Panel addresses student disabilities

The Dartmouth
Michael Riordan
The Dartmouth Staff
February 16, 2012

Six students personally affected by disabilities told their stories and encouraged greater campus-wide conversation about the stigmas associated with health-related issues in a panel discussion titled "Managing Disabilities and Health Issues at Dartmouth," held in Collis Common Ground on Wednesday.

Panelists stressed the importance of seeking assistance from the College's various health resources. They also encouraged their fellow students to understand the challenges others may face because of their respective disabilities and health-related issues, some of which may not be immediately visible.

Student Accessibility Services provided assistance to 337 students - approximately 8 percent of the Dartmouth student population - during the 2010-2011 fiscal year, according to assistant director of Student Accessibility Services Larissa Hopkins, who opened the panel discussion.

Tanisha Panditharatne '13 discussed surviving a car crash during her sophomore summer that almost left her permanently paralyzed. The car in which she was a passenger was racing with another car and crashed into a wall at approximately 100 miles per hour.

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