DREAM Weekly: April 23-May 6, 2017

​DREAM Weekly, Disability and Higher Education in the News: April 23-May 6, 2017
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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Weekly Update on Issues Related to Disability and Higher Education 
Weeks of April 23-May 6, 2017
 
** DOUBLE ISSUE THIS WEEK! **
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Disability and higher education in the news (in no particular order):
 
* The Atlantic visited the ClemsonLife program in South Carolina, and learned how it’s part of a broader movement to create higher education opportunities for students with intellectual disabilities: https://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2017/05/the-path-to-higher-education-with-an-intellectual-disability/524748/
 
* The University of Maryland had over 400 attendees at its second annual Disability Summit, focused on building disability studies and a disability community on campus: http://www.dbknews.com/2017/04/24/umd-disability-summit/
 
* The national March for Science included Deaf doctoral student Alicia Wooten in Boston (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yzAErr31Ecs) and professor and researcher Amber Martin in New York (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gnMfJPtb9kA).  (Both videos have captions but no audio description.)
 
* What happens when a professor says disability accommodations are unfair to nondisabled students in class?  Miranda Nichole got help from her department and the disability services office, but she continues to think about that experience and the need for better services on campus: https://themighty.com/2017/04/addressing-university-discrimination-against-students-with-disabilities/
 
* Black, gifted, and disabled – learn about Alexis Toliver, her activism, and her research at Harvard Medical School: https://blackdisability.org/content/black-gifted-disabled-interview-series-alexis-toliver
 
* An editorial in the campus paper calls out Harvard’s University refusal to allow ASL to fulfill its mandatory language requirements.  Their reason?  You can’t write in sign language: http://www.thecrimson.com/article/2017/4/25/lynch-david-harvard-not-so-quiet-embarassment/
 
* A 22-year old football player at Louisiana Tech University was in a car accident and now has to live in a nursing home, due to state policies that favor institutionalization over people with disabilities living at home or in the community: http://www.theadvocate.com/baton_rouge/news/politics/legislature/article_1940f13c-0f17-11e7-851c-97fd5a7b60fd.html
 
* A new University of Michigan program called Michigan Supported Education is reaching out to adult students in treatment for mental health issues or substance abuse, working with them to help ease the transition back to college, including tutoring services after they have enrolled: http://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/wayne/2017/04/26/mental-health-issues-high-learning/100890086/
 
* Campuses are eager to recruit veterans and tap into billions of federal dollars to support them, but research is finding campuses aren’t offering nearly enough support vets with academics, social integration, and disabilities, which means most aren’t getting their degrees: http://hechingerreport.org/colleges-recruit-veterans-gi-bill-money-none-graduate/
 
* The bike sharing program at Syracuse University is the first in the country to include adaptive cycles for people with disabilities: https://news.syr.edu/2017/04/student-association-initiated-bike-share-program-relaunched-with-new-cycles/
 
* A video describes how Gallaudet University is creating Deaf Space to build a campus for ASL users (video is captioned without audio description): https://www.facebook.com/ezraklein/videos/10154021913608410/?comment_id=10154028891703410&comment_tracking=%7B%22tn%22%3A%22R9%22%7D
 
* Some Canadian universities are going beyond conventional accommodations and helping students with autism get support from other students on campus: http://www.universityaffairs.ca/features/feature-article/rise-of-peer-support-for-students-with-autism-spectrum-disorder/
 
* Anita Silvers was honored by the California State University system for her 50 years of work in disability activism, from organizing college students in political actions to teaching and researching disability studies in her current position at San Francisco State University: https://diverseeducation.com/article/95794/
 
* One student was killed and three were injured in a stabbing incident at the University of Texas Austin on May 1; the suspect, Kendrex White, was a student who had been experiencing significant “mental health issues,” according to police: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2017/05/02/ut-austin-stabbing-killed-police/101199136/
 
* A medical student writes about what it’s like to be fat, studying obesity and metabolic conditions with doctors-in-training: https://raspberrystethoscope.tumblr.com/

* USA Today published a two-part series on the U.S. college “mental health crisis” and what it means for students and the campuses struggling to keep up with demand (the article has links to part 1 and 2 in the series): http://college.usatoday.com/2017/05/04/more-and-more-students-need-mental-health-services-but-colleges-struggle-to-keep-up/
 
