Student Groups

Below are active student groups at Stanford University that advocate for disability rights for the campus disability community. These groups raise awareness, host events and create a safe space and open dialogue about disability within the Stanford community.

The Associated Students of Stanford University (ASSU)

The Associated Students of Stanford University (ASSU) is over one hundred and ten years old and is the only organization at Stanford of which every student is a member. The ASSU provides funding to over five hundred volunteer student organizations (VSO). These organizations in turn provide the majority of cultural, political, recreational and religious programming for the entire campus. The ASSU advocates on behalf of Stanford students on issues such as cost of living, diversity, student life and student activities space. Each year the ASSU pursues innovative projects and creates new services that will improve the quality of student life offered at Stanford.

This year, ASSU Disability Advocacy launched Disability Equity Now, a community action network created to push for a disability community center.

You can connect with them on Facebook.

Graduate Coalition for Disability and Chronic/Mental Illness (GCDI)

The Graduate Coalition for Disability and Chronic/Mental Illness is to advocate, support, and empower graduate students in the Biosciences with Disability and/or chronic/mental illness. Graduate members of the Disability community and allies are encouraged to join! If you are interested, please email the cofounders Alex Starr or Billie Goolsby

Kids With Dreams (KWD)

KWD is an organization of Stanford students dedicated to improving the lives of individuals with disabilities. Through its weekly programs, the organization networks Stanford volunteers with community organizations and to connect them with children and young adults with disabilities. Through fun activities like playing soccer, swimming, rehearsing a play, making arts and crafts, and practicing dance moves, volunteers and kids alike get to have a blast while building skills and friendships that are meaningful to all.

Connect with them on Facebook.

Contact President Claudia Heymach or President Andrea Banuet .

Stanford Disability Alliance

As Stanford Disability Alliance, our goal is to provide a safe space for students with and without disabilities to join together in support and collective action. Over time, we hope to become known campus-wide as an organization dedicated to disability advocacy, disability community-building, and, most importantly, ensuring equity, inclusion, and opportunity for people with disabilities.

Connect with them on Facebook and follow on Instagram: @stanforddisabilityalliance

To sign up for information about the student group, email:
stanford-disability-alliance@lists.stanford.edu
If you would like to be added to the Slack workspace, please email ria@stanford.edu and/or abrotman@stanford.edu

Co-Presidents: Ria Calcagno and Tilly Griffiths
Co-Vice Presidents: Rachel D’Agui and Alisha Jani
Financial Officer: Austin Brotman

SenseConnect

SenseConnect seeks to advocate on behalf of the hearing impaired community at Stanford. We hope to provide resources to students passionate about hearing loss advocacy to support personal efforts to combat hearing loss.

Contact President Tom Pritsky

Medical Students with Disabilities and Chronic Illnesses (MSDCI)

Medical Students with Disability and Chronic Illness (MSDCI) is designed to provide a support system and platform for advocacy for students with disabilities and chronic illness. We are also opening the conversation about the difficulties of becoming a healthcare provider while having personal experiences with illness and disease, and how these experiences can better inform our colleagues and patient care. We are committed to increasing resources and accessibility for MD and PA students living with disability/chronic illness at Stanford and in medicine as a whole.

For questions about joining the organization, please contact the MSDCI leadership at msdci-leadership@stanford.edu

Disability Studies Committee 

Devoted to creating and nurturing a hub of disability studies and thought on campus. To achieve this, events are held throughout the year that offer spaces for these conversations about disability. This includes a reading group, with scholars and students from across campus conversing about important works in the field, as well as speaker events and a culminating day-long conference. For more information please contact, Frank Mondelli.