Student with Disabilities Commission

Mission Statement:

The Rice Student Association Students With Disabilities Commission aims to provide support and resources to Rice University’s disabled student population with the aim of identifying areas of improvement within Rice’s disability system and promoting self-advocacy within our student population. We collaborate with the Disability Resource Center and other related offices and organizations across campus to advocate for the students with disabilities population at Rice and address the stigma surrounding disabilities. 

Goals: 

• To empower students with disabilities with resources and equitable access

• To educate the Rice community on disability rights and justice

• To facilitate the development of a welcoming, inclusive, and informed disabled community at Rice

Proposed Initiatives:

We focus on two main projects, with smaller projects that are developed based on members’ interests:

• A disability ombuds project, in which Rice students can guide their peers, especially new students, through the accommodation process via the Disability Resource Center (DRC). This is currently in its pilot stage at Will Rice College.

• A disability awareness week, in which the commission collaborates with non-profit organizations and other student organizations to raise awareness on various disabilities and conditions, in addition to how best to support students who have these conditions. This is still in the planning stage.

Smaller projects that are still being planned include:

• Advocating for a centralized test center on campus

• Implementing changes on Rice websites to accommodate the needs of all students

• Potentially improving the DRC and its services as a whole

• Streamlining the accommodation process for students

Commissions:

• Access & Rights: This commission focuses on initiatives to protect the rights of disabled students. The chair of this commission shall plan efforts to make accommodations, both formal and informal, easier to access and fair.

• Advocacy & Awareness: This commission focuses on educating the Rice community about disabilities to promote empathy. The chair of this commission shall plan efforts to platform disabled voices in an engaging way.