DREAM Weekly: April 28-May 4, 2019

​DREAM Weekly on Disability and Higher Education in the News: April 28-May 4, 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)
• Visit our visual and graphic-based version of the news at http://www.nccsdonline.org/news.html
• 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 ([email protected]).
 
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Disability and higher education in the news (in no particular order):
 
* On Twitter, #WhyDisabledPeopleDropOut has been trending; University of California Santa Cruz student and queer deaf activist Christine Marshall started the thread to talk about frustrations and challenges of disabled students in higher ed: https://www.dailydot.com/irl/why-disabled-people-drop-out/
 
* In the UK, the University of Liverpool is accused of discrimination after charging students a fee if they needed to have assignment or course extensions due to their disability, and complaints about that issue are calling attention to other disability-related problems on campus: https://www.bbc.com/news/education-48044598/
 
* An exposé in The Herald-Tribune revealed that the New College of Florida had put red flags on applications of students with any kind of psychological issue, resulting in extra reviews and the rejection of some applicants who qualified for automatic admission: https://www.insidehighered.com/admissions/article/2019/04/29/new-college-florida-criticized-over-its-approach-applicants-mental?utm_source=Inside+Higher+Ed&utm_campaign=d12ca252d9-AdmissionsInsider_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_1fcbc04421-d12ca252d9-197665193&mc_cid=d12ca252d9&mc_eid=755fe7aa16
 
* Two students were killed and four were injured in a shooting at the University of North Carolina-Charlotte; the shooter has been identified as autistic student Trystan Terrell, and he is in custody (news clips are captioned but not audio described): https://www.star-telegram.com/news/local/article229905469.html
 
* In the UK, the Disabled Students’ Campaign at Cambridge University has created an “Accessibility Pledge” and the student Council unanimously endorsed all clubs and societies adhering to it (a link to the pledge itself is in the article): https://www.varsity.co.uk/news/17452
 
* The U.S.-based Association on Higher Education And Disability (AHEAD) is creating the Global University Disability & Inclusion Network (GUDIN) to connect organizations around the world that are working on disability in higher education: https://newzhook.com/story/22101 [full disclosure: the NCCSD is based at AHEAD]
 
* How can academic departments support faculty, staff, and students struggling with their mental and emotional health?  Furaha Asani offers several practical strategies, like letting people rest on weekends: http://ideasonfire.net/mental-health-in-academia/
 
* Madonna University couldn’t find an interpreter for Sign Language Studies professor Danny McDougall’s presentation, so he decided to turn the tables on the audience, and sign the whole thing in ASL, asking them to “get by” with the PowerPoint and whatever they could figure out (news clip is in ASL with captions, and there is a transcript): https://www.dailymoth.com/blog/hearing-interpreter-turns-tables-on-madonna-university-audience
 
* Vice features a lengthy “no-bullshit guide” for college students to proactively look after their mental health and get support if they need it: https://www.vice.com/en_ca/article/zmpx54/how-to-look-after-your-mental-health-s-a-student
 
* The University of Maryland’s transportation services has created a “Will You Stand Up for Me?” campaign to spread awareness about student with disabilities using designated seats on university buses, even if their disabilities aren’t readily apparent: https://dbknews.com/2019/04/28/umd-dots-invisible-disabilities-buses-campaign/
 
* An opinion piece in the University of California San Diego newspaper calls for more dining options, and promotion of other campus resources for students with diabetes, like the university’s appeal process that can provide extra health care funds to cover the cost of insulin: http://ucsdguardian.org/2019/05/01/opinion-ucsd-must-improve-resources-diabetic-students/
 
* An attorney wonders if Professor Bruce Banner in Avengers: Endgame would qualify for disability accommodations: https://www.jdsupra.com/legalnews/spotting-the-employment-law-issues-in-46871/
 
* An article in the Minnesota Daily notes that getting accommodations is just one part of campus access, with faculty and administrators across campus needing training so they can do more to create welcoming courses and spaces: https://www.mndaily.com/article/2019/05/n-for-students-with-disabilities-in-class-accessibility-goes-beyond-paperwork
 
