The energetic presentation of Stephen Shore to a packed room Wednesday, Oct. 10 was truly inspiring. While the University typically hosts events consisting of professors or students with disabilities, inviting an outside expert to speak on disability issues was a new approach to an important issue. Shore has Asperger's Syndrome-a high functioning form of autism-and came to campus to educate the community about his disability. According to Beth Rodgers-Kay, director of disabilities and support, students and faculty who have a connection with AS requested the event. She described the event as an attempt to rally both students and faculty around an issue that directly affects the few Brandeis students who have the disability as well as many others who know or are related to an individual with AS.

Shore demonstrated the reach of Asperger's when he asked the audience to indicate if they were a parent, relative or friend of someone with the disability. Almost everyone in the room raised their hands. While I've always assumed that I could not be the only person on campus with some connection to AS, I was still surprised to see how many people raised their hands.

It has been my experience that accommodating individuals with disabilities is not a priority for either Brandeis students or the administration. Many buildings are completely inaccessible to the physically handicapped, students are impatient and money is the ever-ready excuse for why things cannot be changed. These buildings were constructed before the establishment of the 1991 American's with Disabilities Act, and therefore there is no federal mandate to update buildings and make them fully accessible, but this can only be used as justification for inactivity for so long.

Though such issues and their slow resolutions have always been a source of aggravation for me, I believe that inviting Shore to speak to the community was a big step in the right direction for the University. The audience appeared to be genuinely interested in what he was saying and actively participated in his presentation. While Shore focused on many of the common struggles of an individual with AS, he also spent time on the social implications of the disability-a particularly important area for college students.

The telltale social awkwardness that plagues individuals with AS can at times be the most tragic aspect of the disability. Shore pointed out how, if one doesn't understand the "hidden curriculum" of human interactions, one is automatically classified as a social outcast. Instead of encountering the patience that is necessary for them to learn, many people with AS are ignored or cruelly mocked by their peers and labeled as "creeps" or "freaks." We've all witnessed such behavior, even at Brandeis, and many of us have been active participants.

Shore emphasized the need for understanding and support from those with AS, especially in a college environment, while he or she struggles to learn those instincts that come naturally to many of us. He spoke about the countless hours he spent in bookstores studying human behavior books, trying to grasp those hidden cues that everyone else seems to "just know."

Especially in a college setting, his point is well taken. Everyone wants to fit in and have a group with which they share common likes and dislikes. Some people struggle more to find this group than others do. If someone is evidently having difficulty with those social nuances that come naturally to the rest of us, what does it take to just smile rather than laugh at him? A little kindness can go a very long way.

If nothing else, I hope that Shore's presentation instilled a little more compassion and understanding into those students in the audience who attended the event with an open mind. While it is crucial that those who work with and teach those with AS understand how the disability limits cognitive abilities, particularly in the classroom, it is vital that we grasp the social limitations and help our peers with AS to function within that framework.

Everyone wants and needs a human connection that exists outside the safety zone of the family. While it has certainly been a slow process, it seems as though the University is finally taking steps toward educating the student body in a meaningful way about such disabilities. It's time for us to embrace Brandeis' commitment to social justice and reach out to all members of our community.