SU Mentor At 'InclusiveU' Seeks Accessibility On Campus

Kevin Camelo and Joseph Seltzer break out in laughs working on a computer code project for a class. They are two friends having fun. In reality, Camelo is Seltzer’s mentor in a program that helps students with disabilities.

Something as simple as sending emails can hold back a student, said Camelo. When text is placed on top of images, it is not accessible to somebody who is visually impaired and does not allow them to read them, he said.

“There are ways to avoid those situations and make sure anyone regardless of their ability is able to read them,” Camelo said. 

Camelo, a web design and graphic design major, works as a peer mentor at InclusiveU and strives to include students with disabilities into the Syracuse University campus by creating accessible online mediums.

InclusiveU is a program that helps the intellectual and developmental advancement of students with disabilities to provide them with a real college experience. Students with disabilities in the program receive a technical degree in fields such as culinary arts, computer science, and photography.

“Nationwide there is a lack of programs like InclusiveU that allow for individuals to grow intellectually,” Camelo said. “Many students are getting technical skills that are needed in the workplace and is valuable for any individual despite a disability.”

Camelo said InclusiveU’s peer mentoring program is essential on SU’s campus. “Knowing how to work with individuals with disabilities and understanding what they go through is important in any field of work,” he said.

Camelo spends seven hours a week working with his three mentees in Huntington Hall. Seltzer, a computer science conditional major, said working with Camelo has helped him improve his skills for class.

“Kevin, you’re my hero. I’ve been learning and I feel like I’m up to your pace now. I’m so happy,” Seltzer said. 

Camelo finds the connections he has made fulfilling for both parties. His work ranges from having lunch with students to helping them achieve their learning goals. “I’m making an impact, and they learn something new. I’ve been invited to birthday parties and received texts that have made my day,” he said.

His passion stems from growing up with a sister with autism. Many things aren’t designed to the necessary standards for people with disabilities, he said.  

There is a lack of accessible ramps and elevators in the Skyhall residence hall where Camelo works as a resident advisor. “Syracuse University, in terms of its structure, does inhibit individuals from doing what they need to do. They have a lot to improve on,” he said. 

Camelo emphasised that students with disabilities are normal people. He believes that SU should increase awareness on campus about the presence of people with disabilities and better communicate that they should be treated equally.

“You have to work through disabilities rather than look at it as a negative factor,” Camelo said.

The InclusiveU program has seen a decline in the number of peer mentors. Camelo said he understands that it can be difficult to work with students in the program.

“It takes a lot of understanding. I have felt frustrated sometimes when I’ve been with a student, but ultimately they have something to give and we have something to learn,” he said.