Panel makes non-visible disabilities visible

UNC students sought to teach their peers that disability is a form of diversity on Thursday.

“I just want people to stop being shitty to disabled people,” said Rae Jodrey, the event’s organizer and second-year graduate student in Clinical Rehabilitation and Mental Health Counseling.

Jodrey, who uses the pronoun "they," said although the disability community is the largest minority in the United States, it gets little attention. 

“I think it’s really important to increase awareness that disability is a form of diversity, and I think having events like this are really important to combat the stigma of having a disability,” they said.

Jodrey, who has Autism Spectrum Disorder and anxiety, said interviewing for jobs can be challenging. 

“It’s frustrating because there is so much pressure to pass as someone who is non-autistic to be able to get the job," they said. "I try to force myself to be seen as a neurotypical person."

Madeline Ray is a sophomore human development and family studies major who has Arteriovenous Malformation, a brain disorder causing hemorrhagic strokes and chronic fatigue. 

Ray said she has had six hemorrhagic strokes.

“I’ve had to relearn how to walk six times. I’ve had to relearn how to talk six times. I’ve had to relearn how to do everything six times,” Ray said.

After being hospitalized for a few days due to her condition, Ray had a test in a psychology class that she had not had time to study for, but the professor refused to allow her to take the exam at a later date.  

“You would think, ‘Psychology. She knows the brain. This one’s gonna get it,’” Ray said.

Ray said her psychology professor sent her an email saying she expected Ray to take the test.

Because of her condition, Ray said she has to underload her schedule with fewer than 12 hours each semester, which could affect her graduating in four years. 

Adeline Dorough, a senior exercise and sports science major, said she is still suffering from the effects of a traumatic brain injury she got in high school.

“The neurons won’t fire, and there’s no way to track when they will and when they won’t,” Dorough said

Dorough said because of her injury, she has to study differently and small informational tasks take twice as long.

Jennifer Jin, a junior public policy and health management major, said she suffers from depression and anxiety.

She said her disorders can influence small aspects of her life, like feeling anxious at a party or not being able to drink because of antidepressants.

Jin said her ethnic background gives her a unique perspective on non-visible disabilities.

“So obviously I’m Asian and in Asian culture, mental illness is basically not a thing," Jin said. "If you’re struggling with depression, you basically don’t have a strong will, don’t have a strong spirit. For me, my form of advocacy is me saying, ‘this is my life, I have a mental illness.'"

Rebecca Shores, an English 105 professor, said she attended the event to learn more about invisible disabilities and how to be more accommodating to her students.

“This was the first semester I started the class with, ‘Hi, I’m Ms. Shores. I have ADD,’” she said. 

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