DREAM Weekly: March 24-30, 2019

​DREAM Weekly on Disability and Higher Education in the News: March 24-30, 2019

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)
 
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• Read the attached Word document (with active links)
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Having trouble accessing an article?  Check with your campus library or reach out to us ([email protected]).
 
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Disability and higher education in the news (in no particular order):
 
* The U.S. Department of Education’s proposed 2019 budget cuts $7 billion and although its cuts to Special Olympics are getting the most media attention, it also pays for expanded charter schools and vouchers by slashing funding for some disability higher education programs (https://themighty.com/2019/03/betsy-devos-cuts-funds-special-olympics-disability-programs/).  These include: TRIO, TRIO Student Support Services, the National Institute for the Deaf, Gallaudet University, disability demonstration grants, the National Center for College Students with Disabilities.  The levels of funding for TPSID grants would remain the same.  Vox points out that the bill is full of cuts that are going to have a significant impact on people with disabilities (https://www.vox.com/first-person/2019/3/28/18285277/betsy-devos-special-olympics-budget-cuts) and Meriah Nichols says its all a distraction for even bigger problems, like eliminating the Affordable Care Act (https://www.meriahnichols.com/cutting-special-olympics-is-a-smoke-screen-heres-where-the-real-issues-are/ )
(Update: Trump has “overridden my people” and restored funding to Special Olympics: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2019/03/28/president-trump-restoring-funding-special-olympics/3302983002/)
 
* Isobel Williams is a UK neuroscientist at the University of Sheffield, and she used her experiences to help found the Disabled and Ill Researchers’ Network (#chronicallyacademic and #PhDisabled) for students and faculty: https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-019-00903-6
 
* A new “Student Choice Initiative” in Ontario allows college students to opt out of paying fees for various initiatives, including fees that support disability services and access programs for students (news clip is not captioned or audio described): https://globalnews.ca/news/5106128/ontario-student-choice-initiative/
 
* Caught up in endless adjunct positions like an “addict,” Herb Childress says the system is not only destroying the whole concept of academic faculty, but also causing breakdowns in the mental and physical health of those who want to use their doctorates for full-time work: https://www.chronicle.com/interactives/2019-03-27-childress?cid=at&utm_source=at&utm_medium=en&cid=at
 
* During a recent active shooter situation at the University of Michigan, students with disabilities started to realize the text alerts were late, the campus hadn’t planned what they should do, and the university’s training to “run, hide, fight” wasn’t going to work: https://www.michigandaily.com/section/campus-life/concerns-rise-over-safety-protocol-disabled-persons
 
* A new report by the Writing Program Administrators Graduate Organization notes widespread shortages of health insurance, mental health resources, and disability accommodations for graduate students: https://psmag.com/education/when-universities-shortchange-grad-students-undergrads-suffer-too
 
* Vermont lawmakers gave its colleges and universities $5 million to support programming for college students’ mental health and addiction needs: https://vtdigger.org/2019/03/26/state-universities-seek-increase-mental-health-addiction-programs/
 
* A  new Geoff Bell Archive at the University of Melbourne will document over 40 years of disability rights activism in Australia: https://pursuit.unimelb.edu.au/articles/fighting-for-the-rights-of-australians-with-disability
 
* Students are saying that the clinical rotation for Duke University’s nursing school created such a hostile environment for Asian international students that one student developed severe depression and anxiety and had to be hospitalized: https://www.chronicle.com/article/Duke-s-Nursing-School-Failed/245971?cid=at
 
* Several current and former students at East Carolina University are raising complaints about disability services and medical leave policies not serving students, and in some cases forcing them to transfer to other universities: http://www.theeastcarolinian.com/news/article_fcd19734-50ed-11e9-a8b4-2bef08a0267d.html
 
* Google sponsored a “Hack Mental Health” hackathon at Yale University, hoping to work on technological solutions for challenges related to college students and mental health: https://thriveglobal.com/stories/hackathon-tackles-mental-health/
 
* A student at the University of North Carolina wrote a guest column for the student newspaper, listing how students, faculty, and staff have contributed to the “rampant ableism” she experiences: https://www.dailytarheel.com/article/2019/03/ableism-guest-column-0328
 
* 8,000 students will be taking part in a $3.8 million research project at the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, which will study the effectiveness of mHealth online platform to treat depression, anxiety, and eating disorders: https://mhealthintelligence.com/news/national-study-to-train-mhealth-on-college-depression-anxiety
 
* Duke University professor Dan Ariely is shown in a new HBO documentary about Elizabeth Holmes, but people are learning about his experience being severely burned and how it affected his career in behavioral economics: https://www.distractify.com/p/dan-ariely-beard-accident
 
* A college student with ADHD asks if Ritalin is the only reason for their good grades, and whether loathing ADHD is creating self-loathing, too: https://www.additudemag.com/impostor-syndrome-adhd-treatment/
 
