{"id":27736,"date":"2018-04-10T16:16:11","date_gmt":"2018-04-10T20:16:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/necc.edu\/newsroom2\/2018\/04\/10\/poster-designed-for-disability-awareness\/"},"modified":"2026-05-14T16:19:55","modified_gmt":"2026-05-14T20:19:55","slug":"poster-designed-for-disability-awareness","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/necc.edu\/newsroom\/2018\/04\/10\/poster-designed-for-disability-awareness\/","title":{"rendered":"Poster Designed for Disability Awareness"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"<\/a>

Lance Hidy, NECC’s accessible media specialist, recently designed this disability awareness poster which depicts celebrities and their disabilities.<\/p><\/div>\n

When Lance Hidy, Northern Essex Community College<\/a>\u2019s accessible media specialist, first learned that most individuals with disabilities either do not enroll in college or if they do, do not ask for assistance, he knew others should know too.<\/p>\n

So, Hidy, a renowned graphic designer, did what he does best \u2013 designed a poster that would educate, at the very least, the greater NECC community. The poster features famous politicians, actors, musicians, and artists born with various disabilities. Now, 17, two x three-foot posters hang in various locations across the Haverhill and Lawrence campuses.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is part of a campaign to reduce the stigma associated with the word \u2018disability\u2019 and to recognize that disability is in fact part of diversity,\u201d says Hidy, who collaborated with the staffs of the Learning Accommodations Center<\/a> and the Center for Instructional Technology<\/a>, before embarking on the design.<\/p>\n

The poster includes, to name a few, Apple, Inc. co-founder, Steve Jobs, who was dyslexic; Lady Gaga, who has fibromyalgia;\u00a0artist Frida Kahlo, who lived with physical pain and mobility issues; actress Selena Gomez, who has depression; and photographer Ansel Adams who had ADHD.<\/p>\n

The intent of the poster, says Hidy, is to reduce the \u201cstigma\u201d that a disability would ever prevent you from pursuing an education, or employment. The poster includes the thumbnail photos of 18 celebrities and the disability they live with. Also listed on the poster are statistics that only 20 percent of college\u00a0students with diagnosed\u00a0disabilities register for accommodations and that the other 80 percent register for classes\u00a0without disclosing\u00a0their disability, and without receiving the assistance they are legally entitled to.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe wanted to raise awareness,\u201d says Hidy. \u201cWe want to encourage more\u00a0students with disabilities to register for accommodations. We also want to raise awareness among\u00a0faculty and staff, who don\u2019t have disabilities, to think about students with disabilities in other ways, and to\u00a0design courses to be more accessible.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hidy is one of the leaders of the Accessible Media Team<\/a> at NECC,\u00a0who\u00a0believe\u00a0that designing courses to be more user-friendly and accessible is an under-recognized way to improve student success, and to increase the percentage of students who complete their degrees. Creating an accessible digital learning environment is also consistent with the college’s mission to promote diversity and inclusion\u2014serving the broadest possible range of students, regardless of their abilities.<\/p>\n

For additional information contact Hidy at lhidy@necc.mass.edu<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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