Students with disabilities recognize supportive faculty and staff

More than 30 Binghamton University faculty and staff were recognized for their contributions toward opening the doors of access to higher education at the Services for Students with Disabilities (SSD) Recognition Reception. Students registered with SSD recognized these individuals for going above and beyond to accommodate and support Binghamton University students with disabilities.

“Thank you to our leaders, and thank you to all of you who have helped create this culture, and thank you to our students for your persistence, your advocacy, and on some level your patience with us,” said Brian Rose, vice president for student affairs, in his welcoming remarks at the March 27 event.

Several individuals and groups received specific awards. The Beyond Compliance Award was presented to Patti Reuther, Lori-Marie Sprague, Laura Fahs, Sidney Hunt and Sophie Whittington of the Innovative Simulation and Practice Center at Decker College of Nursing and Health Sciences. The faculty and staff of ISPC play an integral role in ensuring the equitable participation of students with disabilities in the many aspects of learning that occur in the ISPC. They have spent time with SSD staff and students to trial accommodations, set up technology to meet accommodation needs, and have been available to talk through complex scenarios.

The staff members have also worked to provide students with opportunities to interact with individuals with disabilities, increasing the students’ disability knowledge and awareness. Additionally, the leadership team is making an effort to ensure the ISPC space is accessible to all users and has sought collaboration with national leaders in disability access in health sciences.

The B. Jean Fairbairn Access Award, named for the founder and director of SSD until her retirement in 2016, was presented to Andrew Tucci, director of educational communications, for his advocacy to assure that classroom technology is both accessible and equitable. He has been instrumental in assuring accessible classroom technology including Panopto, captioning, sound systems, seating, lighting and even amplified stethoscopes.

A new award, the Reframing Disability Award, was presented to a student who has demonstrated an exceptional commitment to reframing the disability narrative at Binghamton University.

“We talk about representation a lot in terms of faculty and staff,” said Christen Szymanski, director of SSD. “And yes, for an underserved minority, representation is great and we need it on campus. But we also need that representation from student leaders. This year we were lucky enough to see that.”

Student Association President Elisheva Ezor was recognized for consistently advocating for the inclusion of students with disabilities, setting an exceptional example for fellow students, and collaborating with administration.

“I’ve struggled with disability my whole life,” Ezor said, “but I also think it’s part of the reason that I have some unique skills I’m able to give. I am proud to be the Student Association president, but I am even more proud to be openly disabled and show that that didn’t inhibit my leadership, but gave me a boon and a benefit that I’m really grateful to have.”

Janmariz Deguia and Cas Taylor, the president and vice president of the of the Disabled Student Union, also took time to recognize and thank Szymanski for her work and advocacy on behalf of disabled students.

“As disabled students, we are immensely grateful for all the work each and every person does for us,” Deguia said. “[Szymanski] is supportive of our personal needs and connected to our stories. She believes access is of the utmost importance and pushes for the implementation of each aspect of accessibility from personal accommodations to parking to captioning to low-sensory spaces to braille machines. We know that she is here for all of us.”