July marks the celebration of Disability Pride month at Georgia Southern and throughout the United States. 

What’s new: The Students with Disabilities Advocacy Group of GS highlights its members to share information on varying disabilities and detail life post-diagnosis. 

• Members each share their own experiences with their respective disabilities, ranging from neurodiversity to blindness and chronic pain. 

Why it matters: Students have stepped up to continue the conversation surrounding disability and its stigmas. 

• “I had problems before COVID but after, my symptoms became much worse,” said freshman, Quin DeGarlais. “I had horrible migraines, and my balance was off. I was diagnosed with Chiari Malformation. I ended up having decomposition surgery to relieve my symptoms. It’s something I will have to live with for the rest of my life.”
• “My journey with disability has been long, and I have always struggled to fit in,” said senior, Bri Lowery. “I was diagnosed as autistic and ADHD when I was in the second grade. When I was 21 years old, I started to realize I was losing part of my vision.”
• “I became disabled at 18 when I started to experience chronic pain, and my health sort of has been downhill since,” said junior, Jill King. “It can be incredibly frustrating at times to navigate my various conditions, but becoming blind hit me particularly hard. As a leader and advocate, I have a lot of pride in disability and this community but allowing myself time to grieve has been important for my mental health.” 
• “I was not diagnosed with my first and primary disability until 2016, despite having a family history of the condition and exhibiting symptoms since infancy,” said junior, Grey Meyer. “It was not until 2020 when I began to realize what being disabled means for me, including recognizing and accepting my needs and rewarding myself for my successes.”