DREAM Weekly: January 29-February 10, 2018

DREAM Weekly on Disability and Higher Education in the News: January 29-February 10, 2018

Weeks of January 28-February 10, 2018

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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Disability and higher education in the news (in no particular order):
 
* The National Council on Disability published a research report saying colleges are failing students with disabilities who need sexual assault services: https://www.chronicle.com/article/Students-With-Disabilities-Are/242400?cid=db&elqTrackId=a0ab9819c66341b2b09f94c682051cec&elq=a300a85639a74617b2d9eadf701f56ed&elqaid=17686&elqat=1&elqCampaignId=7787
 
* A new Amazon docuseries “This is How We Roll” will follow the University of Alabama’s wheelchair basketball teams: https://www.benzinga.com/pressreleases/18/02/p11130153/kessler-foundation-support-helps-launch-wheelchair-basketball-docuseri
 
* The Ontario Human Rights Commission raised concerns about the University of Toronto’s proposed mandatory leave of absence policy for students with mental health issues, leading to its withdrawal: https://themedium.ca/news/mandated-leave-policy-withdrawn/
 
* 1 in 4 college students have anxiety, and the Chronicle of Higher Education is sharing their stories through a video (captioned but no audio description) at https://www.chronicle.com/article/Facing-Anxiety/241968?cid=wb&utm_source=wb&utm_medium=en&elqTrackId=bcbabaf3452b4791844752f494ad3340&elq=f4f3fdc12624484791c4586cc261c5ef&elqaid=17728&elqat=1&elqCampaignId=7810 and a story at https://www.chronicle.com/article/I-Didn-t-Know-How-to-Ask/242412?cid=cc&utm_source=cc&utm_medium=en&elqTrackId=588640e26f0b44018268d5739ff04abe&elq=464e155e853547fba6a1a121c71e0ba0&elqaid=17742&elqat=1&elqCampaignId=7824
 
* Autistic students may behave in unexpected ways that are labeled inappropriate, leading to Title IX violations, and campuses may not be understanding the issues or dealing with them: https://www.insidehighered.com/views/2018/02/08/colleges-should-understand-special-issues-related-autism-and-title-ix-opinion
* Since last year, 360 campuses were reported for website accessibility violations, thanks to activist Marcie Lipsitt, who has been working on her own to check websites and alert the U.S. Department of Education: https://www.chronicle.com/article/One-Activist-Has-Hundreds-of/240551
 
* Are you interested in study abroad in Australia?  Your visa may be refused simply because you have a disability – even if you’re a student: http://theconversation.com/visa-policy-for-overseas-students-with-a-disability-is-nonsensical-and-discriminatory-89537
 
* Autism, an academic journal, is no longer using a logo with a puzzle piece, after finding that public perception of it was largely perceived as a symbol of Autism Speaks, producing negative feelings about it being “offensive and dehumanizing”: https://www.disabilityscoop.com/2018/02/02/autism-journal-abandons-puzzle/24668/
 
* A UK ad campaign for ASOS features Haitian amputee and graduate student Mama Cāx: https://sg.news.yahoo.com/everything-need-know-amputee-model-new-inclusive-asos-campaign-183013541.html
 
* This weekend, more than 400 NCAA basketball coaches and staff will wear Autism Speaks blue puzzle-pieces: https://dailytelescope.com/pr/autism-speaks-teams-up-with-ncaa-basketball-coaches-broadcasters-and-fans-for-coaches-powering-forward/66825 
 
* Student leaders at Syracuse University  are protesting a lack of transparency, as the ADA Coordinator leaves and an interim one is appointed without any notice: http://dailyorange.com/2018/02/syracuse-university-appoints-interim-ada-coordinator-amid-transparency-concerns/
 
* Trinity University in Ireland just approved a new policy defining reasonable accommodations with support of the student unions: http://trinitynews.ie/trinity-approves-new-reasonable-accommodations-policy-for-students-with-disabilities/
 
* Basic access was not good enough, so Beaufort County Community College just finished re-vamping the entire campus, thanks to funding from the state of North Carolina (video captioned but not audio described): http://www.witn.com/content/news/Infrastructure-projects-wrap-up-at-Beaufort-County-Community-College-473239283.html
 
* “(dis)ABLED BEAUTY” art exhibit about assistive devices as fashion was developed at Kent State University and is now being shown at Central Michigan University: http://www.cm-life.com/article/2018/02/disabled-beauty
 
