2023 Focus Award Recipient - Organization

Disabled Student Union

The Disabled Student Union was established to provide an inclusive and educational environment for disabled and nondisabled Purdue undergraduate and graduate students.

The DSU is an educational resource, provides activism opportunities, and hosts events to promote access and inclusion. One of the DSU’s primary goals is to bring students together to identify and address collective issues faced by the disabled community of Purdue and the world at large.  Among other efforts, the DSU advocated on behalf of disabled students to resolve disruptions to quiet testing accommodations that led to establishing temporary alternative testing sites.  In a recent Exponent Article, the President of the DSU, August Trepanier, stated that the DSU is hoping to “really challenge what is normal and acceptable” in terms of inclusivity/exclusivity at Purdue.

The Disabled Student Union has been selected to receive the organization award for its commitment and dedication to accessibility and disability, and it is my privilege to present the DSU with this 2023 Focus Award.