CWU’s Diversability Day draws notice of prominent state official

CWU is known for its commitment to diversity and providing individuals with disabilities with equal opportunities to fully participate in—and benefit from—all aspects of the education environment.

That commitment took an additional step forward during Diversability Day today, which showcased Central’s new Accessibility Studies Program (ASP), for which the first classes are underway this quarter.

Held at the university’s Museum of Culture and Environment, Diversability Day featured a variety of CWU inclusion efforts, including offering students, faculty, and staff with opportunities to try emerging assistive technology, such as smart pens.

CWU’s efforts also drew the attention Washington’s Lieutenant Governor Cyrus Habib.

“Part of my job is to promote the opportunities we have to make this state more economically prosperous, and more inclusive—and I think this program achieves both,” Habib said. “I have benefited personally from the expertise of people trained in programs like this one. I learned to use my cane, and to read Braille, from people trained in disability access—and it was these skills which enabled me to eventually pursue a law degree, practice as a lawyer, teach as a professor, and now, to serve in public office as lieutenant governor. I also know that we need to expand these programs in our state.”

Habib, who has been fully blind since age 8, has been named one of the top 40 rising political stars under the age of 40 by the Washington Post.

“Overall, our country’s disabled population has become less, not more, participatory in the national economy since the 90s,” Habib added. “With so much new technology, innovation in business, and commitment from institutions like CWU, there is no reason we can’t flip that trend on its head.”

The new Accessibility Studies certificate program, which can be completed in as little as one summer session, allows students to learn about potential careers requiring competence in troubleshooting accessibility and investigate quality of life issues that confront people of all ability levels in everyday experiences and environments. It is designed to assist the 20 percent of the population affected by disability.

Through its Disability Services, CWU also makes resources available to the university and community regarding related issues.

Media contact: Robert Lowery, director of Radio Services and Integrated Communications, 509-963-1487, Robert.Lowery@cwu.edu