Hello, everyone! I am Sarah Nuxoll, and I work in the Clark Library. I identify as having a disability, and am interested in coming together with other UP employees who identify as disabled to create a new UP Disability Affinity Group. If you identify as having any type of disability and you work for the University in any capacity (adjunct, faculty, staff, Bon App, Physical Plant, administration, etc) and would like to join an informal Disability Affinity Group, please email me at nuxolls@up.edu with your name and pronouns. I will add you to an online group an email list where we can connect, share, socialize, support each other, and collaboratively brainstorm together.
I acknowledge that the word “disability” means many things to many people and can even be triggering. Up until a couple of years ago, I didn’t realize how many conditions can be thought of as disabilities – physical impairments, sensory impairments, learning challenges, chronic illness, psychological and emotional conditions including those originating from trauma, and many others. I believe that having a disability is not an inherent deficiency, and that building disability culture and disability pride together can be a meaningful way to create a positive identity for ourselves and others who experience disabilities. I feel and honor our unique creative processes, our wisdom born of lived experience, and our profound ways of making meaning in a chaotic world. Please email me at nuxolls@up.edu for more information or with any accessibility needs.