GraDis

The easiest way to get involved with GraDis is by joining our email list and coming to an event! 

Additionally, the GraDis Advisory Board meets one to two times a semester to provide guidance and share insights with the Graduate School on the direction of the group. Please email Noro Andriamanalina.if you’d like more information about joining the advisory board. 

The Disability Resource Center (DRC) works with students who have various disabilities and health conditions, including less-apparent disabilities like chronic health and mental health. We are a confidential office, and recognize that disclosing disability and health status can be complex. 

Ther DRC works with graduate students across academic disciplines and at all stages of graduate education. This includes: coursework, programmatic milestones like preliminary exams, housing, teaching, research, field work, clinical placements, internships, and more. You may begin working with the DRC at any time. 

There are a number of additional groups and offices across UMN promoting inclusion for people with disabilities. 

• The Disabled Student Cultural Center (DSCC) fosters the culture of students with disabilities and increases disability awareness on campus. While the DSCC is often organized by undergraduate students, they welcome graduate and professional students, too.
• The National Center for College Students with Disabilities, housed at the Institute on Community Integration, is a federally funded project that provides information and resources for college students with disabilities.
• Paratransit provides curb-to-curb transportation services to anyone who is unable to utilize fixed transit.
• Critical Disability Studies is a new Andrew W. Mellon-funded initiative working toward becoming a degree granting program.
• The Office for Digital Accessibility provides resources and support for increasing accessibility.
• University Senate Disability Issues Committee recommends University policies, procedures, programs, and services concerning faculty/academic professionals, students, staff, and guests of the University with disabilities.  

Do you know of other disability-related groups on campus we’ve missed? Let us know by emailing Noro Andriamanalina.

The University’s Personal Wellbeing resource page provides information about mental health and other wellbeing support services available to UMN students. If navigating a list of resources feels daunting, visit MentalHealth@UMN instead. By answering a few questions, this University resource helps connect you with the campus support service that's most relevant to your needs. 

• 988 Lifeline: Minnesota’s suicide prevention and mental health crisis service is available 24/7. You can call, text, or chat online
• Project LETS: Specializes in peer-led community mental health care. They are a national grassroots organization and movement led by and for folks with lived experience of mental illness/madness, Disability, trauma, & neurodivergence
• THRIVE Lifeline: Offers 24/7 text-based crisis support to anyone 18+ with a specific focus on multiply marginalized communities, including BIPOC, LGBTQ+, and neurodivergent / disabled people
• Live Another Day: Live Another Day believes in equal access to life-saving mental health and substance use resources. This website provides extensive information on the best resources available for BIPOC students
• Text Steve: The Steve Fund crisis text line (text steve to 741741) provides text-based mental health support for young people of color
• Resources for Latinx Students: Extensive resources for Latinx college students and their allies, put together by Tulip Hill Recovery
• Resources for AAPI Students: 28 mental health and substance use resources for Asian American students, carefully curated by experts at Lexington Addiction Center
• Trans Lifeline: A 24/7 hotline supporting trans people who are in crisis or seeking support
• The Trevor Project: Provides 24/7 suicide prevention support for young LGBTQ+ people through call, text, and chat

Can I come to GraDis events if I am an ally? 

Thanks for asking. GraDis is open to allies, caregivers, and loved ones. 

Why don’t you ask for medical information? Doesn’t that mean that anyone could show up? 

It would be against the law to ask a student or employee to disclose their personal medical history to join. It is only legal for the Disability Resource Center and/or HR to ask for disclosure and documentation when someone is seeking accommodations. 

Regardless of medical history or document, we welcome any graduate student who thinks that coming to a GraDis event could benefit them. This is also why we do not require participants to identify themselves as a person with a disability. Not everyone uses that language or feels like it's right for them and that's okay! 

I have an idea for GraDis! Who should I contact? 

Please contact Noro Andriamanalina. We’re excited to hear what you're thinking.

My question must not be frequent enough. Who should I contact? 

We’re sorry you couldn’t find the information you needed. Please reach out to Noro Andriamanalina.