different microaggressions she experiences and the ableism that exists on campus. “It’s a space where I can voice that and other people know what I’m talking about.” But for Bhattacharya, the club isn’t only about talking and establishing relatability. “It’s not just about supporting each other. It’s also making change happen and supporting each other at the same time.”

Hofstra University has a history of taking initiatives to make its campus more accessible. In the 1960s, Hofstra created the Program for Higher Education of the Disabled, and by 1981 the university spent millions of dollars to make the campus more accessible. They were ahead of their time, as this was years before even the ADA was signed into law.

Rustici says accessibility is part of the university’s identity. “It’s very much a part of our heritage here to be accessible and to have students involved in defining and advocating for that accessibility.” However, Rustici also explained that accessibility is an ever-advancing concept. “We’re an evolving campus, and what accessibility is now in 2021 is different than it was in 1981,” Rustici said. “What was an accessible bathroom stall in ‘81 might not be now, because the sort of motorized wheelchairs people use now may be a little larger.”

There are many ableist aspects of campus life at Hofstra that may go unnoticed to able-bodied people. Bhattacharya claimed that there have been instances in which the driver of the Hofstra shuttle did not know how to open the ramps that give wheelchair users the ability to get on the bus. She also says that the drivers also occasionally fail to strap the wheelchairs in properly. “It’s incredibly unsafe,” Bhattacharya said.

Additionally, many students with disabilities have trouble accessing their mailbox, prescription medications or food in the student center. Even quarantine housing isn’t accessible because Colonial Square isn’t wheelchair friendly. “I don’t want to say they make it harder on purpose, but it just feels like it,” Jackel said.

DREAM’s goal is to make these issues known and stimulate change. A campus that is more accessible to people with disabilities should be what Hofstra is striving for.