October is Disability Awareness Month.  The Career Center and Center for Student Success at Robert Morris has many activities planned for students, faculty, and staff.  On October 10, the movie “Sybil” was presented by the Center for Student Success in the Salem Hall lower lobby.  “Sybil” is a story about a young woman who had multiple personality disorder because she suffered abuse when she was younger.  The woman had up to thirteen different personalities.  Services for students with disabilities coordinator Tracy Gorrell chose this movie because of October 10 being Mental Health Awareness Day.

Another activity that the Center for Student Success will sponsor is a faculty and staff dinner to talk about students with disabilities.  This will take place on October 11 with school psychologist Dr. Birmaher as the guest speaker.

The Career Center also held activities such as a work force recruitment day for students with disabilities on October 16 and a disability mentoring day for students in Beaver County school district on October 17.  Gorrell also assists in a meeting for students on the thirdTuesday of every month where they get together to do activities such as movies nights or shopping.

Robert Morris provides different services for students with disabilities including accommodations for test, taking, live scribe pens, screen readers, reading pens, and many others.  Gorrell believes it is important to recognize students with disabilities.

“they are just as capable and intelligent as everyone else.”  Gorrell said, always tells her students that everyone needs something to get them through the day, whether it’s coffee or help by a screen reader.

“They all have something unique about them.  If people could embrace that, the world would be a better place”