The Students with Disabilities Advocacy Group (SDAG) at Georgia Southern University is currently fundraising for their advocacy efforts within the organization. Grey Meyer, secretary of SDAG, is using her personal skill of crocheting to help raise funds for the group.
"This is a personal fundraiser that I started for the club," Meyer said. "I crochet in my free time and started selling toadstool keychains."
The toadstool keychains are $15 each, and two thirds of all proceeds go directly to the advocacy efforts of SDAG. They are sewn in the group's official colors.
More about SDAG
Former SDAG president, Madeline Smith, and current SDAG president, Jill King, founded the club in 2021 as a safe space for students dealing with disabilities. Their mission is not only to advocate for those students' needs but also to educate the public and other students. SDAG works with different areas on campus to help these students navigate the campus in a safe way.
"We try to keep a running document that tells students, 'At this building, this elevator is out of service,' or 'This wheelchair button to open the door doesn't work,' so that students who rely on certain services can know and report to the university on these things that need to be fixed," Meyer shared.
This organization also hosts events in the community, highlighting different conditions and aspects of life that people who don't face disabilities may not know about. Their last event was their second annual Anti-Valentine's Party, which offered honest discussion on dating with a disability and difficulties in finding a partner who's interested in working around these barriers.
Meyer mentions that the group also endorses different platforms on campus such as the Rally for Roe and the Young Democrats. SDAG also supports other organizations such as the Wellness Ambassadors, the Psychology Coalition, and GS's Psi Chi chapter.
In the future, SDAG representatives plan to reach out to different businesses that could be a resource to them and their organization. They also want to host a disability formal in the future.
Meyer's Journey
When Grey Meyer was 12 years old, she was diagnosed with Crohn's disease. With Crohn's, her immune system is stronger than it should be, and it looks for the good bacteria in the lining of her intestines and attacks them. She has to take different medications to depress it, which makes her prone to other sickness and diseases.
Meyer comes from a family that has dealt with different sicknesses, a struggle which has been passed down to her. Currently, she has to be super careful with everything she does. She's managed her lifestyle in a way that's as safe as possible for nine years and counting.
"We want people to realize that our community is very likely going to be their community one day as well. That's why it's important to make things more accessible and as accepting as possible," she shared.
Meyer's drive is to educate everyone about unknown disability myths and what is accurate and what is not.
As for the organization, SDAG is not just for students who are living with a disability. They welcome everyone who wants to know more about them, and they welcome able-bodied students, as well.
"We are for anybody and everybody that wants to learn more and has a health condition and wants a larger community," Meyer said.
She and other members will continue to sell toadstool keychains during the campus First Fridays and other events. If you're interested in purchasing one or in getting involved with SDAG, please email [email protected].
