By MC1 Lewis Hunsaker

Graduate Writing Center and Thesis Processing Office Director Dr. Sandra Leavitt, above center, addresses NPS faculty and staff during a disability awareness meeting in Herrmann Hall, Oct. 29. October marked 70 years since the first observance of Disability Awareness month and was the 25th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act.

"What is a disability?" asked Deputy Equal Employment Opportunity Manager Deborah Baity. "Disabilities can be physical, like those we are used to seeing, but what about hidden disabilities which are harder to discern?"

After seeing students struggle in various areas, NPS faculty, the Graduate Writing Center, NPS' Equal Opportunity Office and NPS' Dean of Students Office began an initiative to help students with disabilities.

"Disabilities affect students' ability to learn," said Leavitt. "Students often don't like to talk about these things; however, once they gain a rapport with someone they trust, they may talk about sleep disorders, trouble concentrating and other things."

According to Baity, offering a reasonable accommodation for a disability can be as simple as ordering ergonomically designed furniture or bringing in members of the Safety Office to evaluate a workspace. The current initiative is expected to be released within the next few months.