* The 2017 federal budget bill maintains levels of funding for TRIO, a federal program that serves students of color, first-generation students, and students with disabilities:  http://diverseeducation.com/article/95905/
 
* #inclusiveVT and the Disability Alliance and Caucus may be alive and well at Virginia Tech, but campus planning isn’t working for disabled users – frustration mounts as the campus finishes two new residence buildings next to an accessible parking lot, but fails to add any access ramps: http://www.collegiatetimes.com/opinion/lte-inventing-the-future-for-all-of-us/article_c2fcddc2-2ece-11e7-9467-fb1f5ea5c108.html
 
* Leader Dogs for the Blind needed puppy raisers and trainers, so Rochester College in Michigan stepped up, with six students training puppies and a new “Campus Puppy Living and Learning Community” in a residence hall: https://patch.com/michigan/rochester/rochester-college-gives-leader-dogs-helping-hand
 
Two reports recommend policy changes to help youth transition from high school to college:

• For autistic students, a new report from the federal Government Accountability Office (GAO) recommends the government do more to support youth with autism during their transition from high school to college and employment: http://www.gao.gov/assets/690/684484.pdf
• For students with LD and ADHD, the National Center for Learning Disabilities released its “State of Learning Disabilities” report of research, including videos of first-person stories; the report found that test scores are getting worse in K-12, and transition services are also inadequate: http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/speced/2017/05/new_state_of_learning_disabili_1.html

 
* After three years of work by student activists, Georgetown University will offer a new minor in disability studies this fall: http://www.thehoya.com/disability-studies-minor-approved/
 
* A Notre Dame student is suing the university for expelling him weeks before his graduation, saying a Title IX investigation against him failed to consider his depression and his needs for accommodations during the Title IX hearings: http://www.abc57.com/story/35234062/student-files-complaint-against-notre-dame-for-expelling-him
 
* She went from Somalia and Ethiopian refugee camps to the University of Arizona, where Rihana Ibrahim is now a star of the wheelchair basketball team: http://www.teenvogue.com/story/disabled-somali-refugee-basketball-inspiring
 
* An editorial at the University of North Carolina pushes the system to open more athletic opportunities for disabled student athletes, noting that the state’s best talent is heading to other states: http://www.newsobserver.com/opinion/op-ed/article146198749.html
 
* UCLA’s disability studies program celebrated its 10th anniversary, hosting a Disability as Spectacle conference about how disability is represented in the media and literature (video is closed captioned with no audio description): http://dailybruin.com/2017/04/26/disability-as-spectacle-conference-explores-new-wave-of-visability/
 
* A new study in India focuses on creative solutions and accommodations used by professors with physical disabilities, who note that very little is known about faculty members with disabilities: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/bengaluru/disability-no-deterrent-for-these-business-school-teachers-study/articleshow/58354270.cms
 
* An unidentified blind college student is gathering a following around the world with his witty Facebook posts about being blind: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-4452708/Blind-student-s-posts-hilarious-disability.html
 
* The “Autistics on Campus” student group at Arizona State University brought autistic high school students to campus for a tour and to share information about college life: https://asunow.asu.edu/20170427-sun-devil-life-autistics-campus-bust-myths-show-young-students-college-possible
 
* As a queer woman of color with a disability, freshman Priya Penner is making Syracuse University more welcoming for students from diverse backgrounds: http://dailyorange.com/2017/04/priya-penner-freshman-fights-for-a-more-accessible-campus-across-all-marginalized-identities/
 
* “Guide to Online Schools” has published its 2017 list of top online schools for students with disabilities, with Stanford University coming in at #1: http://www.guidetoonlineschools.com/online-schools/students-with-disabilities
 
* San Francisco State University fashion students are working on problems facing university staff members and student veterans with disabilities, including how to avoid the rain when your guide dog and an umbrella don’t work together: http://news.sfsu.edu/news-story/fashion-students-models-disabilities-show-practical-designs
 
* Black students with disabilities are over-represented in special education and under-represented in gifted and honors classes, making it hard for them to have a real chance at college: http://www.npr.org/sections/ed/2017/04/23/520021794/his-teacher-told-him-he-wouldnt-go-to-college-then-he-did
 
* Best Buddies matches up college students as “buddies” with off-campus community members who have intellectual disabilities, but the program and its fundraiser Tom Brady are under scrutiny after a Boston Globe investigation uncovered millions of dollars going from Best Buddies back to Brady’s charitable trust: http://www.bostonglobe.com/sports/2017/04/22/tom-brady-gives-much-best-buddies-but-takes-millions-for-his-personal-trust/fX6A4ZqPaYAehmHllm9iLI/story.html
 
