Group aims to raise awareness of disabled
By David Dunai
Staff Reporter

Crossing the four lanes of University Drive to get to the library is one of the less challenging moments of most students’ college career, but Scott Garner, a junior radio-TV-film major, says it is a race for him to make it to the other side of the street in his wheelchair before the traffic lights change.

Garner said it is important to give publicity to the minority group of disabled people on campus and the challenges they face daily. He said he appreciates the work a group at TCU is doing to expose students to the difficulties of being handicapped.

David Dunai/STAFF REPORTER Freshman speech pathology major Natalee Allen puts money into the jar for the Pi Kappa Phi fraternity fund raiser. The money will benefit people with disabilities.

To help raise awareness for people with disabilities, Pi Kappa Phi fraternity in cooperation with Push America, which is a national philanthropy organization of the fraternity, launched Push Week Sunday, said Jason Eagar, chairman of Push Week and a Pi Kappa Phi member.

Brian Casebolt, president of Pi Kappa Phi, said that the fourth Push Week at TCU will focus on the abilities of disabled people instead of their weaknesses.

Casebolt said the events during Push Week will try to break the general notion that physical handicap comes with mental disability.

Dan Webb, a freshman neuroscience major and Pi Kappa Phi member, said Push Week can help to overcome the prejudice towards people with disabilities.

As an opportunity to experience living with a disability, Push Week will host a wheelchair basketball game 5 p.m. today in the 30-minute parking lot in front of the Student Center, Eagar said.

He said that members of Pi Kappa Phi and sororities of the Panhellenic Council will organize an empathy race next to the Frog Fountain Wednesday at 5 p.m.

Students will have to perform certain tasks while temporarily being disabled, like using silverware while their fingers are taped together or hitting a beeping softball while blindfolded, he said.

“Our goal is to change the general perception about people with disabilities from ‘can not do’ to ‘can do, but differently,’” Eagar said.

Besides organizing different events, Pi Kappa Phi also launched a fund raiser to collect $15,000 during this week, which will be donated to Push America, Casebolt said.

David Dunai
d.r.dunai@student.tcu.edu

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TCU Daily Skiff © 2002