* The student senate at the University of California, Santa Barbara is discussing resolutions to support students with mental and emotional illnesses in student housing: http://dailynexus.com/2018-02-04/a-s-senate-creates-plan-to-action-at-disability-equality-meeting/
 
* To recognize National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day, Florida State University and Florida A&M University competed against each other in a fashion show that also helped educate students (video has captioning but no audio description): http://www.wctv.tv/content/news/Fashion-show-brings-awareness-to-HIV-Aids-473253743.html
 
* Only nine colleges in the country have wheelchair basketball teams, but coach Robb Taylor is leading Auburn University’s team to Paralympic gold: http://www.oanow.com/news/auburnuniversity/robb-taylor-brings-paralympic-experience-to-auburn-wheelchair-basketball/article_2a7dfcc8-f71c-511b-ab11-17b4401a5612.html
 
* Student fees may not be used to pay for disability services because they are not health services, says the University of Nebraska-Lincoln: http://www.dailynebraskan.com/news/unl-disability-services-request-for-student-fees-denied/article_1d5ac3b6-0ba5-11e8-a096-732a58a6174b.html
 
* Loras College has added a new sensory room for students with autism or sensory processing disorders (video captioned but not audio described): http://www.kcrg.com/content/news/Loras-College-sensory-room-offers-small-sanctuary-for-students-on-autism-spectrum-472240283.html
 
* A former Virginia Tech professor is suing the school and its former provost, alleging discrimination for being Iranian and disabled: http://www.roanoke.com/news/education/higher_education/virginia_tech/former-virginia-tech-professor-sues-school-officials-over-tenure-denial/article_c94d9f91-822b-5994-b9a2-3fde1bf65db0.html
 
* Members of the Jewish community met with the Rutgers University President about anti-Semitism on campus, including “anti-Israel” writings of professor Jasbir Puar, who wrote about Palestinians and disability in her latest book: http://njjewishnews.com/article/37043/with-increasing-concern-of-anti-semitism-on-campus-rutgers-president-meets#.Wn4GKejwYWU
 
* The University of Illinois-Chicago is using disability studies to increase entrepreneur opportunities for people with disabilities, especially for women and people of color: https://www.forbes.com/sites/samanthaharrington/2018/01/31/women-with-disabilities-face-high-barriers-to-entrepreneurship-how-to-change-that/#1da3c76219dc
 
* In Canada, Manitoba colleges and universities are reporting up to 70% increases in numbers of exam accommodations due to mental health disabilities and learning disabilities, with the biggest increases in numbers of students reporting anxiety: http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/student-accommodations-universities-1.4513369
 
* An editorial in The Harvard Crimson calls for the university to ban football because it causes disabilities: https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2018/2/9/barham-harvard-put-down-football/
 
* Do recordings make lectures more accessible or does it make students lazy?  The University of Edinburgh is struggling to decide: http://www.studentnewspaper.org/all-students-learn-differently-recording-lectures-will-help-to-address-this/
 
* Yale University creates new policy to ensure all websites are 100% accessible to students with disabilities: https://yaledailynews.com/blog/2018/01/31/yale-to-ensure-universal-website-accessibility/
 
* Should you get an ABLE account?  Learn more from Forbes: https://www.forbes.com/sites/katiepf/2018/02/06/should-you-open-an-able-account-for-a-child-with-a-disability/#449a645359d9
 
* Old Dominion basketball player Trey Porter has the full support of his coach and team in managing his diabetes on and off the court: https://pilotonline.com/sports/college/old-dominion/basketball/article_65d56146-8e96-50d4-add3-be594505c7ab.html
 
* After having difficulty controlling his epileptic seizures, Jerry Kill retired from football coaching, but now he’s back at Southern Illinois to help with athletics fundraising and as a special assistant to the chancellor: http://kwese.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/22271711/jerry-kill-retired-coaching-due-epilepsy-returning-southern-illinois-ambassador
 
* Numbers of enrolled students are dropping at Scottish colleges and universities, but the percentage of students with disabilities has risen to 17.1%: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/pa/article-5330223/College-student-numbers-drop-2007.html
 
* The new federal tax law may have benefits for college students with disabilities, whether or not they finish college: https://www.accountingweb.com/tax/individuals/able-accounts-have-advantages-under-the-new-tax-law
 
* Palmer College administrators allegedly told disabled veteran Darren Petro the college “didn’t have a fit” for people like him and “no one likes you,” among other issues that led Petro to file a disability and age discrimination complaint: http://qctimes.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/veteran-files-age-and-disability-discrimination-suit-against-palmer-college/article_3692614e-c31b-501f-88ae-a1300c41c598.html
 
