Celebrate Disability Awareness Month  

October 3, 2024

Dear Rutgers–New Brunswick Community,

October reminds us to appreciate the contributions of the many students, faculty, and staff with disabilities who enrich the vibrant culture and intellectual life of our campus community

Disability takes many forms, apparent and non-apparent. Our monthlong commemoration is an opportunity to recognize, bring awareness to, and learn about disabilities and the disability community, and to remember that we value disability as an essential component of our outstanding diversity.

I invite you to explore our Disability Awareness website for a rich schedule of in-person and virtual events as well as links to resources and information on how to take action. We hope you will attend the opening event, SparkNight at Zimmerli Art Museum for Disability Awareness Month, from 5 pm to 8 pm Thursday, October 10, and many other events scheduled throughout October.

Rutgers is a global leader in disability and employment research and is home to the Program for Disability Research at the School of Management and Labor Relations. Our Office of Disability Services provides students, faculty, and staff with resources for creating a more welcoming, inclusive, and equitable learning environment.

This fall, Rutgers–New Brunswick expanded the College Support Program (CSP), run by the Rutgers Center for Adult Autism Services, to provide support to other neurodiverse students. These efforts will not only provide first-year students with peer support as they navigate their first year in college, but will help succeed both academically and interpersonally.

Rutgers–New Brunswick works to ensure that all scholars, from all walks of life, are welcomed, valued, and supported as they work to achieve their goals. I am grateful to all members of our campus community who support these efforts.

Sincerely,

Francine Conway, Ph.D.
Chancellor and Distinguished Professor
Rutgers University–New Brunswick