DREAM Weekly Email: September 22-28, 2019

​DREAM Weekly Email, Disability and Higher Education in the News: September 22-28, 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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Just a reminder: the DREAM Weekly Email just has highlights from the news – to access the full version:

• Read the attached Word document (with active links)
• Read the news online with searchable archives at https://www.dreamcollegedisability.org/this-weeks-news-in-disability-and-higher-education

 
Having trouble accessing an article?  Check with your campus library or reach out to us and we’ll try to help! ([email protected])
 
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Disability and higher education in the news (in no particular order):
 
* For your daily cuteness overload, learn about Duke University’s “Puppy Kindergarten” that’s training future service dogs (video is not captioned or audio described): https://abc11.com/pets-animals/dukes-puppy-kindergarten-trains-future-service-dogs/5556224/
 
* Students at Misericordia University created a film about experiences of current and former college students with mental health conditions and their families (film is captioned but not audio described): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_LBSQ1EDpNA and an article about the film is at https://www.misericordia.edu/page.cfm?p=500&newsid=3182
 
* Despite Zack Gottsagen fighting for inclusion in school and college (like telling Palm Beach Community College administrators that their inclusive higher education program “looks a lot like fascism”), he’s now the lead actor in indie film “The Peanut Butter Falcon:”  https://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/20190927/pbc-schools-didnrsquot-want-him-in-regular-classroom-dreyfoos-didnrsquot-let-him-audition-now-hersquos-star-of-movie
 
* Arizona State University is the first in the U.S. to have an all-terrain vehicle available for wheelchair users who need to use a wheelchair outdoors on field trips, hikes, or other outdoor activities: https://www.statepress.com/article/2019/09/spbiztech-asu-is-the-first-university-in-the-nation-to-use-new-all-terrain-wheelchair
 
* The University of Sydney in Australia has launched a “Disability Inclusion Action Plan 2019-24” with support and input from students and employees with disabilities: https://sydney.edu.au/news-opinion/news/2019/09/24/university-of-sydney-launches-disability-action-plan.html
 
* A new study says that gender minority students experience a higher prevalence of mental health concerns compared with cisgender students (i.e., students whose gender matches the biological sex they had at birth), with authors recommending more “gender-affirming services:” https://www.psychiatryadvisor.com/home/topics/general-psychiatry/increased-prevalence-of-mental-health-concerns-in-gender-minority-students/
 
* Cori is the new mascot for the Disability Resource Center at Florida International University – the DRC hopes the image of Cori (who has Instagram and Facebook pages) will help students discuss service animals and other topics while reducing stigma: https://news.fiu.edu/2019/meet-the-disability-resource-center-and-their-new-ally,-cori.
 
* Universities continue to distance themselves from the Sackler family, their foundation, and their company as more evidence emerges about their role in the opioid crisis and ways they were “using universities to burnish its reputations:” https://www.chronicle.com/article/Universities-Cut-More-Ties/247229?utm_source=at&utm_medium=en&cid=at&source=ams&sourceId=4079424
 
* Texas is providing all state universities and agencies with software to improve IT staff knowledge of accessible technology for people with disabilities: https://statescoop.com/accessible-technology-training-heads-texas-agencies-universities/
 
* For the first time, a state funded supported adaptive athletics at a public university; the governor attended the ribbon cutting at the University of Arizona’s Disability Resource Center & Adaptive Athletics facilities: https://www.kold.com/2019/09/24/gov-ducey-attends-adaptive-athletics-ribbon-cutting-ua/ and https://tucson.com/sports/arizonawildcats/basketball/university-of-arizona-s-adaptive-athletics-program-wows-gov-doug/article_8ab29d5d-7105-51fc-a980-b9865649852e.html
 
* Ryan Machtmes, president of the University of Minnesota’s Organization for Graduate and Professional Students, wrote a letter to the editor expressing concerns about the university prioritizing student mental health over other types of disabilities: https://www.mndaily.com/article/2019/09/lte-letter-to-the-editor-an-otherwise-unstated-institutional-inequity
 
* A student at New York University explains all the ways her university focuses on calories and dieting instead of health and wellness, and how that feels for students with eating disorders: https://nyunews.com/opinion/2019/09/24/diet-culture-wellness-dining/
 
* Graduate student Danielle Sinay has some tips for students who have panic attacks: https://thriveglobal.com/stories/tips-on-managing-panic-attacks/
 
* DeafBlind attorney Haben Girma gave the keynote speech for the 2019 AHEAD Annual Conference, speaking about how students with disabilities contribute to the diversity of higher education (video is captioned but not audio described): https://www.ahead.org/events-programming/conferences/2018-annual-conference/past-conferences/2019-conference
 
