“Disabled Students Unlimited has a multifaceted meaning,” said Paul Bell, the De Anza club’s vice president. “‘Unlimited’ not only means that disabled students are unlimited to what they can accomplish, it also means the club is not limited to only disabled students.
“It is an interweaving of disabled students and non-disabled students … the goal of that being to foster new understanding and awareness of the lifestyles of the disabled students, breaking down the barriers of prejudice and ignorance.”
The club formed many years ago, but the date is uncertain because of the loss of some of its records and history when transferring from the Seminar building to the club’s present location.
The club provides a safe space to gather and discuss concerns about disability issues, share experiences about classes and the campus, and also voice suggestions of improvement to try to provide De Anza students with the best experiences possible, Bell said.
It is also very important for the club to leave better programs and improved equipment through Disabled Student Services and Adaptive Physical Education for incoming disabled students new to De Anza. “In the past DSU has used the club account money earned from the sale of drinks at the De Anza Flea Market to buy exercise equipment for APE to use in classes taught in PE-13 and the Adaptive Computer Lab in the Advanced Technology Center, and underwritten the cost of caps and gowns for those in need,” Bell said.
Some examples of recreational trips and activities the club has organized are kayaking, berry picking and bird watching on the North Coast, an overnight trip taking the ferry from Pier 39 to Angel Island, and a weeklong trip spent in Yosemite National Park.
The hard work of the club’s members to improve the daily experiences of disabled and non-disabled students on campus, the better equipment and programs they earned, and the events funded and planned by the club have lead it to become a “presence in the De Anza College community and throughout the state … and a force for positive change for people with disabilities.”
The club meets on the second and fourth Mondays at noon between PE buildings 1 and 2.
