AMS Council has approved a new resource group that will support students who are neurodiverse.
Approved May 13, the Neurodiverse and Disabled Alliance was previously known as the Neurodiverse Pathfinders club. Since 2012, the club has provided neurodiverse individuals with a community and a place of belonging.
“Neurodiversity is the position that many neurological conditions should not be treated as disabilities but rather as standard human variation, as worthy of celebration as any other aspect of human diversity,” reads the Neurodiverse Pathfinders website.
Adrian Cheng, a geography alumnus, was in his first year at UBC when he became interested in starting a club to support neurodiverse students. At the time, an autistic fifth-year student connected with Cheng and offered him a space in the old Student Union Building, marking the beginning of the club.
“It was a safe space for individuals who had sensory overload and were like-minded people,” explained Cheng. “We were never so hard on advocacy.”
Though Cheng has graduated from UBC, he is excited to see what the new project will look like.
According to Cole Evans, AMS president, this transformation has been in progress since last semester, when the Resource Group Allocation Committee met with him to kickstart the process.
“Accessibility is always an important conversation we are having at the AMS,” he said, hopeful that this group will meet an important need within the community.
While for the time being, it is unclear when students will be able to access the group and what specific services they will receive. Evans says it’s only a matter of time before details are finalized now that the organization has been approved as a resource group.
“Basically now, all that needs to happen is that group just needs to start organizing some services and will do so at their own pace,” said Evans.
The resource group’s name has concerned some council members, as they are unsure of whether it fully reflects the AMS’s desired culture of inclusion.
“There is some discussion to be had about whether the name is fully in line with the culture that we like to promote at AMS,” said Alireza Kamyabi, Council’s GSS representative at the time.
In response, Evans said in a statement he is “really confident” the name was chosen by the group with knowledge and expertise.
“The resource groups … truly are the most knowledgeable [and] can provide the most in-depth expertise regarding these issues that are affecting students,” he stated, adding that the door is open to changes should individuals continue to raise concern.
And even though Cheng is no longer an active member of the group, he believes the new group won’t be that different from the old one.
“Members of the group and friends of mine who are neurodiverse have mentioned to me that the resource group will be almost exactly like Neurodiverse Pathfinders was back in the day,” said Cheng.
“We are really hoping the Neurodiverse and Disabled Alliance will be a great addition to our already great group of resource groups and provide a safe space for individuals who are neurodiverse,” Evans added.
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