Looking at the success of disabled college students who achieve graduation and eventually transition into employment, this student panel discussion strives to shed light on the success of the CUNY Coalition for Students with Disabilities (CCSD) student leaders, who have successfully made this transition. In this discussion, they will share their journeys through an inner analysis of their individual stories toward this success. Comparing disabled college students to their non-disabled counterparts, historically, we are not shocked to learn that there is still a long way to go in achieving equity. These students find themselves a step closer.
The students of CCSD have faced odds stemming from barriers connected to the intersectionality of their lives, the stereotypes assigned by a society that did not know them, and the poor communities in which their families struggled to raise them. These odds, however, within the CUNY system and with the right support were no match for their efforts, tenacity, and dedication. This group of CCSD students has purposely targeted breaking their own personal, educational, and professional barriers as they have pursued their higher education goals, leading to employment and overcoming the stigma surrounding disability in their lives one triumph at a time.
The conversation, emphasizing the stigma of disability, will focus on how these students navigated a passion for civic and social engagement as they managed the inner workings of their own lives while keeping their eyes on the prize: employment. Their stories will span a pre-, current, and post-pandemic era that saw a requirement for shifting how the world operated and how they perceived their academic and professional ideas of success. Even during that time of uncertainty, this group of disabled students adapted and reworked how they continued moving the needle toward their goals of academic success and employment. This shift in perception allowed them to create, innovate, and cultivate their inner and outer efforts as they pushed toward their goals.
The panel will discuss not just their unique experiences with breaking the barriers surrounding disability stigma but also personal strategies implemented as they networked and utilized their resources to build bridges that led to employment. Finally, the conversation will culminate with their plans to create a culture of accessibility and inclusion as the student organization (CCSD) begins the work toward how they intend to bring similar opportunities to the other 10,000 students with disabilities within CUNY. These students will expand on their ideas of how these personal experiences are currently inspiring and encouraging new partnerships in the spaces of HS-College transitions and employment opportunities toward a more equitable and accessible workplace. The bridges these students have built would essentially lead to employment; how they achieved it- is a story only they can share.