Nikayla Hetzell

Major: Communications Sciences & Disorders

Minors: Child Development and Family Relations and Interdisciplinary Disability Studies

Advisor: Judith Stickles

Reply to question: How have the IDS courses shaped your perspective of disability?

The IDS courses have helped me shape my understanding of disabilities by shedding light on the struggles people with disabilities must go through daily; From clothing to misleading TV and access to things those that are able-bodied take for granted. This program has helped me form a better definition of what it means to be disabled, and with that I realized that there is much more to this issue than what society may typically consider to be a disability. With the help of these courses, I am now able to view someone with a disability as a person first and their diagnosis second. I hope to pass this knowledge along to help others have the same outlook.