* Commencement activities are rapidly approaching; interpreter Jaclyn Kollar explains more about sign language interpreting at graduation, how she prepares, and why interpreters are an important part of the events: https://resources.gradimages.com/interview-with-a-sign-language-interpreter-part
 
* The furor continues in Scotland over grad student Bamidele Chika Agbakuribe Agbakuribe’s right to stay in the country and continue studies at Dundee University after he allegedly did not receive adequate accommodations and supports, was expelled for making slow progress, and then ordered to leave the country with his wife and four children: https://www.thecourier.co.uk/fp/news/local/dundee/877406/blind-dundee-international-student-kicked-out-amid-claims-of-shocking-mistreatment-denied-appeal/
 
* Inaccessible residence halls, steep hills, few ramps, and a lack of elevators are causing difficulties for students with disabilities at George Washington University (https://www.gwhatchet.com/2019/05/02/students-say-the-vern-does-not-accommodate-students-with-disabilities/) and the student newspaper agrees some mandatory courses need to be moved (https://www.gwhatchet.com/2019/04/29/moving-some-uw-classes-to-foggy-bottom-would-improve-accessibility/)
 
* The measles quarantines continue in Los Angeles, with 1700 people under quarantine at one point and 628 of them at Cal State Los Angeles: https://www.aol.com/article/lifestyle/2019/04/27/700-quarantined-measles-scare-two-los-angeles-universities/23718177/
 
* University of Iowa students held a rally to call for changes in the office of Student Disability Services, with a new location for the office topping a list of concerns about accessibility and supports: https://dailyiowan.com/2019/05/01/students-rally-for-disability-awareness-and-inclusion-on-campus/
 
* Swarthmore’s two fraternities have disbanded after one fraternity’s racist, misogynistic and homophobic writings and behaviors were published in two campus publications; protestors have demanded the fraternity houses go to students of color, disabled students, or LGBTQ students: https://www.cnn.com/2019/05/01/us/swarthmore-fraternities-sit-in/index.html
 
* Kent State University professor Laura Yeager is learning how to talk about being bipolar, but she wishes there was a national coming out day for people with mental illness: https://psychcentral.com/blog/bipolar-professor/
 
* Meet Cai Cong, blind disability activist and founder of Someone Magazine in China; as part of his work he is helping create access to college entrance exams and students with disabilities attending college: http://www.thebeijinger.com/blog/2019/04/30/business-fatherhood-and-disability-how-cai-cong-faced-all-three
 
* With a lawsuit about online accessibility pending, Harvard University implemented a new policy to make all its online materials accessible to people with disabilities: https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2019/5/1/digital-accessibility-policy/
 
* After finally getting diagnoses and treatment for PTSD and addiction, veteran Vernon James Holmes is getting a degree from Penn State at the young age of 65: https://news.psu.edu/story/572406/2019/05/01/academics/returning-adult-student-beats-addiction-earns-degree-age-65
 
* Students with learning disabilities and activists continue to worry about the fallout from the college admissions scandal, in which some parents paid for disability diagnoses and extended time on the SAT or ACT (video captioned but not audio described): https://pix11.com/2019/05/01/heres-how-the-college-admission-scandal-impacted-students-with-disabilities/
 
* Sean Halverson was a high-level business executive and veteran who became suicidal and homeless after his traumatic brain injury and depression worsened, but with help from his family and the VA, things are better and he’s been admitted to a program at Harvard Business School: https://www.statesmanjournal.com/in-depth/news/2019/05/02/harvard-acceptance-homeless-veteran-business-program-salem-native/3579343002/
 
* Brigham Young University students have accused the university of breaking federal disability law and a lack of accommodations, but the university says its services are “robust” and in compliance with the law: https://kutv.com/news/local/disabled-students-say-byu-lacks-accessibility-may-break-federal-law
 
