Disability Rights Advocacy Committee

Hi, my name is Julia Shurman and I’m currently a second year English and Political Science double major serving as a committee member on DRAC. When I was nine years old I was diagnosed with an auto-immune disease—Systemic Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis (SJIA)—that led to me developing a number of visible and invisible disabilities. In 2013, I was also diagnosed with Hepatopulmonary Syndrome, which led to me receiving a liver transplant the following June. The experiences and people I met both during and after my battle with SJIA opened my eyes to the daily struggles the disabled community faces and their lack of representation in the majority of communities. I hope to combine my interest in public policy with my work on DRAC to help bolster the voices of those with disabilities and create a more inclusive and supportive Davis community. I look forward to working with our team and ASUCD to create a permanent presence of disability rights advocacy at UC Davis.