Andrews University is home to a diverse community that features a manifold of cultures and groups. This week, I sat down with Alina Weber (senior, photography) to talk about her senior project, which spotlights the experiences of people living with invisible disabilities. Just one semester from graduating with her Bachelor in Fine Arts, Alina plans to showcase her project at her senior exhibition.
As defined by the Invisible Disabilities Association, an invisible disability is “a physical, mental or neurological condition that is not visible from the outside, yet can limit or challenge a person’s movements, senses, or activities.” For example, some invisible disabilities include, but are not limited to, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism, dyslexia, diabetes, and more.
During my conversation with Alina, she expressed what inspired this topic when brainstorming for her project. “I know we have talked around campus about disability accommodations, and I have celiac disease,” she said. “It is an autoimmune disorder that I found out I had when I was really young. I want to focus on how people feel seen or unseen because of invisible disabilities.” She said that her biggest hope would be to bring awareness to the topic of invisible disabilities on campus.
“I hope that it opens up more conversations on campus. I feel like a lot of people don't know how broad the term invisible disabilities is.” She shared how, for a long time, she felt as though her own invisible disability was something she just had to deal with. However, with the support from her parents, she was empowered to realize that she deserved to be seen despite any challenges she may have faced.
Currently, Alina is looking for volunteers for her senior project, whether on campus or from the Berrien area, who are open to sharing their stories about their own invisible disabilities. Although she is still finalizing the details of how she plans to use her artistic vision to bring the project to life, she wants all potential volunteers to know participation can be anonymous.
“I just want to collect as many experiences as possible. They have the option to choose how they would like to be represented, whether that be anonymous, symbolically, by picture, or even just [something describing] their experience. I am still playing with the idea,” she shared.
Alina said that she also hopes to get input or suggestions from participants on how to best approach her project.
For anyone interested in helping Alina actualize her project, she is reachable via email at alinaw@andrews.edu or via Instagram Direct Message (@aweber21503). “The sooner [they reach out], the better.”
The Student Movement is the official student newspaper of Andrews University. Opinions expressed in the Student Movement are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the editors, Andrews University or the Seventh-day Adventist church.