During the past year, UI REACH students have engaged in several advocacy and community engagement efforts. Collaborating with the Iowa Developmental Disabilities Council, the Afro House, the UI Native American Student Association, and more, students made a statewide and nationwide impact.
Student council advocacy
Our student council kept with the traditions of visiting both Des Moines and Washington, D.C. to share their stories with elected officials this year. Students advocated for increased financial aid resources that make college possible for students with disabilities, Social Security reform, consideration of persons with disabilities as a partial remedy to the workforce crisis, and system reforms aimed at making work possible while retaining crucial benefits. Council members were able to have meetings with several of our legislative champions and introduced the UI REACH program to others who had not heard of us. In addition to the visits at the capitol, students toured D.C.’s famous attractions like the National Mall, Lincoln Memorial, and the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum. An article was published in the Daily Iowan regarding the trip to D.C. Highlights of the Des Moines trip were meeting with Iowa State Auditor Rob Sand and having UI REACH champion, Former Lt. Governor Sally Pederson, join us before dinner to tell the story of how UI REACH was started.
Both trips were in collaboration with the Iowa Developmental Disabilities Council which provided advocacy training for our students, grants to offset costs for these trips, and assistance with securing meetings for both visits. Huge thanks to Carlyn Crow for going above and beyond to make these trips successful.
Parents and friends, if you’d like to stay informed of pending legislation that affects our students, please let us know by emailing us at REACH@uiowa.edu. We’d love to have you join our advocacy efforts.
Senior service learning project
For the first time, all fourth-year graduates were required to complete a capstone project this year. The capstone included community service, participation in campus job fairs, advanced job search strategies, pursuing additional enhanced credentials, and completing additional integrated courses.
Community service projects included creating personal care packets for unhoused persons alongside the Afro House student organization, assisting with a health fair sponsored through the TRAC grant administered through the Center for Disabilities and Development, and the Annual Powwow sponsored by the UI Native American Student Association. Students gained insights on each of the sponsoring groups and contributed to great causes while doing so.
