As the weather cools and the winter months settle in, so does the snow across Eastern Michigan University's campus.
The Disability Revolution Club is a student-led organization run by co-presidents Autumn Persinger and Willow Churchhill-Torres, with a focus on offering support and a safe space to EMU students who have disabilities or are disability allies. The group also functions as a resource for students with disabilities to inform one another about potential hazards across campus, like snow that prevents mobility.
In December 2025, the Disability Revolution Club raised concerns over the amount of snow on the ground across campus on the club's student-led Instagram page. In a short video montage, the post showcased a series of pictures from different areas of EMU where snow, ice and melted slick covered the ground.
Alongside the video, the post also featured a caption with a satirical version of "It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas," which read, "It's beginning to look a lot like ableism! Everywhere we go, take a look at the uncleared snow, glistening as it blows, with skidding wheels and slipping heels, oh no!"
Spencer Lyke, a graduate assistant studying social work at EMU and member of the Disability Revolution Club, spoke about the social post and the greater meaning behind it.
"Over the course of the semester, we [the Disability Revolution Club] had collected a lot of pictures of crazy sidewalks on campus that were either broken or unshoveled, and one of the board members suggested that we make a post about it with a holiday joke," Lyke said. "It wasn't meant to be any sort of big protest; it was more so us making a silly complaint about how terrible the winter weather is and how inaccessible winter will typically make it for mobility aid users."
While the post was made in the holiday spirit, Lyke suggested that EMU, as well as students and staff, recognize how much the winter weather can have an effect on students who use wheelchairs or have other disabilities.
"For the walkers out there, shoveling sidewalks is more of a safety precaution to ensure they don't slip, or is primarily a convenience thing," said Lyke. "For wheelchair users, it's 'can I go down this sidewalk?'"
Liz Shawl, the interim director of the Disability Resource Center, explained at the DRC works closely with EMU's Physical Plant, which is responsible for removing the snow off the walkways across campus. The Physical Plant also identifies areas on campus where snow removal is a priority to ensure student accessibility.
While snowfall may make mobility for some students difficult, the Disability Resource Center and Physical Plant work to ensure that certain routes used by individuals are cleared first as a priority.
"During active snowfall or worsening weather conditions, the Physical Plant makes every effort to maintain accessibility," Shawl said. "However, when heavy snowfall takes place over a short period of time, continuous clearing cannot be guaranteed."
For students in need of resources or further support throughout the winter season, the Disability Resource Center can be contacted through their physical office, located in Room 250 in the Student Center, open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The DRC can also be contacted via their email at drc@emich.edu or number at 734-487-2470.
For future events and resources, more information can be found on the Disability Revolution Club's Instagram @drclub_emich.
