DEFY

irly. A place where everyone has the opportunity to succeed through their own tenacity and merit in the academic, social, or business spheres. A place where people are free to openly express themselves without the fear of stigmatization or rejection. A place where dissociated and associated groups are unified to overcome any obstacle. However, this vision can not be achieved without teamwork and solidarity.

2017 Primary Goals

Start a Conversation: Bring to light the issues surrounding disabilities at Yale so that students, faculty, and staff can understand the effects of being disabled here and discuss how we make our community more inclusive. Foster a Community: Develop a robust coalition to advocate for the disabled community, create support networks, host events and conversations, and invite speakers to campus to raise awareness. Fight for:

Greater accessibility compliance among student groups

A center for disabled students, with peer liaisons

Formal language sequence for ASL and Braille

A department of program for Disability Studies

Join the Coalition

Only by uniting can we present the Yale administration and the world with a single front that can effectively advocate for people with disabilities. Only by uniting can each group help and be helped by the others on their different focuses. The message of #DEFY is the unifying force that forges the initial spark of change. If you are ready to #DEFY and join the coalition, please email [email protected] or [email protected].