* The world renown Perkins School for the Blind is graduating its first class of College Success students, who paid $65,000 for a year of auditing courses and doing internships at local universities, while living in a dorm to learn life skills: https://www.barnstablepatriot.com/opinion/20190502/perkins-school-rich-in-history-evolves-as-needs-change
 
* The United Nations has called for the release of Professor GN Saibaba, who is being held in solitary confinement in India for conspiracy to collaborate with Maoists and start a war; he has post-polio syndrome and his health is deteriorating: https://newzhook.com/story/22128
 
* The academic International Society for Autism Research found itself in the middle of a debate between clinicians, autism advocates, scientists, and people with autism, trying to please everyone and offending all attendees in the process: https://www.spectrumnews.org/news/tensions-ride-high-despite-reshuffle-autism-science-meeting/
 
* “Studies have shown that 40% of Ph.D. students are depressed. But if it weren’t for my own experiences, I would not be aware of this” says Arnav Chhabra, who calls for mental health needs to be discussed openly: https://www.sciencemag.org/careers/2018/04/mental-health-academia-too-often-forgotten-footnote-needs-change
 
* The Ohio Civil Rights Commission upheld a ruling that the University of Toledo discriminated against registrar staffer James Krull, who was fired while in the process of negotiating accommodations for his migraines: https://www.toledoblade.com/local/education/2019/04/26/ohio-civil-rights-upholds-discrimination-ruling-against-university-toledo/stories/20190426124
 
* The University of North Carolina The Daily Tar Heel considers Adderall abuse and how it may be intersecting with depression and anxiety in students: https://www.dailytarheel.com/article/2019/04/college-stimulant-use-mental-health-0425
 
* Campuses are considering their vaccination policies for students and employees, as they admit more students who grew up with “anti-vaxxer” families mistakenly believing vaccines cause autism: https://www.chronicle.com/article/The-Children-of-the/246219
 
* The Student Association at Northern Illinois University has passed a resolution urging administrators to move the Disability Resource Center to a more accessible place, out of the fourth floor of the Health services building: https://northernstar.info/news/sa-senate-urges-administration-to-move-drc/article_988c4656-6a93-11e9-8a08-274a1ef3cca8.html
 
* Allyson Byers developed a painful chronic skin condition during college, and had a professor with the same disability give her advice, but Byers’ identity was wrapped up in her job; now she’s trying reducing stress by leaving the entertainment industry and taking care of herself:  https://hellogiggles.com/lifestyle/health-fitness/career-stress-my-chronic-condition/
 
* “Keys to Work” helps low-vision and blind individuals in Oklahoma prepare for college or careers during a two-week residential program that teaches independent living skills and job-readiness: https://newsok.com/article/5630034/newview-program-helps-prepare-youth-for-life-after-high-school
 
* “I am a proud, disabled person,” says University of North Carolina student Erika Christiana, but in the face of ableism, “I am not a proud Tar Heel”: https://www.dailytarheel.com/article/2019/03/ableism-guest-column-0328
 
* Bemidji State University plans to replace a building with a smaller “academic learning center” that only has classrooms, but some people believe this will adversely affect students of color and disabled students, who are more likely to stop by professor offices if they’re near class: https://www.bemidjipioneer.com/news/education/4606464-hail-and-farewell-hagg-sauer-hall
 
* In the past 29 years, the ADA has made colleges more accessible for students with disabilities, but it can take a lot of time and energy to get that access, and there isn’t much students can do about problems: http://www.insidehighered.com/blogs/gradhacker/disabled-graduate-school-history-and-progress?utm_source=Inside+Higher+Ed&utm_campaign=234a1e960d-WNU_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_1fcbc04421-234a1e960d-225808461&mc_cid=234a1e960d&mc_eid=d5645fe552
 
* The Best Buddies chapter at San Diego State has started a coffee stand to give people with disabilities job skills and help them “overcome” their disabilities: https://thedailyaztec.com/94559/news/best-buddies-brews-coffee-stand-teaches-job-skills-to-students-with-disabilities/
 
