DREAM Weekly: March 11-24, 2018

​DREAM Weekly on Disability and Higher Education in the News: March 11-24, 2018

From DREAM: Disability Rights, Education, Activism, and Mentoring

Sponsored by the National Center for College Students with Disabilities and the Association on Higher Education And Disability (AHEAD)
 
-------------------------------
 
Disability and higher education in the news (in no particular order):
                                                  
* Cambridge University professor and physicist Stephen Hawking died on March 14 at age 76:

• The BBC took a look at whether or not Stephen Hawking affected anyone’s views on disability: http://www.bbc.com/news/health-43399921
• People who picture Stephen Hawking as “free” don’t understand that wheelchairs are liberating, says Melissa Blake in the Wall Street Journal: https://www.wsj.com/articles/stephen-hawking-is-dead-not-free-1521584940
• Students and academics with disabilities share how Stephen Hawking affected their work, education, and perceptions of their own disabilities: https://www.independent.ie/world-news/and-finally/students-and-academics-with-disabilities-are-discussing-the-impact-stephen-hawking-had-on-them-36704941.html
• A disabled graduate student and scientist reflects on their grief over Stephen Hawking’s death: https://www.insidehighered.com/blogs/gradhacker/dr-hawking%E2%80%99s-legacy-and-disability-grad-school  

 
* The Office of Civil Rights at the U.S. Department of Education may be sharing longer lists of open investigations at colleges (including cases involving disability), but they are actually sharing fewer details about those cases: https://www.chronicle.com/article/Education-Dept-Stops/242831
 
* Mental health services and programs are slowly increasing at Arab campuses -- The Chronicle of Higher Education reports on the issues as part of a series on “mental health in the Arab world”: https://www.chronicle.com/article/Mental-Health-Care-on-Arab/242876?cid=gn&utm_source=gn&utm_medium=en&elqTrackId=edd6c4b788e24e1db61246f0c924f53e&elq=96ee9f3ceefb4f1abe8da81d1411a968&elqaid=18269&elqat=1&elqCampaignId=8170
 
* An in-depth article at the University of Virginia profiles poetry professor Paul Guest, who writes about disability, the body, and being a quadriplegic, while also doing disability advocacy on campus: https://news.virginia.edu/content/poet-paul-guest-shows-because-everything-terrible-its-good-time-embrace-life
 
* The University of Alabama’s men’s wheelchair basketball team took home its second national championship trophy, after a dramatic fight in the second half led to a 69-65 score over the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater: https://www.seccountry.com/alabama/alabama-mens-wheelchair-basketball-team-wins-second-national-championship
 
* A new study reports that therapy dogs can reduce college students’ anxiety, matching up with what many students and universities already know (warning – many cute pictures of therapy dogs!): https://hellogiggles.com/news/therapy-dogs-college-students-anxiety/
 
* Bustle reviews the new Netflix documentary “Take Your Pills,” and the long complex history of prescription drug use, including abuse of amphetamines by college students: https://www.bustle.com/p/the-netflix-documentary-take-your-pills-dives-deep-into-the-complicated-history-of-prescription-drugs-8497161
 
* UMass-Amhert professor Shaheen Pasha is gaining fame for writing and speaking about her father’s schizophrenia in their immigrant Pakistani community (videos are not captioned or audio described): https://bklyner.com/shaheen-pasha-muslim-journalist-in-america-mosquemetoo-islamophobia/
 
* Beijing universities continue to see HIV transmission rates rise at “alarming” rates, despite outreach and prevention efforts: http://www.thebeijinger.com/blog/2018/03/23/hiv-transmission-continues-rise-beijing-universities
 
* A survey of Dublin City University students with autism revealed concerns, and now the campus is addressing them, including adding training, quiet spaces, and peer mentoring programs: https://www.rte.ie/news/2018/0321/948940-dcu_autism/
 
