March is National Disability Awareness month. My friend and neighbor, Christian Huber, is president of the Bucks Disability Pride Club at Bucks County Community College. It was enlightening to interview him and learn about the club.
Christian told me that the people in the club are “proud of who we are as disabled people despite the challenges we face”. In fact, Christian told me that even though sometimes he wishes he didn’t have his disability, and even though his disability makes life more challenging, he sees definite blessings in what he has had to face. He sees the world through a different lens. His disability has contributed to his being able to show compassion, especially to anyone dealing with challenges. He also thinks it has helped his music. He has perfect pitch and is a wonderful musician.
The club focuses on fun events and tries to always have a positive vibe. Having this club on campus is what drew Christian to BCCC rather than the other colleges he had applied to.
They have had to be creative (as we all have) during Covid. They meet online, and have had events like open mic night with some people performing musical numbers while another who wasn’t musical did a handstand. They also had a disability themed trivia contest.
One thing the group has been doing recently is spotlighting each member. Christian said that has been very rewarding. They listen to each others stories and come to understand each other better. They are building even deeper connections during the pandemic
The club is not only made up of people who are disabled, but they also have “allies” in their club: people who do not have a disability but who want to learn more about the disabled experience. Sounds like something worthwhile for all of us to do.