Disability Empowerment By Samantha Horning

About two years ago, I was struggling with major depressive disorder and my recently diagnosed panic disorder with agoraphobia. It was my senior year, and I could barely drive or go to school without breaking down. During this time, I was also applying for college. I had applied to IU Indianapolis and IU Online. I thought I would have to attend college online, because it was a struggle just to leave my house, but I knew I couldn’t give up on getting higher education.

A few months after being accepted to IU Indianapolis, I found out I had earned a full-ride scholarship via the IUI Honors College. The scholarship required me to live on campus, something that felt completely impossible. Earning such a prestigious scholarship was an amazing feeling, but I also felt like maybe I was taking the spot of someone else who was more capable. After all, I couldn’t even go to the store without having a panic attack.

I applied for accommodations via IUI’s Accessible Education Services, which would help me learn and take tests in a more comfortable environment and have flexibility for mental illness-related absences. These accommodations helped me feel more confident about attending classes and living on campus. However, I knew I would have to do more if I was going to be able to go to college and live on campus

A college building with a graduation cap in the foreground.

I was able to graduate from high school with technical and academic honors (and a lot of absences during my senior year). After graduation, I started to visit the IU Indianapolis campus with my family to get used to being there in an attempt to appease my panic disorder. The
scholarship I received also required me to move in a week early and go on a retreat with my fellow scholarship recipients. At the time, this retreat was extremely scary, but looking back, being on campus early with fellow honors students helped me get acclimated to campus and
make a few friends. The retreat included traveling around campus and around downtown Indianapolis. I had to force myself to go, but it helped me immensely.

I credit Accessible Education Services, the IU Indianapolis Honors College, and my family for why I was able to attend college despite the struggles I was facing. The support I received helped me feel empowered to achieve my goals, no matter the obstacles along the way. I sincerely hope that other young people facing mental illness or disorders do not give up on their goals, because there are always resources and services that can help them.

I am majoring in psychology and plan to go to graduate school for clinical psychology, because I want to help people who are facing mental illness overcome their struggles and achieve their goals. Diagnoses can sometimes feel like a life sentence, but there are always people there to support and empower you.

About the Author

Samantha at the induction ceremony for Phi Eta Sigma and Alpha Lambda Delta honor societies. It is a headshot of a young woman with long, straight black hair and clear-framed glasses, smiling subtly

Image Description: Samantha at the induction ceremony for Phi Eta Sigma and Alpha Lambda Delta honor societies. It is a headshot of a young woman with long, straight black hair and clear-framed glasses, smiling subtly.

Artist Bio: Samantha is an undergraduate student at Indiana University Indianapolis. She is completing her BS in psychology with minors in neuroscience and sociology. She is passionate about helping people impacted by mental illness, addiction, and domestic violence. In the future, she plans to attend graduate school for clinical psychology.

Digital Collage By Kristianna Eaton

A vibrant, digital collage featuring a winding road that stretches from the top center toward the horizon, surrounded by various symbolic images and text boxes..

Image Description: On the left, a large, halftone-style illustration of a mouth is open as if speaking, positioned above a hand writing in a journal. Text boxes nearby read “Patience for me when I’m struggling” and “A safe space for me to share and open up about my feelings.”

The center features a cluster of microphones, a globe with a blue flower growing out of it, and a teal flag. Text boxes in this area say “Realizing not every problem has the same solution” and “Making accommodations to advocate for my success.”

The right side shows a photograph of a group of people sitting on the front steps of a brownstone building. Overlapping this are stylized, flat-color icons of two people hugging and a simple red house. Text boxes here read “Clear communication and guidelines that help to benefit me” and “Creating community where I can feel empowered.”

About the Author

A headshot of a woman with long dark hair wearing a black top, smiling slightly at the camera, with a brick building in the background.

Image Description: A headshot of a woman with long dark hair wearing a black top, smiling slightly at the camera, with a brick building in the background.

“Kristianna Eaton is currently studying Marketing at the Kelley School of Business at Indiana University Indianapolis. While navigating her academic journey, she manages anxiety, and with the support of Indiana University’s Academic Excellence Services (AES) program, she has been able to thrive academically. With the resources provided by AES, Kristianna has found strategies that allow her to succeed and plans to graduate in May 2026.”

Support: A Collage By Isaiah Thomison

A large, colorful collage on a white background, titled "Isaiah Artwork," featuring various photos, drawings, and text labels connected by blue lines

Artist Statement: “These are my friends, family and teachers. These are important people in my life because they help me learn and grow. I want everyone to see how special they are. 