* Eastern Florida State College student Matt Hudson has spina bifida, and works on disability advocacy through the EFSC Rotaract Club he established; the national Campus Compact group has named him a Newman Civic Fellow for his work: http://www.easternflorida.edu/news-events/news-releases/2018/03-21-hudson-newman-fellow.cfm
                                                                    
* To further its goal of improving access to the campus escort services, Boston College’s Council for Students with Disabilities is surveying the student body to collect data for administrators: https://bcheights.com/2018/03/18/csd-advocates-improve-eagle-escort/
 
* A Brown University student with disabilities says she “cannot support the creation of the proposed disability identity and cultural center” because it wouldn’t change the campus, would further isolate students with disabilities and is too focused on specific types of disabilities: http://www.browndailyherald.com/2018/03/20/stapleford-21-disability-identity-center/
 
* With hopes of setting up a Master’s degree on the topic, Oxford University hosted an inaugural Disability Law and Policy Conference, while announcing new courses and research on disability: https://www.law.ox.ac.uk/news/2018-03-21-getting-disability-right-conference-spotlights-disability-legal-scholarship
 
* Academy of Art student Stephanie Thomas began working on disability fashion styling and fashion designer in college, and now has set up her own company: http://alivenewspaper.com/2018/03/stephanie-thomas-facilitates-fashion-design-disabilities-academy-of-art-university/
 
* Baylor University has hired an eating disorder specialist and is expanding resources for students with eating disorders, as part of $5 million expansions to the counseling center and other offices: http://baylorlariat.com/2018/03/15/recovered-baylor-increases-resources-to-fight-eating-disorders/
 
* Time magazine discusses the increase in college students using mental health services, and the “battle fatigue” of counselors, students slipping through cracks in the system, and families turning to off-campus providers for help: http://time.com/5190291/anxiety-depression-college-university-students/
 
* Justice Bartley hid his epilepsy from everyone except family and coaches of the University of Virginia men’s basketball team, but now he’s happy to tell his story and speak out about his experiences: http://www.dailyprogress.com/cavalierinsider/virginia-s-bartley-finds-his-voice-discussing-his-battle-with/article_d9df145d-9ded-51ca-8b1d-085ef67030c6.html
 
* Katherine Rosen was stabbed by a classmate at UCLA nine years ago, and she sued the campus for negligence, saying it knew her assailant was dangerous and should have protected her; after nine years in the court system, the California Supreme Court has agreed and will allow the case to move forward: http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-ucla-stabbing-court-20180321-story.html
 
* Disability history runs deep at UC Berkeley, but services for students have also struggled over the years with allegations of fraud and complaints about access, meaning “the work is far from done:” http://www.dailycal.org/2018/03/22/look-back-disabled-students-program-reconciles-rich-history-criticism-fraud-allegations/
                                                    
* Mercer University in Georgia is starting a peer mentoring program for incoming students with disabilities to learn about self-advocacy skills and social issues on campus, and both nondisabled and disabled students may apply to be mentors: https://mercercluster.com/23752/news/organization-spotlight/new-initiative-to-help-disabled-students-navigate-mercer/
 
* University of California Irvine used a robot to help a disabled student attend classes remotely, and this semester the Disability Services Center helped a pregnant law student use the same technology while on bed rest: http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/university_of_california_irvine_law_student_used_robot_to_remotely_attend
 
* In Canada, Ryerson University students are raising complaints about stressed disability services professionals not providing individualized services that consider their “expertise that comes from lived experiences:” https://theeyeopener.com/2018/03/rye-students-struggle-with-in-class-academic-accommodations/
 
* A new study says that identifying as non-heterosexual is one of the highest risk factors for suicidal thoughts in college freshmen: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-college-suicide/sexual-orientation-top-risk-for-suicidal-thoughts-in-college-freshmen-idUSKCN1GR34X
 
