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Whenever Daisy Dimatos packs for trips, she’s the first to admit it seems like she’s prepping for a “small disaster.” As someone who lives with a disability, she knows the importance of accounting for any situation, and her packing habits reflect her need for preparedness.

She sometimes needs a cane for walking and wrist braces for stability while writing. Minor injuries that, for most people, would fade away after a few days can flare up unexpectedly for Dimatos, so she must factor unexpected inconveniences into her daily planning. She meticulously maps out her schedule each day to ensure she can maintain her energy levels.

These are just a few of the adjustments that people living with disabilities must make in their daily lives. Dimatos knows how effective organization and planning can be integral to their continued health, wellness and success. As a ��ñ�� School of Management (SOM) student, her unique perspective has driven her to help foster more inclusiveness and advocate for those with diverse needs.

She’s eager to continue building upon these skills and experiences in the business world by working in human resources. Her goal: expand people’s perceptions of disability.

“This might sound cliché, but there are so many disabilities that you don’t see, and it’s easier than you might think to form preconceived notions about how someone’s disability affects them without taking their actual experiences and perspective into account,” Dimatos said. “I’m passionate about breaking down some of the communication barriers, helping create a workplace where people feel supported and cultivating an atmosphere where people feel comfortable advocating for things that are important to them.”

A passion for advocacy

Dimatos is a business administration major concentrating in leadership and consulting and minoring in sociology. She’s driven to lead by example, but that mindset didn’t begin at ��ñ��; it traces back to her years at Chenango Forks High School.

During that time, she served as class president for all four years and held top roles in at least six student clubs during her junior and senior years. Looking back, Dimatos can’t help but laugh and think that her extensive involvement in student organizations seemed like the beginning of “my plan for world domination.”

But joining the Disabled Student Union as a first-year ��ñ�� student ignited her keen interest in advocacy.

She took pride in designing resources that helped answer her fellow students’ questions and directed them to offices in the University that could provide the best solutions. She also created templates for emailing professors about accommodations, offering guidance and formatting for students when they advocate for their needs in class.

One of her favorite projects was assisting Associate Professor John Zilvinskis from the College of Community and Public Affairs with research into social engagement for mobility-disabled students on college campuses. This further inspired her passion for creating inclusive and welcoming spaces for individuals. It’s a skill she hopes to use in her intended career in human resources.

Taking the extra step

While the hands-on experiences Dimatos has had at ��ñ�� remain a highlight of her educational journey, she believes SOM’s emphasis on networking is its strongest selling point.

“When people think of college, they usually think of the classes and the professors — which are important —but the way that I’ve made the most progress in terms of things like getting internships and professional development is the SOM alumni network,” she said. “The connections here are fantastic! So many people within the school and in the alumni network are willing to take that extra step to help you succeed.”

As a member of SOM’s PwC Scholars, Dimatos’ participation in an admitted student event in New York City led to an invitation from Assistant Dean Linda Reynolds to join the SOM Dean’s Office as a student assistant.

Eager for another chance to help fellow students, Dimatos took the lead on projects to improve accessibility within SOM by producing materials and resource guides for students with disabilities or neurodivergence.

Dimatos stresses that making those accommodations doesn’t always require overhauling existing practices. She’s found that smaller adjustments often have the most significant impact: showing flexibility and a willingness to adapt by rescheduling meetings if necessary and remaining receptive to suggestions for improving accessibility based on feedback.

“Disclosing a disability makes you feel deeply vulnerable — it’s very scary — but it’s also very important to take the step to advocate for your own needs,” Dimatos said. “In an ideal world, I like to think the accessibility conversation will just involve a person explaining their needs and everyone finding a compromise so that person can be accommodated while still getting the necessary work done in a satisfactory way. And hopefully, human resource professionals can help to make that ideal world a reality!”

Services for students with disabilities

Here are some helpful resources available at ��ñ��.