For Renae Hackman, making excuses is not an option.
Despite living with cerebral palsy, Hackman is the supervisor of testing accommodations at ASU’s Disability Resource Center, which administers about 2,000 exams each semester and serves about 300 students.
“We are all created in the same image,” Hackman said. “Just because I have a disability and certain things may be more difficult, I’m still who I was created to be. I don’t see myself different from anyone else in that way.”
Cerebral palsy is a disability, caused by damage to the motor control center of the brain, that can affect speech and movement of a person’s ligaments.
Hackman, 45, has had limited use of her right arm since birth and uses a wheelchair because she can’t walk long distances. She also has speech difficulties.
Originally from Michigan, Hackman has held the position for 10 years after being a student volunteer and a test proctor. She graduated from ASU with a degree in religious studies.
“I kind of fell into this,” Hackman said. “This doesn’t really go along with my education, but I do believe that I am allowing students to find their potential.”
Hackman, who uses a handle connected to her steering wheel to help her drive with one hand, said adaptive technology allows her to do her job.
She uses a computer screen inside of her workstation at hand-level, minimizing the number of times she has to look up while typing because she only types with one hand. She also uses a tracking ball instead of a mouse.
Mathematics senior Jessica Jaques works with Hackman and said her memory is an important asset to the office.
“She has an excellent memory,” Jaques said. “She uses that to keep track of everything and keeps us pretty much right on the ball.”
Hackman said she remembers learning to be independent as a fifth grader in Michigan, when she took regular classes after previously taking “self-contained” classes.
After that point, Hackman said she had to work hard to catch up, and when she did, her confidence rose.
“I think it helps knowing your expectations,” Hackman said. “I always knew I could be independent — I just had to prove it to myself.”
Despite not knowing anyone, Hackman said she moved away from her family and friends in Grand Rapids, Mich., to Tempe when she was 21 to attend ASU and get away from the snow.
“It was difficult,” Hackman said. “My goal was finding space where I could truly be independent. I don’t know about you, but sometimes that’s hard when you’re close to home.”
Hackman, who lives in Chandler, said she reads and watches sports in her free time.
The hardest challenge of living with cerebral palsy, she said, is destroying people’s misconceptions.
“That’s a constant fight in my life as a person with a disability,” Hackman said. “Having to fight those old perceptions — like if you have speech difficulties, that you’re really not talking intelligently.”
Supervisor of alternative format services at the Disability Resource Center Teresa Haven said she admires Hackman’s work ethic.
“What I really like about working with Renae is she takes everything with an attitude of ‘I can do it,’” Haven said. “I think she’s come to a good place in her life where she does everything that she can possibly do, but yet she knows when to be smart and say, ‘Hey, I can use a hand with this, because I can do it more efficiently and more effectively if I know to ask for help.’ That is an inspiration to find someone who can say that effectively.”
But Hackman doesn’t consider herself an inspiration.
“I see myself as an average person,” she said. “I live life, and if others find it’s helpful, that’s good.”
Hackman’s advice to others living with any disability is to never give up.
“Keep fighting to be all you can be,” she said. “Don’t let others define who you are.”
Reach the reporter at jordan.moon@asu.edu
