Different Abilities, Same Humanity

How Well Does NMSU Support People with Disabilities?

Since the Americans with Disabilities Act was passed on July 26, 1990, it has been illegal to discriminate against people because of their disabilities, and accessibility requirements have been imposed on all places of public accommodation, commercial facilities, and state and local government facilities. It was a landmark moment for the disabilities community, but decades later, their daily struggles are still often overlooked.

From assistance programs to infrastructure accessibility to stereotypes and even the use of the term “disabled,” this project attempts to assess how well NMSU supports people with different abilities, and to shine light on the many facets of living with a disability.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, as of 2019, 41.1 million people in the United States were living with a disability; that is 12.7% of the country’s population. Why should such a large portion of the population have trouble entering buildings, making friends, traveling, or even expressing their sexuality?

Hopefully, the stories linked below help to show that even though we don’t all share the same abilities, we must all do our part to treat everyone with the same humanity, respect and consideration.

Commercial travel presents huge challenges for people with different abilities

In an effort to make air travel more accessible to everyone, the U.S. Department of Transportation asked for public comment ...
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Autism support on campus good, but still room for improvement

Autism prevalence has been ever so steadily increasing worldwide. In fact, according to the CDC, the diagnosis rate grew from ...
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Media, pop culture perpetuate stereotypes, overlook entirely people with different abilities

As different types of media continue to gain in popularity, society has seen many diverse people represented on screen and ...
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Sex and disability fraught with stigmas and stereotypes

Sexuality and sexual orientation are concepts that have come to the forefront of today’s social and political conversations. Sexual experimentation ...
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Humans with disabilities also have a heart

Typical people go out with friends, date, have relationships without really worrying about their dependence on others, and rarely have ...
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NMSU mostly lives up to core values of diversity and inclusion

NMSU LEADS 2025 is a nine-page strategic vision for New Mexico State University that encapsulates the foundational values on which ...
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NMSU accessibility both succeeds and falls short

A simple walk to class for most people may be a stressful commute for others as the New Mexico State ...
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NMSU esports athlete with muscular dystrophy adapts and overcomes

John “WheelyNinja” Cully plays video games just like everyone else, except his style may differ from other players. Cully, 20, ...
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Words matter: How to talk about people with different abilities

As society evolves, we are making adjustments to language in terms of what is deemed ethically correct when referencing a ...
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