* The University of Sydney in Australia held an event to talk about international inclusive higher education for students with intellectual disabilities, and to celebrate a new book they’ve published on the same topic: https://sydney.edu.au/news-opinion/news/2019/03/27/celebrating-disability-inclusive-education.html
 
* During college, Gale Strub had an “Adirondack Semester” without any electronics, and learned that her brain could heal better with hiking, climbing, and other outdoor activities; now she’s written a book about what she learned: http://www.espn.com/espnw/culture/article/26363624/she-explores-ode-every-woman-ever-called-outdoorsy
 
* Disability activists around the country are mourning the death of rabbinical student Emet Tauber, who was active in Jewish, disability, and Queer communities; the Tauber family launched two scholarships in his honor before he died https://www.reconstructingjudaism.org/news/facing-death-rabbinical-student-teaches-others-about-living-life
 
* Students at Cornell University are calling for a Disability Resource Center similar to the university’s existing Women’s Resource Center and LGBTQ Resource Center: https://cornellsun.com/2019/03/27/student-advocates-call-for-disability-resource-center/
 
* Professor Shelley Tremain talks about “ruining” the reputation of the American Philosophical Association in the disability community, and how it “wasn’t a difficult thing to do:”  https://biopoliticalphilosophy.com/2019/03/27/how-i-ruined-the-apas-reputation-amongst-disability-studies-scholars/
 
* Texan Eugene Gonzales started using a wheelchair after a car accident, and now he’s using that experience, enrolling in the Victoria College welding program so he can design and make customized wheelchairs: https://www.victoriaadvocate.com/news/local/vc-student-strives-to-create-opportunities-through-customized-wheelchairs/article_f4edaf02-51a7-11e9-a742-77209f375c9e.html
 
* A biracial college senior talks about how racism and misogyny affect her battle against an eating disorder and her struggle to “digest” love from others: https://wearyourvoicemag.com/body-politics/bopoincolor/healing-from-eating-disorders-while-fat
 
* Makenzie Morgan, a senior at Florida Gulf State University, wrote The Kidney Chronicles: Discovery to share her experiences with kidney disease and to help children with chronic illnesses (news clip is captioned but not audio described): http://www.winknews.com/2019/03/28/fgcu-senior-authors-book-to-help-young-kids-with-chronic-illness/
 
* Temple University is supporting college students with autism through a variety of services, programs, student groups, and efforts to incorporate universal design into courses: https://temple-news.com/accommodating-college-students-on-the-spectrum-at-temple-university/
 
* Rachel Barcellona from the University of South Florida will be speaking at a United Nations panel for World Autism Day, talking about her experiences as a college student, public speaker, and beauty queen (news clip is captioned but not audio described): http://www.fox13news.com/news/local-news/autism-advocate-to-speak-in-front-of-united-nations
 
* Tufts University has received the first Virtual Spoon Drop award, an online campaign by digital activists protesting connections between pharmaceutical firms, their support of universities, and the opioid epidemic: https://www.insidehighered.com/quicktakes/2019/03/27/activists-target-tufts-over-opioid-ties?utm_source=Inside+Higher+Ed&utm_campaign=9c3c6d95b4-DNU_2019_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_1fcbc04421-9c3c6d95b4-198891893&mc_cid=9c3c6d95b4&mc_eid=a51c972f65
 
* A professor considers how her approach to life and work have changed as she ages, from going gray to having new chronic medical conditions lead her into the field of disability studies: https://www.insidehighered.com/blogs/university-venus/going-gray
 
* Not having an office window may seem minor, but Benjamin Gerig says this is just one of many problems that exacerbated his seasonal affective disorder, and he is suing the University of Denver for disability discrimination: https://www.denverpost.com/2019/03/28/university-denver-office-window-lawsuit/
 
* Recognizing that many college counselors don’t understand unique mental health needs of athletes, more Division I schools are hiring sports psychologists: https://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/sports/article/21061742/sports-psychology-is-becoming-more-prevalent-in-local-division-i-athletics
 
* Conservatives and liberals are complaining about Amherst College’s “Common Language Document,” that defined various diversity and inclusion terms like “ableism,” “white supremacy,” and “toxic masculinity” for the whole campus; it was withdrawn later that day, with the President of the college apologizing (the article has a link to the document): https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2019/mar/27/amherst-college-disavows-politically-correct-commo/
 
* A father in Minnesota has created the “Neurodiversity Challenge” for college admissions offices and corporations to actively recruit and celebrate neurodivergent individuals like his sons: https://www.wdio.com/news/father-spearheads-quotneurodiversity-challengequot/5289423/
 
* Counseling, accommodations, and peer supports are some of the things Virginia Tech student Allyson Bailey uses to manage effects of a high school traumatic brain injury: http://theroanokestar.com/2019/03/28/unable-to-walk-or-communicate-student-overcomes-traumatic-brain-injury-to-thrive-at-va-tech/
 
* A new £1.5 million interdisciplinary research project at the University of Leeds will bring together international partners to look at disability and technology, including artificial intelligence and robotics: https://www.leeds.ac.uk/news/article/4392/changing_the_relationship_between_disability_and_technology
 
