Project CLOSER

If you can
dream it,

you can do it!  ~Walt Disney

 

Sara Gaver is a leader for disabled students in pursuit of a college degree.

 

Project CLOSER is a dream she has to help better the lives of students with disabilities. The idea is to develop a volunteer corps of Personal Assistants (PA) and floaters for severely disabled students at the University of North Florida (UNF) who require assistance in the performance of basic activities of daily living.

Personal Assistants (PA) would live in the residence hall to help students with their morning and/or evening routines which may include dressing, personal hygiene, toileting and transferring in or out of their wheelchairs. The PAs will be student volunteers from University of North Florida.

Floaters will work scheduled shifts during the day and evening to respond to tasks outside the PA service hours. As a learning tool and incentive, PAs would ideally be granted a tuition waiver, free room and board and a small stipend in exchange for 18 hours of weekly PA services.

The disability resource center (DRC), which has already been established at UNF, would provide a pool of PAs and floaters that will be educated on various disabilities, trained, fingerprinted and instructed in universal precautions, lifting and the dignity of the person. Some of the best student volunteers for this program would likely come from the college of health and nursing programs. 

 

As of right now, this is just a dream. It's a plan to make the college community and experience better and more attainable for students with disabilities while also offering great hands-on opportunities for other students on campus. Once established, this program has the potential to enhance not only the University of North Florida, but all colleges in Florida and in the country.