ArtMix is where I do Community Class and art with my friends. People like Emily, Brittany, and Molly help me make art projects and work on my art skills. WALLS lets me go into the community and go places like the movies or the park. They support me by being there when I try new things in the community. Transportation always gets me where I need to be and gets me there safely. In Special Olympics my coaches help me focus and get better at my sports, my teammates help me compete and do my best to reach my goals. My family supports me to be active and healthy and to learn things. We have our different opinions but we all love each other. “

About the Author

A smiling young man in a grey sweater vest and a red bow tie

Image Description: A headshot of a smiling young man with short dark hair and a light goatee. He is wearing a white button-down shirt, a grey sweater vest, and a bright red bow tie. He is positioned against a dark, textured brown background that resembles a wooden slat blind.

Artist Bio: Isaiah is a 28‑year‑old twin whose creativity, energy, and love for community shine in everything he does. A dedicated participant of ArtMix for more than a decade, he expresses himself through art and enjoys sharing his talents with others. Isaiah is an active athlete with Boone County Special Olympics, competing in softball, basketball, corn hole, bowling, and track. He also loves connecting with friends at ILADD game nights and being involved in his community.

Family is at the heart of who Isaiah is. He is a proud son, brother, and nephew, but his favorite role is being an uncle to his 7‑year‑old niece. The two of them bond over Super Mario Brothers and making art together. Isaiah’s joyful spirit, kindness, and love for spending time with family and friends make him a cherished part of every community he joins.

Second Nature By Xin Dauterman

A watercolor painting of a bouquet of flowers next to two small mallard ducks.

Image Description: A watercolor painting on a textured, off-white background featuring a central bouquet of flowers and two small ducks in the lower right corner.

The bouquet is composed of stylized, pointed petals in earthy tones of deep red, muted orange, and soft purple, interspersed with green leaves and tall, thin blades of grass. The stems are gathered and tied at the bottom with a simple dark binding. Light splatters of paint surround the floral arrangement, giving it a whimsical feel.

To the right, two mallard-style ducks stand side-by-side, facing away from the viewer but looking back toward the flowers. One duck has brown plumage while the other is a bluish-grey, both featuring distinctive green heads. The overall style is minimalist and gentle.

Author Statement

How does it connect to the question:  What would help you feel supported or empowered with your disability(s)? 

As a person with hearing loss and ADHD, I have faced many struggles like academic struggles, social struggles, and confidence issues growing up. Sure, hearing loss starts off as a physical issue but can affect other aspects of life. The emotional impact hearing loss has on someone isn’t always seen. Throughout my life, hearing loss has caused a sense of isolation or feeling of disconnect from the world around me. 

Growing up, I assumed every child struggled trying to follow conversations, missing words or phrases or misinterpreting speech, and felt lost when a group of people were talking. I was clueless in conversation, always having to rely on my parents or my sister to narrate conversations I couldn’t follow. I learned that this was my sense of normal, shaped by hearing loss. 

A image of the backs of 2 people with their arms around each other's shoulders.

All of these causes barriers of communication and led me feeling anxious as a child. Growing up I’ve learned to feel different and behind from my peers and because of that, left me drained and exhausted going to school everyday. I remember as a kid looking forward to coming home to my big sister who was always there ready with open arms to give me a big hug and love me wholly. That’s when I have felt most supported or empowered.

The reason why I picked the painting was actually because my sister Leah and I painted this together recently. I feel like it represents our story and how sometimes it may look messy and scattered but in the bigger picture it’s our beautiful story that we get to share. And the struggles we have experienced and overcome can turn into something messy and beautiful. 

Leah is the person that gives me wisdom because she has taught me how to connect and empathize with people, to not only advocate for ourselves but to embrace our imperfections. I feel most supported having a role model I can always look up to, feeling like I am always loved unconditionally,  being able to have such a great relationship with my family and to use them as tools to overcome the challenging stuff. The challenges are what makes the story become beautiful. 

My sister has given me a sense of belonging and empowerment with my disability because she shows compassion, patience and understanding. Having people who are willing to slow down, repeat themselves and include me without making me feel like a burden makes a real difference. 

The two ducks in my painting represent the companionship and the lack of isolation I’ve felt going through life with my sister. They reflect always having each other’s backs and it reminds me that both communication and life are ongoing journeys. 

About the Author

This is a headshot of Xin Dauterman with her sister. Xin is the one in the left who is wearing glasses and a grey shirt. She has short, dark brown hair. And Leah is the one in the right, who has long, blonde hair with a striped shirt.

Image Description: This is a headshot of Xin Dauterman with her sister. Xin is the one in the left who is wearing glasses and a grey shirt. She has short, dark brown hair. And Leah is the one in the right, who has long, blonde hair with a striped shirt. 

Artist Bio

Xin Dauterman (she/her) is a biology student adopted from Jiangxi, China at the age of 2 and born with unilateral microtia and atresia; she wears a bone-anchored hearing aid every day. She draws on her lived experience of disability and ADHD to explore connection, accessibility, and compassion. She is currently learning American Sign Language (ASL) and minoring in it as a way to connect with her experiences with hearing loss. This watercolor piece was created by Xin and her sister, Leah Dauterman, an anesthesiology resident in the IU program. The painting is in honor of Leah and reflects the closeness of our relationship.