DREAM Weekly: February 26-March 4, 2017

DREAM Weekly, Disability and Higher Education in the News: February 26-March 4, 2017
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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 February 26-March 4, 2017
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Disability and higher education in the news (in no particular order):
 
* Two former Harvard Law School administrators are accused of stealing thousands of dollars from an account earmarked for disability accommodations, using the money and university credit cards for personal purchases ranging from computers to sex toys (news video is captioned but not audio described): http://boston.cbslocal.com/2017/02/27/iteam-harvard-law-administrators-stealing-money-students-disabilities/
 
* How are you supposed to defend a dissertation while you’re hallucinating and dealing with bipolar disorder?  Ask Rachel Kallem Whitman, who is now Dr. Rachel Kallem Whitman: https://medium.com/invisible-illness/my-voice-2ff7ab1c6c0c#.ll29i5doh
 
* A member of the Faculty Coalition for Disability Rights at UC Berkeley filed a Freedom of Information Act request for statistics about disabled faculty, and the results show 1.5% of faculty on campus have disabilities: https://ucbdisabilityrights.org/2017/02/26/number-of-disabled-faculty/
 
* Children of disabled veterans living in Indiana can now get free tuition at in-state colleges, thanks to a new grant from the Lawrence County Veterans Service: http://www.wbiw.com/local/archive/2017/01/children-of-disabled-veteranpurple-heart-recipients-can-get-help-to-attend-college.php
 
* Third-year law students from the Veteran’s Advocacy Clinic at West Virginia University’s College of Law are providing real legal representation for veterans across the country, including some with disabilities and health conditions: http://wvrecord.com/stories/511084941-west-virginia-university-college-of-law-students-help-disabled-veterans
 
* Campuses and communities across the U.S. recognized the Disability Community Day of Mourning, for disabled people who have been killed by their caregivers:

• An example of one campus event – at Syracuse University: http://dailyorange.com/2017/03/su-community-hold-vigil/  
• A list of 2017 sites and information about hosting events are available at the Autistic Self-Advocacy Network website: http://autisticadvocacy.org/2017/02/find-your-local-day-of-mourning-vigil-site/
• The Ruderman Foundation issued a white paper on coverage of these events and how the media can do better: http://www.rudermanfoundation.org/blog/article/the-ruderman-white-paper-media-coverage-of-the-murder-of-people-with-disabilities-by-their-caregivers

 
* Where do you put a disability services office?  What features should the new location have, including parking and elevators?  Youngston State University is dealing with these issues as they search for a permanent location, after several less-than-ideal moves that have had a negative impact on students: http://www.thejambar.com/deciding-disability-services-next-location/  
 
* In its series of articles about “autism in the college environment,” the Daily Herald describes a pilot program at Utah Valley University, where neurotypical students provide in-class supports to autistic peers: http://www.heraldextra.com/news/local/education/college/uvu/uvu-testing-pilot-program-to-pair-students-with-autism-with/article_237dcc9e-9a68-5b93-9ad1-677bae86e927.html
 
* One of several people profiled in the new documentary “Swim Team,” Mike McQuay Jr. started swimming on a team for youth on the autism spectrum, and is now attending Middlesex Community College and aiming to swim at the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo: http://nypost.com/2017/03/01/this-autistic-swim-team-proved-everyone-wrong/
 
* Colleges and universities are not offering adequate special education training to students in teacher education programs, even though most of them will work in general education classes that include students with disabilities: https://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2017/03/how-teacher-training-hinders-special-needs-students/518286/
 
* The “Huffington Post” is running a two-part blog series on college mental health (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/the-college-mental-health-crisis-focus-on-suicide_us_58b47017e4b0658fc20f987c) and a three-part series on “mitigating the college mental health crisis” (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/kristen-lee-costa/rethinking-the-college-me_b_14683448.html)
 
* The College Board is piloting a new “Environmental Context Dashboard” to help colleges identify who grew up with hardships that may require an extra edge or flexibility from admissions offices, but the measure is controversial because it doesn’t include race (DREAM notes that it also doesn’t include disability status).  An article about this is at https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2017/02/28/college-board-pilots-new-way-measure-adversity-when-considering-applications-some and you can read the report at https://secure-media.collegeboard.org/digitalServices/pdf/professionals/data-driven-models-to-understand-environmental-context.pdf
 
* San Antonio College increased construction to improve campus accessibility, but the construction is ironically causing accessibility problems, with staff and students working together to solve the problems: http://theranger.org/2017/02/27/construction-causes-obstructions-for-students-with-disabilities/
 
* A lawsuit against Drake University continues to get press as a Title IX retaliation case; after his disabled son accused a female student of rape, he was expelled from Drake and his father was fired as a university trustee: https://heatst.com/culture-wars/drake-expels-disabled-male-student-who-says-he-was-raped-by-woman-fires-dad-for-complaining/
 