* “Towing three years of anorexia nervosa behind her,” Lilly Brock arrived at the University of Virginia unprepared for her journey through relapses and recovery: http://www.cavalierdaily.com/article/2018/02/an-account-of-relapse-and-recovery-on-grounds
 
* Stanford University’s Undergraduate Senate voted to support the introductory disability studies course on campus, and “to ally” itself with the disability community on campus: https://www.stanforddaily.com/2018/02/07/senate-introduces-resolutions-to-improve-campus-climate-survey-support-disability-studies/
 
* Los Medanos College uses student coaches to provide support to peers with disabilities in classes: https://lmcexperience.com/campus/2018/02/01/dsps-calls-for-student-coaches/
 
* College student Fallon Kunz is one of many people with disabilities who will be affected by Republicans’ vow to roll back Medicaid benefits like transportation: https://www.disabilityscoop.com/2018/01/30/medicaid-transportation-risk/24654/
 
* Wheelchair fencers at the Paralympics will benefit from a new wheelchair frame designed by mechanical engineering students at Imperial College London: http://www3.imperial.ac.uk/newsandeventspggrp/imperialcollege/engineering/mechanicalengineering/newssummary/news_31-1-2018-15-38-15
 
* People working in the field of education take more mental health days than employees working in other fields: https://campustechnology.com/articles/2018/01/31/education-employees-take-more-mental-health-days-than-people-in-other-industries.aspx
 
* Former USC graduate student David Jonathan Brown was found not guilty by reason of insanity for murder of his professor, Bosco Tjan: https://dailytrojan.com/2018/01/31/judge-rules-student-insane-professors-murder/
 
* An article profiles disability services at the University of Iowa, and one student advises peers to “give yourself grace and reach out” for accommodations and support: https://now.uiowa.edu/2018/01/removing-barriers-learning-ui-students-disabilities
 
* “Many people don’t think of disability in terms of diversity,” says professor Stephanie Lusk, a professor on disability issues who is being promoted to Director of Diversity at the University of Arkansas’ College of Education and Health Professions: https://news.uark.edu/articles/40797/college-names-counseling-professor-as-director-of-diversity
 
* Speech pathologists and engineers at Deakin University are experimenting with whether food produced in 3D printers may help people who have disabilities affecting their ability to eat and swallow food: http://www.3ders.org/articles/20180202-deakin-university-experiments-with-customized-3d-printed-food-for-swallowing-disorders.html
 
 
And a few related items of possible interest to college students:
 
* Once again disability activists are seeing Oscar nominations for films like The Shape of Water about disability, and they are better, but still not quite good enough: http://www.ucobserver.org/culture/2018/02/beyond_cliches/ and http://www.dailynebraskan.com/opinion/pannirselvam-hollywood-should-provide-more-opportunities-for-disabled-to-act/article_1de77ae0-07bd-11e8-b066-fb664101aee3.html
 
 * Good news for job hunters – January, 2018 caps off a landmark two years of increases in employment rates for people with disabilities: http://www.prweb.com/releases/2018/02/prweb15164567.htm
 
* Two-thirds of polling places were inaccessible on Election Day 2016, but activists are working to change that: https://www.ktoo.org/2018/02/01/voters-disabilities-blocked-ballot-box/
 
* United Airlines is following the lead of Delta in tightening rules for emotional support animals, after a passenger tried to board with an emotional support peacock: https://www.disabilityscoop.com/2018/02/02/following-united-animal-policy/24672/  
 
* Culturally adapted care for physical and mental health may help Hispanic people: https://medicalxpress.com/news/2018-02-culturally-intervention-hispanics-mental-illness.html
 
* An autistic seven-year old has become China’s youngest professional yoga teacher, earning over $15,000 annually: http://www.dnaindia.com/world/report-7-year-old-chinese-boy-with-autism-becomes-country-s-youngest-yoga-teacher-earns-15900-2582110
 
* Google has launched a disability support team to help users navigate disability access features: https://www.google.com/accessibility/blog/post/announce-disability-support.html
 
* Blind photographer Ted Tahquechi uses his blindness to create abstract images: http://www.5280.com/2018/02/love-is-mostly-blind/
 
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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 (wendy@ahead.org).

To subscribe or unsubscribe, please go to http://ahead-listserve.org/mailman/listinfo/dream_ahead-listserve.org.  Wendy Harbour can also handle requests to subscribe or unsubscribe. 
 
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.
 
 
 
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