Graduates '98 -- Sean Pevsner
Whether testifying at state legislative committees or organizing rallies, Sean Pevsner has worked consistently to improve accessibility for the disabled on the UT campus, in the city of Austin and statewide.
Pevsner, founder and president of Groups United Against Rights Discrimination (GUARD), is among 12 graduating seniors who have been selected for the 1998 "Dean's Dozen" award. The award, presented for the first time this year, goes to students who have made significant contributions to student life at the University. Pevsner, who has cerebral palsy, was recognized for his persistent advocacy for students with disabilities.
Throughout his UT Austin career, Pevsner has worked closely with the staff of the Office of the Dean of Students on a wide range of disability measures. He successfully worked to improve the way the Capital Metro shuttle bus system provides transportation for disabled students. He helped identify accessibility problems at the new Student Services Building, and also has helped ensure that new and remodeled buildings on campus will be reviewed for accessibility before they are constructed.
Dean of Students Sharon H. Justice said Pevsner has raised the consciousness of University officials, making them aware that minimum compliance with federal disability law "is not necessarily the acceptable standard for a University of the first class."
Pevsner does not believe disabilities are something people should "fight" to overcome, but part of what makes them who they are.
"I have had a lot of people think I am retarded because I am severely disabled, even though I go to UT. You have to educate people. And the only way to do that is to accept your disability as a characteristic of your personality," Pevsner said. Asked his advice to disabled students, Pevsner said, "Don't let people tell you that you can't do something. You have to protect your rights!"
He added: "You must not hide (from) your disability, because it not only causes trouble for you but for your professors and peers. They may or may not understand how to deal with you."
Pevsner, who grew up in Arlington, said he owes much of his success to his friend, Mark Whitburn, who just completed work on his Ph.D. in philosophy. Whitburn was working at a summer camp for the disabled when he met Pevsner, then a ninth-grader, and learned that the public school system was trying to put Pevsner into remedial classes. Whitburn was instrumental in making sure Pevsner got the same educational opportunities as other high school students.
Pevsner began his UT studies in a manual wheelchair, and Whitburn pushed him to many of his classes, took notes for him when necessary, and helped interpret when Pevsner wanted to participate in class discussions.
"My best friend, Mark Whitburn, got me where I am today," Pevsner said. "People think he is an attendant or a nurse, but he is not. I am what I am today because of him."
Pevsner, who learned both Greek and Latin for his classics degree, was able to get to many classes by himself after he got a motorized chair. In 1996, he received the W. J. Battle Scholarship for Outstanding Achievement in Classics. He was a nominee for the classics department's Friar's Club Award in 1996.
Pevsner minored in history, and is especially interested in the history of civil rights. He plans to go to law school, but will work after graduation at a California civil rights law firm called Protection and Advocacy, a sister organization of Advocacy, Inc., in Texas.
Pevsner was chosen by the Cactus Yearbook as one of the Outstanding Students of 1998. The Dean of Students' Office also nominated him for the Goodfellow's Award for 1998. He received the 1996 ADAPT of Texas Award for Outstanding Contributions to Disability rights.
Asked what he does to keep going, Pevsner said, "I do my advocacy work and I think about all the people with disabilities who are in nursing homes and do not have the opportunities that I have."
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