Disabled Greeks?

[breathesgelatin]

We have a disabled member in my chapter of Pi Phi. She can walk, but she just goes slowly. During rush we just had to accomodate her by letting her be last in line to head up the stairs...

There was a guy last year who was in a wheelchair and was a Phi Kap here. He was probably one of the most popular people on campus, involved in student government, etc. Plus he was a real cutie. I thought it was great because he always had fun going out and dancing and everything; he did not let his disability stop him. The year he lived in the Phi Kappa Sigma house the school (which owns our houses) added wheelchair accessibility and an elevator. I think it's the only fraternity house on campus with those amenities currently--although all the sorority houses have them.

[Senusret I]

My alumni chapter has two disabled members:

One Brother is in a wheelchair. He is not as active as I would like him to be, but that's because of his job and his travel schedule. Otherwise, he is very active. I am not sure whether he was disabled when he actually became a member though.

Another Brother is blind, and was blind when he became a member. He is somewhat active...again, I think his inactivity is moreso because of his job.

[MrsMcCartney]

We currently have a member of Chi Omega who is disabled. I don't know what her actual health issues are specifically, I am not sure anyone in the chapter does. She has difficulty walking and sometimes uses a wheelchair, sometimes crutches, sometimes nothing. She also has difficulty seeing well. Her speech is sometimes a bit labored. My best guess is cerebral palsy but that is just speculation. This girl is VERY intelligent and very sweet. Chi Omega means everything to her and has opened a lot of doors for her socially that she feels she never would have experienced otherwise. She is quite accomplished, having won an Emmy award for a show she worked on for Nickelodeon!!!!!! She also has a younger sister who is severely disabled....her family has been through it all!

I worry about her sometimes.....I don't think the girls are always as sensitive as they could be to making sure she feels included. When she was going through recruitment everyone was all gung-ho to bring her in based on the right reasons, but now it seems like she gets excluded for all the wrong reasons. There are a couple of girls and their boyfriends who go out of their way to make sure she has someone to talk to and dance with at parties and such, but she never brings a date and she doesn't seem to attend mixers, just date party and formal. I'm hoping that the experience continues to be a good one for her. I have driven her home from events that I have chaperoned and I have found her to be easy to talk to and a really great kid.....

[UpPinkies]

I happen to work with people PHYSICALLY/MENTALLY CHALLENGED. I cannot stand the word disabled. It good to see that that population is included in the Greek system.