* Ghent University in Belgium has a website of Flemish sign language, but people are demanding the removal of a sign that shows “stereotypical and anti-Semitic symbols for Jews:” https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/20/world/europe/belgium-sign-language-jews.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share
 
* When asked about issues that matter most to college students, 120 college newspaper editors said race, diversity, and inclusion were the most discussed issues, as well as mental health services: https://www.axios.com/college-students-race-debt-climate-change-116314bb-138f-43f8-9f61-ae1baeb3531e.html
 
* Abdul Salam Mehsood participated in a college exchange program through the U.S. Department of State, and despite worries about how people in the US would view his religion and disability, he found a warm welcome and accommodations at Snow College in Utah: https://www.miusa.org/resource/story/abdul
 
* Students in the Adaptive Recreation Club at Michigan State University have worked with campus planners to during the successful renovation of a hall on campus for adapted sports: https://btn.com/2019/09/20/an-historic-michigan-state-building-gets-an-impressive-accessible-overhaul-btn-livebig/
 
* The University of Arkansas has established “AccessABLE,” a new faculty and staff disability group: https://news.uark.edu/articles/49997/accessable-arkansas-first-disability-resource-group-for-faculty-and-staff-is-looking-for-members
 
* A doctoral student looked at the accessibility of web pages for Historically Black Colleges and Universities, and says that increasing web access increases access to higher ed for all Black students, regardless of ability: https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/usappblog/2019/09/20/if-historically-black-colleges-and-universities-can-improve-web-accessibility-black-students-with-disabilities-may-have-far-greater-access-to-educational-opportunities/
 
* A man entered a New York college dorm and began masturbating in front of a student, so the student began to act “as if she suffered from a form of autism, as she had seen on television,” and scared off the intruder: https://nypost.com/2019/09/25/college-student-faked-autism-to-fend-off-masturbating-dorm-invader/
 
* Through placement of disability experts in human resources offices, Opportunities for Ohioans with Disabilities is working with Ohio State University and other businesses to increase employment for people with disabilities in the state: https://www.news5cleveland.com/homepage-showcase/state-of-ohio-partners-with-local-businesses-to-help-people-with-disabilities-get-jobs
 
* Mental health services and efforts to reduce stigma at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) have evolved over the years, as student needs also increase: https://diverseeducation.com/article/155598/
 
* Blind Indian-American grad student Sena Pottackal is teaching others about her disability and inclusive employment through talks at Carnegie Hall and other prestigious opportunities: https://www.khaleejtimes.com/international/americas/legally-blind-indian-american-girl-makes-history-with-talk-in-carnegie-hall
 
* If student’s aren’t healthy, there’s a lot to consider about health insurance and Medicaid during college: https://californiahealthline.org/news/college-wont-be-fun-if-youre-not-healthy-some-advice-about-health-insurance/
 
* A flash mob hit the Wisconsin capitol, dancing to raise awareness of autism and to promote increased access to jobs and postsecondary studying in the arts (news clip is captioned but not audio described): https://www.channel3000.com/news/flash-mob-on-capitol-square-fights-stigma-of-disabilities/1123814830
 
* Cornell student Sidney Malia Waite took an Intro to Disability Studies course and started thinking about all the barriers to education for people with disabilities, including her brother: https://cornellsun.com/2019/09/19/waite-is-higher-education-closing-doors-on-disability/
 
* Marquette University has set up the “On Your Mark” to help autistic students transition to college (news clip is captioned but not audio described): https://news.yahoo.com/marquette-program-helps-students-autism-234318177.html
 
* Disabled student Madelaine Reis writes about her experience with the Ruderman Inclusion Ambassadorship, which helps Hillel centers on campuses be more inclusive by seeing connections between disability and Judaism: https://www.heritagefl.com/story/2019/09/20/features/hillel-paved-the-way-to-my-calling/12131.html
 
* Wellesley College first-years talk about stress, mental health, and eating disorders during the transition from high school to college: http://thewellesleynews.com/2019/09/25/class-of-2023-combats-stress-during-transition-to-college/
 
* Grammy-nominated singer Keri Hilson joined a Silence the Shame event at Southern University, aimed at reducing stigma around mental illness and HIV/AIDS in the Black community: http://www.southerndigest.com/culture/article_f416fa7a-dfd7-11e9-9742-d708a29412bb.html
 
* A student with autism talks about the difficulty of navigating college, and wishes she had got more help from campus resources: http://unothegateway.com/the-invisible-disability-a-college-experience-from-a-student-with-asd/
 
