Who We Are

Our Story

The idea for DREAM first stemmed from a discussion back in the Fall of 2019 between two undergraduate students at the University of Michigan. As per tradition, Thursday nights were reserved as pizza night and entailed deep conversations. A central theme of these conversations was ways of giving back to their community.

In the midst of final exams, extracurricular activities, and worrying about getting into medical school, they thought these discussions were simply dreams that would only come true after they started their careers and had the time and money to invest in it.  

Yet one day, after reaching out to their close friends and sharing the idea with them, motivation and dedication took over, as two people became six. They realized striking differences between disability awareness at their University compared to their hometown. After dozens of meetings analyzing and discussing countless published research articles, they finally landed on their first research project. As DREAM grew in number, the projects simultaneously grew and now range from research endeavors to podcasts; all with the goal of raising awareness in their community and enacting change. What once was an idea has transformed into a movement predicated on improving the lives of those with disabilities. As such, the name DREAM stands for everything we hope to accomplish: the Disabilities Research, Education, and Advocacy Movement. 

We hope to continue raising awareness through our research, podcast,  and community outreach programs so we can demonstrate that disability does not equal inability.