Anti-Ableism: A Student Changemaking Guidebook

As part of my ongoing capstone project for the Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights John Lewis Young Leaders Fellowship, I am collaborating with the Arizona State University Accessibility Coalition (AccessCo) to develop an "Anti-Ableism: A Student Plan of Action" guidebook. This project, which began in 2024, aims to address the pervasive ableism that students with disabilities encounter in educational settings. The guidebook is designed to serve three key purposes:

1. Outlining the impact of ableism on disabled students

2. Equipping students and allies with advocacy tools

3. Providing a framework for educational institutions to prioritize disability rights.

In a system where students with disabilities face disproportionately lower graduation rates despite existing protections like the Americans with Disabilities Act, it’s clear that institutional change is necessary.

Currently, my team and I are in the process of gathering data on student experiences, including surveys conducted to identify barriers disabled students face at ASU. We are also analyzing legislative gaps and evaluating existing school policies to inform the guidebook’s recommendations. The guidebook will serve as both an educational resource and a call to action, with the goal of ensuring that institutions don’t just meet legal accessibility requirements but also proactively foster a culture of inclusion and equity. Our plan is to finalize the guidebook by February 2025.