* An iPad – that’s what Jordyn Zimmerman needed to communicate and express her intelligence, allowing her to graduate high school and attend college: http://www.assistiveware.com/communication-basic-right
 
* Ross Tugade shares his experiences with mental illness during college and law school in the Philippines, and how a diagnosis of bipolar finally helped him get support – something he wants for others in his country: http://cnnphilippines.com/life/culture/2017/04/25/mental-illness-stigma.html
 
* “VUnited” at Villanova University will replicate components of Syracuse University’s InclusiveU program into a six-week life skills program for students with intellectual disabilities: http://villanovan.com/culture/vunited-seeks-to-include-students-with-intellectual-disabilities/article_6b1a01c8-2a20-11e7-b10f-f33d50ea5922.html
 
* Staci Mannella is suing Dartmouth College, claiming she did not get appropriate accommodations for her blindness, including accessible materials for class and assistance in labs; she also says the college also made inappropriate accommodations like removing a stove from her dorm and suggesting Mannella re-take courses where she didn’t have services in place: http://www.thedartmouth.com/article/2017/04/student-sues-college-over-disability-accommodations
 
* The University of Illinois’ wheelchair track program continues to train some of the country’s top Paralympians: http://dailyillini.com/sports/2017/04/26/illinois-wheelchair-track-program-continues-thrive/
 
* The North Carolina State University student newspaper is doing a series on campus accessibility, with the first installment providing an overview of disability accessibility issues on campus: http://www.technicianonline.com/news/article_d5c8ded2-2ae7-11e7-ba06-87abe1916459.html
 
* Utah Valley University cut the ribbon on a new $8.4 million building that will host a center for autism research, a sensory garden, classrooms, and the campus “Passages” program for college students with autism: http://www.heraldextra.com/news/local/education/college/uvu/uvu-opens-new-innovative-autism-building-on-its-campus/article_3c377893-2749-5b54-a164-a0795407e418.html
 
* After a hospitalization and amputations, computer science professor G. Sabramnian was replaced by one of his students; he has finally won his job back after an agonizing 20-year battle in India’s courts: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/madurai/hc-restores-lecturer-job-to-disabled-in-20-yr-legal-battle/articleshow/58321151.cms
 
* “Not just a lazy person” – that’s what one woman realized after she had her ADHD and LD diagnosed in college: https://www.additudemag.com/untreated-adhd-put-me-in-a-fog-personal-essay/
 
* ABLE accounts continue to expand, with Missouri now offering them; funds in these accounts do not affect any federal benefits like SSI and Medicaid, and may be used for college: http://www.lexology.com/library/detail.aspx?g=b0146c58-6df2-462f-ad4b-adea6ca57bed
 
* Lower Columbia College received a $335,000 endowment from Applied Industries to fund scholarships for students with disabilities and disability services, so the college will also change the name of the disability support services center to include Applied Industries in the title: http://tdn.com/news/local/lower-columbia-college-foundation-receives-endowment/article_e17892a7-a74a-560c-9090-d5ca6f42fbd1.html
 
* An editorial at SUNY’s College of Environmental Science and Forestry pushes for “bathroom equity,” including restrooms that are ADA-compliant and more gender-neutral facilities: http://dailyorange.com/2017/04/suny-esf-shouldnt-lose-its-momentum-on-gender-neutral-disability-friendly-bathroom-updates/
 
* An employment board said George Washington University must pay nine years’ worth of salary and benefits to custodian Arion Jones, who became disabled while working on campus; the university has fought the case for ten years, and is now taking the decision to the DC Court of Appeals: https://www.gwhatchet.com/2017/05/04/gw-appeals-decision-to-compensate-former-employee-as-yearslong-legal-battle-continues/
 
* Patrick Decoteau shares his experiences as a quadriplegic with his students at Springfield College’s “Psychology of Disability and Illness” course: https://scstudentmedia.com/2017/05/04/prof-patrick-decoteau-has-used-his-life-changing-experience-to-educate-springfield-college-students/
 
 
And a few related items of possible interest to college students:
 