* University of Iowa graduate student Andrew Tubbs is studying intersections of disability studies and music in film, but his work as an advocate and activist extends far beyond campus: https://now.uiowa.edu/2019/03/scholar-musician-disability-advocate-comedian
 
* St. Lawrence College in Ontario has launched “Discover Ability Network,” a website to support students’ employment and promote hiring of people with disabilities: https://www.thewhig.com/news/local-news/new-website-promotes-hiring-people-with-disabilities
 
* Cal State San Marcos student Blake Steinecke was becoming a skilled mountain biker when he lost his vision, and after some trial and error trying to find the right sport, he is now a member of the U.S. blind ice hockey team: https://news.csusm.edu/blake-steinecke/
 
* Sachin Pavithran of the U.S. Access Board talks about disability hate, and the violence he experienced in his undergrad days as a blind person and person of color: https://cpd.usu.edu/blog/articles/2019/the-invisible-crime-of-disability-hate
 
* One of the 50 people charged in the national college admissions scandal insists his son has a legitimate learning disability requiring ACT accommodations; his attorneys have noted that he is the only accused parent who has made this claim: https://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-college-admissions-bribe-defense-20190327-story.html
 
* University of Cincinnati undergrad Samuel Schell-Olsen has faced bullying and low expectations, but says “I have autism, and I’m proud of it:” https://www.newsrecord.org/opinion/opinion-i-have-autism-and-i-m-proud-of-it/article_968ac87c-5095-11e9-91c7-1f9c3a3ac09f.html
 
* Jay Chaskes is a Rowan University Professor Emeritus of sociology and disabilities studies who also worked at the campus Disability Resource Center, and now he’s active in the board for the Jewish Abilities Alliance of Southern New Jersey: https://www.jewishvoicesnj.org/articles/spotlight-on-board-member-jay-chaskes/
 
* Universities in the Carolinas struggle to meet increasing demand for mental health services, as students use their own experiences with anxiety and depression to help peers: https://www.greenvilleonline.com/story/news/2019/03/25/clemson-usc-furman-reach-sc-college-students-considering-suicide-mental-health/3139000002/
 
* A student at Stony Brook University realizes how inaccessible the campus really is, after a surgery left her using a wheelchair to get around campus: https://www.sbstatesman.com/2019/03/24/stony-brook-has-major-accessibility-issues/
 
 
 
A Few Other Items of Possible Interest:
 
* If you’re looking for a laugh, Josh Blue’s comedy act in “Salute to the Troops” is making the rounds on social media, and he covers everything from lazy Olympians using two legs to how people think he’s part of the zombie apocalypse (video is captioned but not audio described): https://thisainthell.us/blog/?p=85252
 
* The Ford Foundation has released a “Road Map for Inclusion” report calling for greater representation of people with disabilities “in front of and behind the camera” on TV and in movies: https://www.huffpost.com/entry/disability-representation-movies-tv_n_5c9a7b85e4b07c88662cabe7
 
* In trying to find help for his children and their struggles with ADHD, a father with ADHD ended up helping himself by hiring a coach: https://www.self.com/story/hiring-adhd-coach-transformed-my-life
 
* We say that people “committed suicide,” but new reporting guidelines from mental health and media organizations are urging people to stop using the term: https://www.huffpost.com/entry/mental-health-language-committed-suicide_l_5aeb53ffe4b0ab5c3d6344ab
 
* Women’s Health talked to six women with chronic pain who are trying to change how we talk about women, pain and pain management, saying “Our pain is invisible but we’re not”: https://www.womenshealthmag.com/health/a26679435/chronic-pain-in-women/
 
* On April 30, “On Tour with Asperger’s Are Us” will premiere on HBO; the six-part documentary series will follow a group of men with autism, who travel around the world as a comedy group: https://www.disabilityscoop.com/2019/03/26/hbo-aspergers-comedy-troupe/26259/
 
* David Kellam and CJ Bellamy were friends and athletes in middle school, and now years later, both are still friends and athletes, and they also happen to share the experience of becoming paraplegics: https://people.com/human-interest/florida-cj-david-kellam-paraplegic-athlete/
 
* Deaf poet Raymond Antrobus has won the distinguished Ted Hughes award; he was mistakenly diagnosed as dyslexic before his deafness was diagnosed at age six: https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-47733353
 
* Politico calls him the “most powerful activist in America,” and covers how Ady Barkan is fighting for progressive causes while dealing with a progressive and terminal illness: https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2019/03/24/ady-barkan-activist-als-226105
 
* Alana Nichols has won gold medals in wheelchair basketball at the Paralympics, but motherhood is proving to be even more challenging because everything about parenting is designed for nondisabled people: https://www.glamour.com/story/alana-nichols-paralympian-motherhood
 
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DREAM and the NCCSD are funded by a grant to AHEAD from the U.S. Department of Education (P116D150005).