Disability Caucus

The MSU Disability Caucus aims to provide a forum for the critical examination of the meaning, place, and role of disability within our institution. To that end, the Caucus aligns itself with the principles of Disability Justice, and seeks to act collectively, proactively, and intersectionally to (a) mitigate both interpersonal and institutional ableism, and (b) increase awareness and critical consciousness of disabled experience and disability culture at MSU.

The Caucus recognizes disability as a natural aspect of human diversity, and rejects the notion that disability is the result of one’s embodiment. Rather, we understand disability as a social and cultural construction.

Stephanie Spitz, President
Drew Wallace, Vice President
Jacob Bilek, Recording Secretary
Kathryn Leonard, Corresponding Secretary
Marshal Chaifetz, Treasurer
Priya Lalvani, Member-At-Large
Suman Rath, Member-At-Large

Our work is necessary because disability remains a devalued experienced and stigmatized identity category. Within institutions of higher education, people with disabilities are underrepresented in staff and faculty positions. Disabled students, faculty, and staff often find themselves marginalized and experience discrimination. The caucus recognizes that much of this marginalization and discrimination is the result of negative attitudes in society as well as systematic and structural inequality, rather than the result of individual impairments per se. Towards this end, our work seeks to disrupt ableist beliefs, practices, policies, and structures.

The goals of Disability Caucus at MSU are to:

• position disability as a valued identity in line with and integrated into all other initiatives related to diversity on campus
• advocate with students, staff, and faculty on broad issues related to disability access and inclusivity in all aspects of the university experience.
• establish a forum for learning to recognize and working to address ableism in structures, policies and practices on campus or within campus culture.
• create a collective space to learn more about disability rights and disability justice
• develop or organize curricular, co- and extra-curricular activities that educate or inform about issues related to disability and disability culture
• promote universal access to all campus events through structural, technological, or other forms of access and support  (eg ASL, AD, CART)
• conduct formal research and informal inquiry about the status of access on campus, and the quality of life for disabled faculty, students, and staff
• establish the value of, and provide support for a recognition and  celebration of disability culture and disability pride on campus
• work with the other caucuses on campus to mitigate intersectional oppression and promote social justice

Here is a link to the Disability Caucus Constitution