* The U.S. House of Representatives passed the American Health Care Act, an attempt to repeal the Affordable Care Act (i.e., “Obamacare”) and cut Medicaid.  While the Senate still has to work out its own version of the bill before it becomes law, disability activists are alarmed:

• Here’s a summary of some of the issues: https://www.disabilityscoop.com/2017/05/04/house-health-alarming-advocates/23666/
• Now trending on Twitter: #IAmaPreexistingCondition: http://abcnews.go.com/Health/iamapreexistingcondition-trends-twitter-houses-passes-health-care-bill/story?id=47229679
• The bill could hurt adjuncts, who often already have difficulty getting health insurance: http://www.chronicle.com/article/In-Higher-Ed-Adjuncts-May/239999
• Special education will also suffer if Medicaid is cut: https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/03/us/politics/health-bill-medicaid-special-education-affordable-care-act.html
• Jimmy Kimmel got national attention when he talked about his newborn son’s heart condition, and his fears that with TrumpCare, some parents may not be able to afford care (video not captioned or audio described): http://www.cnn.com/2017/05/02/entertainment/jimmy-kimmel-baby-surgery/
• Representative Mo Brooks of Alabama said that people who are healthy “lead good lives” and deserve insurance without having to pay anything to help sick people: http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2017/05/republican-sick-people-dont-deserve-affordable-care.html
• The Autistic Self-Advocacy Network created a guide for self-advocates to learn about Medicaid and explain it to others: https://autisticadvocacy.org/policy/toolkits/medicaid/
• A Latina disability activist says she’s living through “The Handmaid’s Tale” (spoilers ahead for the new show on Hulu): http://geekygimp.com/the-boiling-point-disability-in-the-handmaids-tale/
• Alice Wong wrote an article for the New York Times explaining complexities and realities of her experience with Medicaid: https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/03/opinion/my-medicaid-my-life.html
• What counts as a pre-existing condition in the AHCA?  Here’s a list: http://time.com/money/4763609/pre-existing-conditions-ahca/

 
* Asian Pacific Americans with disabilities share their stories at the Disability Visibility Project (videos have captions and/or transcripts, but not audio description): https://disabilityvisibilityproject.com/2016/03/20/apa/
 
* The fifth annual “Cripping the Comic Con” at Syracuse University brought together people interested in disability and gaming, zombies, superheroes, and more (http://dailyorange.com/2017/04/superheroes-with-disabilities-join-forces-at-the-5th-annual-cripping-the-comic-con/), while making geekiness more inclusive (https://www.femmedechem.com/home/cripping-the-con) 
 
* Activist Judy Heumann has created a YouTube channel called “The Heumann Perspective” and this month she’s focusing on youth with disabilities, kicking off with an interview with Rebecca Cokley, director of the National Council on Disabilities (videos are captioned but not audio described): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wVh6OeV40Mw
 
* Black disabled girl magic – that’s what Vilissa Thompson is bringing to the table: http://folks.pillpack.com/black-disabled-girl-magic/
 
* Ona Gritz is a poet an author who tried to hide her cerebral palsy, until she eventually had to make peace with it as a mother, a lover, and a member of a broader community that needed her: https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2017/apr/30/ona-gritz-cerebral-palsy-motherhood-love
 
* Love and autism – personal stories and what research says (or fails to say): https://spectrumnews.org/features/deep-dive/sex-foreign-words/
 
* In a GQ feature spread, Brad Pitt discusses how therapy is helping him get through his divorce and problems with drinking: http://www.gq.com/story/brad-pitt-gq-style-cover-story
 
* Autistic teen Niko Buskovic won a prestigious trip to the UN, but was denied when the sponsoring group found out he had autism: http://koin.com/2017/05/01/teen-with-autism-denied-trip-he-won-to-un/
 
* “Two wheelchairs and a baby” – read about a couple who thought they couldn’t have children, who suddenly found out they were expecting a baby (video is captioned but not audio described, and a transcript of the podcast is available right before the text of the article): http://www.wnyc.org/story/death-sex-money-nikki-and-darrell/
 
* Meet Steph, a professional blind cheerleader from England (video has captions but no audio description): http://www.bbc.com/news/av/magazine-39667174/were-doing-something-nobody-has-ever-done-before
 
* The Miss Minnesota pageant has its first contestant with Down syndrome: http://www.dispatch.com/entertainmentlife/20170505/beauty-pageant-contestant-wants-to-be-judged-by-more-than-her-disability
  
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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]).

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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.