CCU to establish Delta Alpha Pi honor society chapter for students with disabilities
DAPi was founded in 2004 at East Stroudsburg University in Pennsylvania. According to the organization’s mission statement, “Because of the negative stereotyping associated with disability, students have been reluctant to identify themselves publicly. Delta Alpha Pi honor society presents an opportunity to change that perception by recognizing students with disabilities for their academic accomplishments. In addition, this honor society facilitates development of skills in leadership, advocacy, and education for participating students.”
Delta Alpha Pi’s CCU chapter is recruiting members through ADS; and the staff believes that the honor society’s presence on campus will elevate the academic profile of CCU.
“We’ve contacted all DAPi eligible students who are connected with ADS and we’re seeking to expand our recruitment and reach disabled students who are not using accommodations,” said Tiffany Long, assistant director of accessibility and disability services. “There are currently 200+ students eligible to join Delta Alpha Pi. That impressive number is solely based on the students formally connected with Accessibility and Disability Services. Students with disabilities do not have to use accommodations to join DAPi. Our students deserve to be recognized for their hard work and their accomplishments.”
Interested students must meet the following criteria:
• Present with a documented disability and work with one of the faculty or staff members in the Office of Accessibility and Disability Services, or self-identify as an individual with a disability.
• Demonstrate an interest in disability issues.
• Undergraduate students must have completed a minimum of 24 credits and earned an overall GPA of 3.1 on a 4.0 scale.
• Graduate students must have completed a minimum of 18 credits and earned an overall GPA of 3.3 on a 4.0 scale.
“When speaking to potential members of the honor society, many of our students expressed excitement about not only being recognized for their achievements, but also being able to have a voice to help educate our community and shed light on a more positive perspective of disability,” Long said. “For the longest time, society has portrayed disabled individuals as people who are ‘broken’ or ‘need to be cured.’ DAPi positively impacts the community by providing a counter narrative that challenges disability stigma.”
Members will develop and implement programs and resources to share with the campus community about disability awareness and acceptance and have the opportunity to serve as peer mentors for incoming members. Long hopes the chapter can form a partnership with Horry County high schools moving forward.
“Disabled high school students need to see that students with disabilities can go to college, be successful, and are capable of doing great things,” she said.
Long thanks CCU’s DAPi team for their leadership and support in developing the campus chapter.
“Dr. Atiya Stokes-Brown, vice president for diversity, equity, and inclusion, along with Emily Gaspar and Ebony McCray of the ADS office have been and continue to be a tremendous support in making the honor society a reality,” Long said. “We are hopeful that DAPi will be established for the Fall 2021 semester.”
For more information about becoming a member of DAPi, email disability@coastal.edu.