A Student Government accessibility ad hoc committee was formed this semester with the goal of redefining what accessibility looks like at Lafayette.
“We have to hold ourselves to a higher standard of having accessibility on campus,” general body member and chair of the committee Lily Nylund ‘27 said.
The committee was created in hopes of integrating discussions of accessibility into the objectives of both Student Government and the college as whole, according to Student Government President Thania Hernandez ‘25.
Current committee members include Hernandez, Lily Nylund, Grace Vale ‘27 and Molly Nylund ‘25.
“We sat down and the first thing we talked about was, ‘What does accessibility mean to us?’” Lily Nylund said.
According to Lily Nylund, accessibility is “an environment where everyone can thrive and where everyone has access to said environment.”
As an ad hoc committee, it is temporary unless there proves to be a continued need. Because the group is focused on a centralized issue, members are hopeful that they can build support on campus for all students.
“Accessibility doesn’t just refer to, for example, physical design … it also refers to environments like programs and services,” Lily Nylund said. “There’s invisible disabilities as well as visible disabilities. It’s important to try to cover all those topics in the work we do.”
The committee plans to incorporate student education, collaboration with clubs and organizations and the removal of barriers as short-term projects.
“I do believe that there’s a bit of a hassle to look for information,” Hernandez said. “We want to bridge that gap and make all of the information available for the students … to better connect with the accessibility that’s already in place.”
Hernandez said that the future of the committee will involve working with college administration to carry out their initiatives, specifically incorporating infrastructure improvements with the strategic plan.
“We will give our suggestions and recommendations on what is really impacting the students and how they can make sure that those needs are met,” she said.
Students who are not members of Student Government are permitted to join ad hoc committees including Accessibility, Dining, Pard Pantry and the Menstrual Equity Project. The number of members allowed in each committee varies.
According to Hernandez, only one meeting has taken place thus far, but conversations with organizations and administrators are in progress.
“We want to make sure everyone feels seen, valued and that they feel supported by campus and the institutions on campus,” Lily Nylund said.