* The student newspaper at the University of Nevada, Reno has officially endorsed campus initiatives to make all online content accessible to people with disabilities: http://nevadasagebrush.com/blog/2019/04/30/the-nevada-sagebrush-supports-university-accessibility-initiative/
 
* Berea College student Sarah Watts has been a campus advocate for disabilities, serving on the campus accessibility committee and working on a team creating software accessibility checklists (brief audio interview has no transcript): https://www.weku.fm/post/berea-college-student-raises-awareness-about-accessibility
 
* The University of Utah has to pay out $346,000 after a federal judge ruled it had retaliated against a whistleblower who raised concerns about autism researchers having unauthorized access to patient information: https://kutv.com/news/local/u-of-u-autism-researcher-gets-217k-more-in-retaliation-lawsuit
 
* In Canada, King’s University College at Western University will open a new Jean Vanier Research Center to do interdisciplinary studies of disability: https://lfpress.com/news/local-news/jean-vanier-research-centre-opens-at-kings-university-college
 
 
 
A Few Other Items of Possible Interest:
 
* For the first time, the UN Security Council considered the rights of people with disabilities who are in armed conflict, with testimony by Syrian disability activist Nujeen Mustafa: https://www.hrw.org/news/2019/04/24/un-landmark-security-council-disability-rights-briefing
 
* Hannah Gadsby’s TED Talk gave her an opportunity to talk about her autism, being a comedian, and how she is really bad at talking but great at being on stage (video is captioned but not audio described): https://www.wired.com/story/hannah-gadsby-ted-talk/
 
* Christians kept trying to pray and heal Damon Rose’s disability, so he set out to see what Christianity can offer people with disabilities (beyond any “miracle cures”): https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-48054113
 
* For some people, disabilities create a new chapter of athleticism and fitness: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/02/lens/disability-didnt-end-their-athletic-dreams-it-started-them.html
 
* The Obamas have signed a deal with Netflix to release seven new films through their production company, and one is Crip Camp, about a summer camp for teenagers with disabilities – Sarah Kim writes about why this means so much to people with disabilities: https://www.forbes.com/sites/sarahkim/2019/05/02/crip-camp-obamas-netflix/#13172e281b39
 
* At Trinity College in Ireland, actress, comedian, and disability activist Francesca Martinez talked about her experience with cerebral palsy, saying that accepting yourself is “an act of civil disobedience:” https://www.irishtimes.com/news/health/liking-yourself-is-act-of-civil-disobedience-conference-hears-1.3876696
 
* Samantha Figgins danced from childhood through college, but it wasn’t until she joined the Alvin Ailey dance company that she finally was found her confidence and was fitted with hearing aids for her deafness: https://www.wbur.org/artery/2019/04/30/alvin-ailey-dancer-samantha-figgins
 
* Research says African American women often report pain symptoms or interpersonal problems when they could be diagnosed with depression; they also struggle with the “strong woman complex” in Black women, with stigma about admitting they need help: https://washingtoninformer.com/mental-health-and-the-strong-black-woman/
 
* Researchers have shown that suicide rates spiked among teenagers after Netflix released its series “13 Reasons Why”: https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2019-04/nch-srs042919.php
 
* Thousands of schoolchildren in Puerto Rico have developed PTSD after Hurricane Maria caused widespread food shortages, destruction of homes, fear, and emigration: https://www.theeagle.com/news/nation/hurricane-maria-s-legacy-thousands-of-puerto-rican-students-show/article_56844ca4-b465-514d-adb7-61e530edeba9.html
 
* Senator Cassidy (R-LA) has a child with dyslexia and helped create the National Center on Improving Literacy, but he took issue with the center’s latest report on dyslexia, saying its outdated references and misinformation would not pass muster in academia: https://www.cassidy.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/2753_001.pdf
 
* Volkswagon has become the first in the auto industry to deliberately engage with disability groups as it develops self-driving vehicles: https://www.greencarcongress.com/2019/05/20190502-vwgoa.html
 
 
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