Valerie DuBose, Assistant Director of DSS, said Lake made an impact on the DSS team: “[Her] interactive and innovative approach to creating a truly inclusive learning environment has greatly impressed the DSS staff. It is because of her approachability, professionalism, ability to think outside of the box, and genuine interest for the best for students that make her most deserving of this award.”Each Fall and Spring semester the staff of DSS nominates a member of UAB’s faculty or staff who has demonstrated a commitment to providing equal access and opportunities to students with disabilities.
“DSS staff felt that it was important to formally recognize UAB faculty and staff who have demonstrated a strong commitment to serving students with disabilities by promoting universal design, valuing diverse learning styles and abilities, and who also challenge and support students with disabilities,” DuBose said.
The Department of Art and Art History, a diverse department with nine unique specialties, is uniquely predisposed to accommodate their students’ unique needs because of the diversity already prominent within their department.
“Every student is unique, every faculty member is unique, and every teaching style is unique,” Lake said. “So we have to sometimes unpack what the needs are and what the possibilities are … Everyone’s goal, the student and the faculty, is to make sure the students have the best learning experience possible [with] the same learning outcomes.”
When asked how her department will be moving forward regarding DSS accommodations, she says: “I think that we’re always improving the way we support diversity on campus, and we’re learning new ways to support faculty and staff...I think we in the Department of Art and Art History and the College of Arts and Sciences will rise to meet every opportunity we have to help our students, faculty, and our staff.”
For more information about Disability Support Services, see the DSS website. For more information about the Department of Art and Art History, see the department’s website.
Brodie Foster is a 2015-16 UAB Digital Media fellow and an English major with a concentration in Literature and a minor in Digital Community Studies. She works with videography, editing, and writing.
