A.S. Disability Outreach Center

Guess what? Disabled people have s*x!
The DOC is excited to invite you to attend our Disability and S*x event with guests Dr. Jim Graham of our Psychology Department as well as Jenn Mason from Wink Wink! Topics will include safe accessible s*x, intimacy and pleasure , and a demonstration of some accessible toys from Jenn!

This will be a hybrid event where attendees can participate via Zoom or in Carver 207. To access the Zoom registration link, click here:https://buff.ly/3szVxrA
Just follow the registration prompts and once you have finished, you will be sent the Zoom link. A WWU email is required for registration. If you do not have one but are still interested in participating via Zoom, please send us a message!

Image description:
A row of multi-colored s*x toys borders the top and bottom of the image on top of a peach background. In the center is a pill-shaped burnt orange block with text that reads "Let's talk Disability and S*x with Dr. Jim Graham and Jenn Mason from Wink Wink! November 14th from 4 to 5:30 pm in Carver 207 or Zoom! WWU is an equal-opportunity institution. For accommodations, please email [email protected]"

Wanting to explore the PNW but concerned about the accessibility? The DOC would like to suggest a great resource, "The Disabled Hiker’s Guide to Western Washington and Oregon" by Syren Nagakyrie ()! Take a look at the different slides to see what makes this book so awesome!

Image description:
Slide 1: On a white background with a black arch in the left corner is the cover of a book that has a yellow heading and text that reads “FalconGuides. The Disabled Hiker’s Guide to Western Washington and Oregon. Outdoor Adventure Accessible by Car, Wheelchair, and on Foot. Syren Nagakyrie”. Underneath is an image of a lake with a mountain, trees, and a purple sky in the background. To the left of the book cover is text that reads "Enjoy hiking? You should check out “The Disabled Hiker’s Guide to Western Washington and Oregon” by Syren Nagakyrie, a local disabled author and founder of Disabled Hikers ()! Swipe through to see what we appreciate about this book." There is also an image of the Disabled Hikers logo that includes a hiker using walking poles, a wheelchair, and walking a dog in front of a mountain.
Slides 2-6: At the bottom of the image is a white outline of a mountain and trees on a dark blue background. Above this is a tan square with rounded corners outlined in light blue. The text reads as follows:
Slide 2: Spoons + reminder of spoon theory
This book luckily enough uses a spoon system to break up the different hikes! It is organized by starting at 1 spoon, to 5 five spoons. The author includes a recap or an introduction to spoon theory, and how they decided what makes something 4 spoons, versus a 3-spoon hike. They also make sure to include scenic drives and viewpoints for those days in which one can get out of the house, but not enough to want or the ability for a hike.

Slide 3: Land Acknowledgements
They also make sure to include land acknowledgments. While this is something that can be performative, the amount of detail that the author, Syren, puts into their land acknowledgments makes us believe otherwise. It is important for us to remember whose land we are on, but also their culturally important locations, which often overlap with memorable nature spaces.

Slide 4: ADA Accessibility Section
Have you ever gone to a place and found out it wasn’t accessible to you? Well having a section for ADA Accessible hikes can make a world of difference for folks. While you might just want to get outside, you may have to fact-check multiple sources for whether this is accessible to you before doing so. This can be incredibly helpful but draining and you might not have the energy for a hike or just getting out, afterwards. This takes this portion of the process away (unless you want to double check) and helps with reducing that barrier.

Slide 5: Public Transit Section
As a college student, sometimes you do not have access to a car, access to a necessary type of transportation (example: 4 Wheel Drive for Mt Baker), or don’t/cannot drive. This section is great for that. It even includes which bus routes (of course, accurate to the time of publication) and what stop will get you there!

Slide 6: Rundown + Elevation Graphics
A great thing about this book is that every hike has a rundown section. This includes things like wheelchair accessibility, spoon level, distance, trail type, surface, trail width, max grade, max cross slope, etc. It is incredibly detailed, especially for a hiking guide, to try to give you as much information as possible. They also try to include things such as tripping hazards like large roots, rocks, steps, etc. There is even an elevation graph if that is useful for you!”

Job fairs can be hard for disabled folks for a multitude of reasons. Career Services is trying to make the WWU job fairs more accessible and they need your input. Please take fill out their survey to give them your feedback!

