Marist Hosts Disability Awareness Walk & Roll

Students and staff walking along Route 9 during the Disability Awareness Walk and Roll, on Oct. 1. Photo by Ava Battinelli '26

During October, Disability Awareness Month, the Office of Accommodations and Accessibility (OAA) hosts various events, including the Disability Awareness Walk & Roll on Oct. 1.

This month’s first event aimed to spread awareness around campus, encourage student involvement, and foster a sense of community. 

The event began at the Donnelly Hall flagpole, where stickers were distributed to participants to wear during the walk. The students leading the walk in the front of the line held a sign that read “Disability Walk and Roll.”

The crowd made its way through campus, looping around Tenney Stadium and then to Route 9. They returned through the north end of the Marist campus and finished near the library and the Murray Student Center. 

Krista Ackert, the assistant director and learning specialist for the OAA, along with many others, worked to ensure that there was a strong kickoff event to gain as much traction in the Marist community and spark as much involvement as possible. 

“It is important to bring awareness to all disabilities like physical, learning and mental health,” said Ackert. 

Week by week, new events will become new opportunities for people to learn and share, and these ideas will be heavily emphasized. 

As 22% of the Marist student body is registered with the OAA, they find it very important to show all members of the Marist community how aware they are when it comes to the needs of all students. 

“We are supportive of all students with disabilities and want to bring awareness through open communications and conversations to make people feel included,” said Ackert.

Many more events will be hosted across the month to educate faculty, staff and the student body. There will be an Accessibility Lab on Wednesday, Oct. 15, which will allow for an exploration of activities, assistive technologies and real-world scenarios to showcase experiences of those with disabilities. Also included are tools to help make the world accessible for everyone. 

As the activities continue, the community can further engage with campus resources and explore new ways to make the campus more accessible. Through it all, the values of community, awareness and collaboration remain at the core of the OAA’s efforts.