Carmen Sutherland, senior in AHS, always knew she would go to college but always thought she would have to live with her parents. That is, until she heard about the University and Beckwith Hall.

Beckwith Hall, 201 E. John St., is a residence hall for people with severe physical disabilities and has facilities that are designed to accommodate people in wheelchairs.

The residence hall allows students like Sutherland to go to school and live somewhere other than home.

“Most of (the residents) have personal assistants who help us with using the restroom, getting dressed, showering, all that jazz,” said Sutherland, treasurer of Beckwith student government. The dorm gives personal assistants the option of living with the residents at Beckwith.

Not only did she find an accommodating place to live, but Sutherland found a family.

“We have five (personal assistants) who live here, and we make the Beckwith family,” Sutherland said.

The Beckwith family is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year.

Pat Malik, director of Beckwith Hall, plans to involve the whole campus in the event by having an interactive display on April 19 and 20 at the Union.

“There will be exhibitors there who have services and products that help people with disabilities be more independent,” Malik said. “We would love to have special-ed and communication classes there.”

Beckwith residents are also helping with the planning.

“We’re going to have a social event at the White Horse because it has access for wheelchairs and has been here as long as Beckwith has,” said Brian Smith, graduate student and vice president of Beckwith student government. “It’s kind of the unofficial Beckwith bar because it’s so close.”

Smith hopes to have former students, personal assistants and resident advisers at the celebration on April 21 at 8 p.m.

The alumni will be interviewed on video, “so they have an opportunity to tell their story,” Malik said. “If someone comes back to Beckwith as an alum, if they make an effort to come back and spend time with us, we want to make it worthwhile for them.”

This is the last big celebration that Beckwith will be celebrating in their current location. In 2009, Beckwith plans to move its facilities to the first floor of a new residence hall that will be built.

“We will be sharing a cafeteria and computer lab with able-bodied people,” Smith said. “The idea is that we will have more integration with people without disabilities.”

This integration should make it easier for disabled students to make friends outside the Beckwith family.

“Most people here have a hard time making friends outside of Beckwith,” Smith said.