The lifelong dream of a University of Tennessee alumna has come to fruition at Saint Mary’s College, Notre Dame, thanks in part to the work of UT’s Student Disability Services.
As a PhD student at UT, Kaycee Bills was invited to become a member of Delta Alpha Pi, a national honor society for students with disabilities who meet specific GPA requirements. At UT, the chapter is overseen by Student Disability Services, which partners with the UT community to ensure an accessible university experience for students with disabilities by removing or minimizing barriers. Bills had completed her bachelor’s and master’s degrees at other schools and had positive experiences, but UT was the first time in her student career to be at a school that had a chapter of Delta Alpha Pi.
“Having groups and organizations for students with disabilities helps remove the stigma people often attach to having a disability or receiving accommodations.”
“Having groups and organizations for students with disabilities helps remove the stigma people often attach to having a disability or receiving accommodations,” says Bills, who is a member of the disability community herself. “At my previous schools, there were tons of clubs and honor societies for every student group imaginable, but nothing specifically for students with disabilities. I felt like I was part of a diverse group with unique experiences, but there wasn’t a formal group for us. So when I received the invitation to join Delta Alpha Pi, it was a huge moment. I thought ‘wow, there’s an honor society specifically for us!’ What I always wanted actually existed here at UT.”
Margaret Butler, founding president, and Kaycee Bills, advisor, presenting at Saint Mary’s College symposium about promoting social and academic recognition for students with disabilities on college campuses.
Bills, who is a member of the hard of hearing and neurodiverse communities, says that disabilities impact people in ways that others outside the community don’t think about. Bills knows that having a disability or needing accommodations can come with misconceptions or negative perceptions from others. And for some, the negative perceptions that stem from having different needs can ultimately lead to students internalizing the voices of their critics who doubt their abilities. Sometimes those voices result in students leaving school. But Bills notes that when students’ disability identities are recognized and celebrated through organizations like Delta Alpha Pi, that stigma diminishes. Organizations like Delta Alpha Pi enrich the student experience.
After she graduated with her PhD in 2019, Bills longed to work either at an institution that had an established chapter she could become deeply involved in or at an institution where she could start a thriving chapter herself. And now, in her third year working at Saint Mary’s College as an assistant professor, this aspiration has become a reality.
As the all-female sister school to the University of Notre Dame, Saint Mary’s College has a small student population, just 2,775 enrolled in fall 2023. But Bills notes that while Saint Mary’s does a great job offering student clubs and organizations, there was still a need for students with disabilities.
Delta Alpha Pi officers, from left to right, Avery Lazaro, co-founder, Kaycee Bills, advisor, and Margaret Butler, founding president.
Establishing Delta Alpha Pi in the fall of 2024 changed that. With the help and determination of student president Margaret Butler and student co-founder Avery Lazaro, college administration embraced the idea and the chapter was off to the organizational races. Michael Waddell, an associate professor of Autism studies, also volunteered to co-advise the chapter and assist with organizing campus events.
“Although I’m listed as the faculty supervisor, this is the student’s time to shine, and students with disabilities don’t get a time to shine very often,” adds Bills.
Delta Alpha Pi at Saint Mary’s ended the 2024–2025 academic year with 46 members. They also had their first pinning ceremony in the spring to induct new members to the national honor society, where Bills notes that many students were celebrated for their accomplishments for the first time in their lives. Bills anticipates the organization growing next year, in addition to a student-led Disabled Student Alliance group that is open to all students with disabilities regardless of GPA or number of credit hours enrolled.
“Delta Alpha Pi is a national organization with chapter bylaws and expectations, but my student experience with the chapter at UT is what provided the foundation I needed to answer questions from college leadership about what operating a chapter would be like,” says Bills. “We launched the chapter at Saint Mary’s using UT’s model as a blueprint for how to operate and recruit members.”