Blindness, Cerebral Palsy and anxiety disorders are just a few of the disabilities that can be seen within the Iowa State community.

On Wednesday, Oct. 15, students were given the opportunity to put a name and a face with these disabilities and many more at the first meeting of the Alliance for Disability Awareness Student Group.

The group has tried to form several times over the years, but attendance and membership usually seemed to be too low. Laura Wiederholt, sophomore in biology, led Wednesday’s meeting with Wendy Stevenson, who will be the faculty adviser for the group.

Wiederholt is planning to run for president, along with another member, Jennifer Low, senior in child, adult and family services.

“Even though we have a Disability Resource Office, we’re kind of under-served,” Low said. “A lot of people don’t think about us on campus.”

Low has a nonverbal learning disability. She described it as being like the game of telephone. Sometimes she will hear one thing and by the time she processes what she heard, the message she is able to relay is completely different than what it is expected to be.

Since her diagnosis, she has been educating people about that disability. She doesn’t wish to be defined by her disability but rather who she is as a person.

The group aims to be a relatable environment where students with disabilities can come to share their struggles, triumphs and goals. The members want to give the group recognition within the campus community and want people to know they are invited to attend.

Leadership roles will eventually be established and Wiederholt hopes to be one of the presidential candidates.

Wiederholt was diagnosed in 2013 with Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome or POTS. Her syndrome affects her automatic and autonomic nervous systems, which control blood pressure and heart rate. One of her hopes for the club is to bring social awareness of students with disabilities to campus.

“We want to let people know that people with disabilities, physical or mental, you can’t always pick them out of the crowd,” Wiederholt said.

The group is focusing on catering to students’ wants and needs. As a whole, they want to organize social events and fundraisers. They also hope to highlight awareness months for each disability throughout the year as another way to bring awareness.

The group will begin to bring social awareness to the group’s students with disabilities by participating in a student-led panel at the Regent’s Summit on Friday, Oct. 17.

Participating students will use this time to answer questions from educators, staff and faculty members from the regent schools, community colleges and other educational establishments throughout the state.

The students were encouraged Wednesday night to sign up to be a part of the panel. The students who participate on the panel will be able to tell educators their successes throughout their college careers.

They will be able to offer insight about what methods have worked for them during their college career. The panel will aim to showcase that students with disabilities are fully capable of succeeding in college.

“It’s not disability, it’s ability,” Low said. “I do things at the speed I can do them and if you don’t like it, you know where the door is.”

Stevenson said her favorite part of her job is watching students succeed. She believes there has always been an interest for the group, but without consistency it wasn’t able to be successful.

At the request of students, the group has been reestablished and Stevenson wants the group to focus on the students and their goals.

“I want to see the students be able to get together,” Stevenson said. “A safe place for them to share their difficulties.”

As the group continues to develop, members are looking forward to what is to come for the group as well as seeing its full potential.

Wiederholt is hoping to impact the ISU community through events of this reestablished group.

“People don’t need to be afraid,” Wiederholt said. “I’m hoping that this group can get [students] connected with the right resources.”