* UC-Berkeley’s vice-chancellor of equity and inclusion is now president of the Spencer Foundation; Na’ilah Suad Nasir presided over several controversial changes in disability student resources during her tenure at UC-Berkeley (see her letter to students and parents about the changes here: https://ucbdisabilityrights.org/2016/10/): http://www.aera.net/Newsroom/AERA-Highlights-E-newsletter/Nasir-Named-Spencer-Foundation-President
 
* Campuses like the Rochester Institute of Technology are offering hotlines and other expanded services, but (as noted in the campus newspaper article), counseling offices are being asked also create more “mentally healthy” campus climates: http://reporter.rit.edu/news/mental-health-campus
 
* Professor Joe Moran studied shyness to learn more about his painful experiences with it, whether it is a disability or illness, and to consider the variety of human experience: http://www.chronicle.com/article/A-Study-That-Released-Me-From/239329?cid=cr&utm_source=cr&utm_medium=en&elqTrackId=a8fbb6fd1dfe4d5181f7b4e11182223a&elq=39fd51e1321a448397eeec0e31c16ac8&elqaid=12747&elqat=1&elqCampaignId=5219
 
* The University of Malta mourns the death of faculty member Marcel Pisani, a leader in disability studies, disability rights, and parent organizing in the country: http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20170226/social/Marcel-Pisani.640760
 
* Obama staffers have created an “Education44” website to preserve information about educational policy and initiatives under the Obama administration, including work related to disability: http://education44.org/
 
* After going into treatment for breast cancer, Clackamas Community College instructor Brenda Marks realized that a lot of people were uncomfortable talking with her, and other people with disabilities or chronic illnesses, even though college is a great place to learn about people’s experiences: http://www.theclackamasprint.net/health/instructor-fights-cancerous-silence/
 
* A National Science Day celebration in India at Rayat Bahra University focused on science and technology for people with disabilities: http://punjabnewsexpress.com/education/news/national-science-day-celebrated-at-rayat-bahra-university-58271.aspx
 
* An art gallery employee at Tulane University has filed suit under the ADA, alleging that she was fired while out on medical leave: http://louisianarecord.com/stories/511085330-tulane-university-employee-alleges-she-was-wrongfully-terminated-because-of-age-disability
 
 
And a few related items of possible interest to college students:
* Fluffy isn’t making you mentally ill!  London researchers (who apparently prefer dogs?) studied cat ownership and psychosis but found no links, so we await cat-loving researchers’ investigations of potential problems between dogs and your mental health: http://wqad.com/2017/02/24/cat-ownership-not-linked-to-mental-health-problems-study-says/
 
* While activism is spreading across the U.S., Sarah Blahovec considers how people with disabilities can fight for social justice when their disabilities make it difficult: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/fighting-for-justice-when-im-the-furthest-thing-from_us_58b65130e4b0e5fdf6197891
 
* Love, from Neil Hilborn’s point of view, is about OCD tics quieting and being understood and appreciated – watch the slam poetry performance that is going viral (video is captioned but not audio described): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vnKZ4pdSU-s
 
* Deaf actress Marlee Matlin says nothing has really changed in Hollywood, with the majority of best actor Oscars awarded for portrayals of illness and disability, at the same time no disabled actor has won an Oscar since 1987: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2017/02/27/not-much-has-changed-actress-marlee-matlin-on-the-representation-of-the-disabled-in-hollywood/?postshare=2961488197841640&tid=ss_fb&utm_term=.1ac5f82b94ec
 
* Within 12 months, a computerized personal assistant will start helping Australians with disabilities do basic tasks; “Nadia” was created by the technology expert behind Oscar-winning movie Avatar, and Nadia’s voice sounds just like Cate Blanchett’s (because it is): http://www.voxy.co.nz/technology/5/276354
 
* Oi! The TV comedy series “Speechless” continues to rack up rave reviews: http://uproxx.com/sepinwall/speechless-review/2/
 
* Dr. David Ole Sankok chairs Kenya’s National Council of Persons with Disabilities and is an internationally trained medical researcher, but he started going to school as a child because his family was punishing him for not being able to herd goats: http://www.nation.co.ke/news/Dr-Sankok-defies-disability-barriers/1056-3832256-y97wyf/
 
* Tattoo artist Whitney Develle has been giving out one free tattoo every week to help cover up scars from self harm, and she’s had thousands of people ask for her help (video is captioned with no audio description): http://www.bbc.co.uk/bbcthree/item/5dddd7ab-d4bf-4b16-8457-d4a75ee5df1e
 
* Facebook is testing ways to track users who are potentially suicidal, to offer assistance and referrals to resources: http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-39126027
 
* Love is in the air! Matchmaking events for disabled people are now happening in China (http://www.sixthtone.com/news/finding-love-when-youre-disabled-china) and India (http://indianexpress.com/article/cities/mumbai/voice-vision-initiative-matchmaking-forum-for-the-disabled-in-mumbai/)
 
* Rates of colon and rectal cancer are rising sharply among youth who are part of Generation X and millennials, with some calling for screenings to start long before the age of 50: http://www.startribune.com/colon-rectal-cancer-rising-sharply-among-gen-x-even-millennials/414988484/
 
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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.