* The University of Virginia interviewed alum Michael Bérubé about his work in disability studies, literature, and academic freedom: https://news.virginia.edu/content/qa-alumnus-expertise-spans-academic-freedom-study-disability-literature
 
* Inside Higher Ed published a satirical “diversity and inclusion” letter for a new academic hire, about their “white, elitist and ableist” campus: https://www.insidehighered.com/advice/2019/09/27/satirical-diversity-and-inclusion-statement-opinion?utm_source=Inside+Higher+Ed&utm_campaign=076f89187b-WNU_COPY_02&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_1fcbc04421-076f89187b-225808461&mc_cid=076f89187b&mc_eid=d5645fe552
 
 
 
 
A Few Other Items of Possible Interest:
 
* “Queer Eye” star Jonathan Van Ness is speaking publicly about being HIV-positive, and his new book about traumatic events that have shaped his life (video clips are captioned but not audio described): https://www.today.com/health/queer-eye-star-jonathan-van-ness-opens-about-decision-reveal-t163211
 
* With its upcoming movie “Eternals” starring a Deaf superhero, people are petitioning Marvel Studios to release its upcoming movie with open captions at all screenings, part of a larger national trend towards more inclusive theaters for deaf and hard-of-hearing patrons: https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/for-the-deaf-and-hard-of-hearing-movies-are-often-out-of-reach-that-could-change/2019/09/19/e35efa82-d895-11e9-ac63-3016711543fe_story.html
 
* Model Ayesha Tan-Jones walked Milan Fashion Week with “Mental Health is Not a Fashion” written on their hands, in protest of straightjackets and other offensive imagery in the Gucci show: https://www.cnn.com/style/article/gucci-protest-milan-intl-scli/index.html
 
* Climate activist Greta Thunberg addressed the United Nations, leading to several disability-related news stories:

• For many people with diagnoses of autism or Asperger’s, Greta Thunberg is a hero who calls Asperger’s as a “superpower:” https://www.valleynewslive.com/content/news/For-people-with-Aspergers-a-role-model-emerges-in-Greta-Thunberg-561315651.html
• Fox News apologized after a guest disparaged Thunberg and her history with mental illness: https://www.cnn.com/2019/09/24/media/fox-news-greta-thunberg/index.html
• After Thunberg chastised world leaders for their failure to act on climate change, President Trump mocked her mood on Twitter (news clip is captioned but not audio described): https://www.cnn.com/2019/09/24/politics/trump-greta-thunberg-climate-change-trnd/index.html

 
* Will and Jada Pinkett Smith have shared their worries about their son, Jaden Smith, and his difficulties with healthy eating, raising a larger topic of eating disorders in men: https://mensvariety.com/men-eating-disorders/
 
* Deaf ASL interpreter Matt Maxey interprets for Chance the Rapper and others, bringing hip-hop music to the Deaf community (video captioned but not audio described): https://www.greatbigstory.com/stories/the-hip-hop-sign-language-translator/?xrs=CNNHP
 
* In the U.S. House of Representatives:

• A new “Direct CARE Opportunity Act” bill has been introduced in the US House of Representatives, to fund, recruit, and support direct care workers (e.g., personal care attendants): https://www.hrdive.com/news/bill-aims-to-support-skills-training-for-direct-care-workers/563444/
• A proposed bill would raise the amount of income people with Supplemental Security Income (SSI) could earn and couples would not be penalized for getting married: https://www.disabilityscoop.com/2019/09/23/lawmakers-look-update-ssi-program/27200/

 
* A man with cerebral palsy asked “Dear Abby” whether he should disclose his HIV+ status to his parents – see her response here: https://www.theledger.com/news/20190926/dear-abby-disabled-man-conceals-hiv-diagnosis-from-his-parents
 
* The CEO of Special Olympics says that diversity and inclusion doesn’t mean much if it doesn’t include people with intellectual disabilities, using ESPN reporter Daina Shilts as an example: https://fortune.com/2019/09/26/special-olympics-diversity-inclusion/
 
* Bryce Weiler is a blind sports announcer who also works to open up sports and recreational activities to people with disabilities: https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2019/09/26/meet-blind-sports-announcer-whose-mission-is-make-games-more-accessible/
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
For more information about DREAM or AHEAD contact Wendy Harbour ([email protected]).
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By the way, please don't presume DREAM, the National Center for College Students with Disabilities (NCCSD), AHEAD, or the U.S. Department of Education agree with or support everything in these links we send out - we're just passing along the information so you can form your own opinions.  Thanks.
 
DREAM and the NCCSD are funded by a grant to AHEAD from the U.S. Department of Education (P116D150005).