* Nyla Smith became a self-described “504 student” getting accommodations, and the experience inspired her to become a motivational speaker and to set up a new organization called “Hustle Hard,” which creates resources for college students with disabilities and helps organize support groups and disability awareness activities: https://www.torchonline.com/features/2018/03/21/introducing-nyla-smith/
 
* An op-ed in The Chronicle of Higher Education says debates about laptops as distractions are missing the ways technology can help diverse learners, including students with disabilities: https://www.chronicle.com/article/How-Technology-Can-Equalize/242809?cid=cc&utm_source=cc&utm_medium=en&elqTrackId=85d63e7bdd9e4710989a3f1ab02a3b7e&elq=164b002fe8ea4ff18eb2b5fb7eb31184&elqaid=18249&elqat=1&elqCampaignId=8159
 
* A Scottish organization called One in Five is calling for universities to consider disability in admission processes, in order to increase the number of enrolled students with disabilities: http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/16095947.Scottish_universities_urged_to_increase_number_of_disabled_people_accessing_higher_education/
 
* The University of Wyoming has set up a scholarship for students with disabilities, in honor of Larry Gubbels, a former trustee who was a paraplegic: http://www.wyomingbusinessreport.com/newsletter_am/family-of-late-uw-trustee-establishes-disability-scholarship/article_0b022aa8-2ea8-11e8-8cbb-43f81a0bcb5c.html
 
* Edinboro University’s new president slammed the university and shocked faculty with his radical plans to address problems, but professor Stephen Sullivan says he’s proud to work there for many reasons, including its reputation as a “disability-friendly” campus (the letter to the editor includes a link to the original article about the Edinboro president): https://www.chronicle.com/blogs/letters/two-letters-from-edinboro-university-faculty-members/
 
* LaGuardia Community College and CUNY hosted its inaugural Wheelchair Basketball Tournament, featuring teams from around the world: http://amsterdamnews.com/news/2018/mar/22/cuny-and-rollin-knicks-partner-increase-disability/
 
* Former Rutgers University professor Anna Stubblefield received a reduced sentence after pleading guilty to aggravated criminal sexual contact after her original conviction for sexual assault was overturned; Stubblefield was originally sentenced to 12 years in prison after having a sexual relationship with a former research assistant and student who has cerebral palsy and does not communicate verbally: http://www.ktsm.com/news/professor-accused-of-assaulting-disabled-man-pleads-guilty/1058982280
 
* Franklin and Marshall College in Pennsylvania will host its first Disability Studies Symposium on March 24: https://www.fandm.edu/news/latest-news/2018/03/20/f-m-disability-studies-symposium-to-foster-inclusivity-and-dialogue
 
* Students at New York University are complaining about policies at the Moses Center for Students with Disabilities, while acknowledging the Center needs more staff, given a 167% increase in registered students with disabilities since 2013: https://www.nyunews.com/2018/03/18/
 
* The Abilites RSO student organization at the University of Wyoming is encouraging disability awareness across campus, including a “poker run” event across campus using only accessible routes: http://www.uwbrandingiron.com/2018/03/22/abilities-rso-brings-attention-to-campus-disability-awareness/
 
* George Washington University is requiring student organizations to ban any group members who have discriminatory behavior, including discrimination based on disability; they have not yet defined “discrimination”: https://www.thecollegefix.com/post/43182/
 
* Stanford University’s introductory disability studies course is at risk, after the Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education said it will only have funding if it finds a single academic department to support it, instead of being interdisciplinary: https://www.stanforddaily.com/2018/03/19/disability-studies-course-seeks-academic-department-placement-risks-being-discontinued/
 
* A University of South Florida student went on Facebook to share negative stories about a professor refusing to provide accommodations for her depression and anxiety, and now other students are coming forward with similar stories: http://www.usforacle.com/news/view.php/1032883/Conflicts-over-SDS-accomodations-reveal-
 
* More colleges are offering programs for students with autism, and some are also passing along the cost to families: https://www.disabilityscoop.com/2018/03/23/more-colleges-support-autism/24890/
 
