Disability Reflection

On October 14, 2015 I arrived at the West Village Commons Ballroom at Towson University, to participate in the Disability Awareness Workshop. When I walked in, I was able to listen to some panelist talk about their personal experiences as a Towson University student with a disability. During the short amount of time I listened to the panelist, I learned a lot about some of the obstacles these students face on the daily bases on campus. I also learned that Disabilities are not always physical. In the past I used to associate disabilities with some type of physical condition, but now that I have attended the workshop, I know that a disability can be mental too. I also had the opportunity to hear Mr. Ross Szabo speak about disabilities, mental

Szabo’s presentation I learned that at a young age, he was diagnosed with bi-polar disorder along with anger control problems and psychotic features. It started when he was in elementary school when his best friend died in a motor vehicle accident. Mr. Szabo’s inability to express his feelings to anyone caused him to have trouble managing his issues as he continued to get older. He also talked about his failed suicide attempt and his troubles with substance use in college. It wasn’t until he had to take a break from college, when he realized he needed to change his life around, which also led him to continue sharing his story with others. Although Mr. Szabo had to go through some hard times, speaking about his struggles to others has helped him overcome his mental disabilities and also help spread awareness about mental

Everyone needs to have an understanding of what a disability is and how to help people who have them. I learned that among the students at Towson University with disabilities, most of them have learning disorders, followed by ADD/ADHD. There are many resources on campus for students with disabilities, but many students do not know about them. Although there were some individuals in the audience who admitted to being diagnosed with a disability, almost all of those who said they didn’t have one, said they knew someone with a disability. This doesn’t mean that no one else in the audience has a disability. It’s possible that there were people in attendance who were previously too afraid to seek help, or did not know where to go to get help. This workshop could potentially help those students who were initially afraid to get help. It can also help those who know someone with a