To access the survey, go to this link: https://buff.ly/3MgzEqr

Image Description:
Slide 1: A mustard yellow speech bubble is centered on a black background, with a teal outline of a speech bubble offset behind it. Yellow and teal accents are placed at the corners of the speech bubble. The text inside the speech bubble reads “Your input regarding the accessibility of career fairs is greatly needed. Please take this brief survey to share your perspectives. Survey instructions are on the following slide.”
Slides 2 and 3 have a black background with abstract teal accents. A white square with a teal border is in the center with the following text inside;
Slide 2: “Career Services needs your input!
Please go to the link in our bio and select the linkin.bio tab, then select this post to be taken to the Career Services survey. This survey is to gauge interest in the inclusivity hour, and we want this to happen! Let Career Services know that accessibility when looking for employment opportunities is important and Western should be providing that access!”
Slide 3: “Career Services is planning to hold an “inclusivity hour” prior to the official start of the career fairs. What does this mean?
23 of the 57 employers coming to the career fair have agreed to arrive early to meet with anyone who may prefer a less crowded, more sensory-friendly, and likely greater masking environment. There will be FM systems, clear masks, etc. available to check out and anyone can request specific accessibility needs.”

The last serval weeks have been difficult, with countless tragedies. The reactions to these tragedies have continued to center on blaming mental illness. This directly harms the disabled community, adding further prejudice toward those with mental illness. Please take a few moments to look through the following slides to better understand the mass shooting and mental health cycle as well as what you can do to help make meaningful change.

Image description: All nine slides have an ombre blue and purple background. Slides 1 through 2 and 4 through 9 all have a white hexagon in the center that's bordered in black. The image reads as follows: "Slide 1: Ableism in Politics: The Mass Shooting & Mental Health Cycle. Content Warning: Death, Gun Violence, Mental Health Disorders, and Ableism will be mentioned in the following slides.
Slide 2: What is the Mass Shooting and Mental Health Cycle. The Mass Shooting & Mental Health Cycle is a way to describe the repetitive tendencies that are seen in American politics following a mass shooting or mass murder event. After these kinds of events, we see a rise in politicians talking about mental health in America, yet there is often little to no action taken to prevent a future mass shooting.
Slide 3: The Cycle: A cyclical flow chart with four text boxes and a blue arrow between each is in the center of the slide. Each box reads as follows: Top box: “Politicians and Public figures speak about the even and cite their opinions of the cause or the perpetrator's intent”, Right box: “Debates occur that do not center around intersectional justice or policy reform”, Bottom box: “No meaningful action is taken to prevent the next mass shooting”, Left Box: “A mass shooting occurs”
Slide 4: A statement from the American Psychological Association (2019) “Routinely blaming mass shootings on mental illness is unfounded and stigmatizing. Research has shown that only a very small percentage of violent acts are committed by people who are diagnosed with, or in treatment for, mental illness.” (Continued on next slide)
Slide 5: “The rates of mental illness are roughly the same around the world, yet other countries are not experiencing these traumatic events as often as we face them. One critical factor is access to, and the lethality of, the weapons that are being used in these crimes. Adding racism, intolerance, and bigotry to the mix is a recipe for disaster,” - Dr. Rosie Phillips Davis, the president of the APA
Slide 6: The Impact. When politicians blame mass shootings on mental health, they are further stigmatizing those who are mentally ill by insinuating that disabled people are dangerous. This is a form of disablism, which is a manner of discrimination that stems from the belief that disabled people, which includes mentally disabled people, are inferior to able-bodied people.
Slide 7: What are some things that able-bodied can people do to help?
- Recognize the injustices and hypocrisy that targets disabled people, particularly disabled people of color.
- Continue to learn about current topics and events that are impacting underrepresented and marginalized communities.
- Get involved in your communities and donate to non-profits that prioritize intersectional justice.
Slide 8: Takeaways. Blaming the cause of mass shootings on mental health disorders is not only inaccurate but also (dis)ableist. Promoting this disproven theory distracts people from holding ourselves and our elected officials accountable for not controlling guns while simultaneously allowing bigotry, racism, and colonial ideologies to continue to spread.
Slide 9: Our Sources
https://buff.ly/3akwl2z
https://buff.ly/3m6niVp
https://buff.ly/2ZxrUa1