* Danielle Corey writes about her experiences as a college student in American International College’s College Steps program, saying “life is not all rainbows and butterflies:” https://aicyellowjacket.com/4217/editorial/what-its-like-to-be-a-young-adult-with-a-disability-in-college/
                                                                             
* Syracuse University is evaluating its disability services office, and forming a committee of students, staff and faculty to oversee the process: http://dailyorange.com/2018/03/syracuse-university-launch-committee-disability-services-audit/
 
* The University of Texas at Austin has started having weekly “Disabilities and Employment” workshops to help students with disabilities transition from college to careers: http://dailytexanonline.com/2018/03/22/ssd-steps-in-to-help-students-with-disabilities-address-challenges-in-finding-employment
 
* Read some tips for being around service dogs on campus and developing policies about them, from students and the Department of Disabilities at Texas A&M: http://www.thebatt.com/news/putting-their-best-paw-forward/article_c67da8c6-2cc7-11e8-a39f-f3886f2018b5.html
 
 
And a few related items of possible interest to college students:
 
* Black disability history is overlooked, but it’s an important part of U.S. history, and especially important for young Black people with disabilities: https://rewire.news/article/2018/03/16/overlooked-history-black-disabled-people/
 
* If you’re a beetle, having a disability makes you a better parent: https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2018-03/uoe-pdb032218.php
 
* Meet Maryangel Garcia Ramos, a Mexican disability activist who is challenging stereotypes about women with disabilities: https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2018/03/18/594088583/dont-call-this-rebel-on-wheels-an-angel-from-above
 
* Judges can take voting rights from people with disabilities, but some states are setting up ways for people to get it back: http://www.pewtrusts.org/en/research-and-analysis/blogs/stateline/2018/03/21/thousands-lose-right-to-vote-under-incompetence-laws
 
* Google Maps is now adding information about accessible subway and transit stops: https://www.disabilityscoop.com/2018/03/16/google-accessible-routes/24864/
 
* Saturday Night Live mocks Eric Trump as “the dumb” brother, to the point where is child-like and cognitively impaired, but how much of it is rooted in truth, and why do they portray him that way? (video has captions but no audio description): https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/saturday-night-live-thinks-its-figured-out-the-trump-brothers-does-it-get-them-right/2018/03/14/8a7f311e-255b-11e8-b79d-f3d931db7f68_story.html?utm_term=.ec276024f195
 
* A Vancouver man spent $550,000 in disability payments to play online lottery games, and now he’s suing British Columbia for not recognizing his gambling addiction and intervening: http://www.timescolonist.com/news/b-c/compulsive-gambler-who-blew-550-000-disability-payment-sues-b-c-lottery-corp-1.23209376
 
* Airbnb is changing its website to be more detailed about accommodations in its short-term rentals: https://www.disabilityscoop.com/2018/03/20/airbnb-new-features-disabilities/24877/
 
* A new online tool shows opioid overdoses by state, socioeconomic status, education level, employment, and disability: http://www.roanoke.com/business/columns_and_blogs/blogs/med_beat/med-beat-mapping-tool-overlays-overdose-deaths-with-poverty-education/article_0a7ac3aa-afa0-5e68-91e1-1ce3d79b7215.html
 
 
-------------------------------

This week’s issue of the DREAM weekly e-mail is available at the DREAM website, with archived back issues available, as well (http://www.dreamcollegedisability.org).  For more information about DREAM or AHEAD contact Wendy Harbour ([email protected]).

To subscribe or unsubscribe, please go to http://ahead-listserve.org/mailman/listinfo/dream_ahead-listserve.org.  Wendy Harbour can also handle requests to subscribe or unsubscribe. 
 
By the way, please don't presume DREAM, the National Center for College Students with Disabilities, or AHEAD agree with everything in these links we send out - we're just passing along the information so you can form your own opinions.  Thanks.