DREAM Weekly Email: September 15-21, 2019

​DREAM Weekly Email, Disability and Higher Education in the News: September 15-21, 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)
 
 -------------------------------
 
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])
 
------------------------------
 
Disability and higher education in the news (in no particular order):
 
* The death of a Harvard undergraduate is raising questions about mental health “vulnerabilities of Asian students and whether campus counseling services are primarily set up for white students: https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2019/09/16/harvard-student-suicide-prompts-concern-about-mental-health-care-college-campuses/kKJsMeSrriLeBeD2BZtu4L/story.html
 
* Thanks to the work of students with disabilities, Brown University will have a new Disability Study Space this month: http://www.browndailyherald.com/2019/09/18/new-disability-study-space-open-later-month/
 
* Who counsels the counselors?  What campuses can do to support mental health counselors experiencing unprecedented demand for services: https://www.chronicle.com/article/Overburdened-Mental-Health/247159?utm_source=at&utm_medium=en&cid=at&source=ams&sourceId=4079424
 
* Four Deaf international students are suing Southern University in Louisiana, saying they didn’t receive sign language interpreters, the university then failed to pay for the interpreters, and letting professors claim interpreters were “disruptive” (video is captioned but not audio described): https://www.wafb.com/2019/09/18/lawsuit-claims-su-repeatedly-discriminated-against-international-deaf-students/
 
* National service and college scholarship program AmeriCorps banned Susie Balcom after she had counseling for anxiety, but the ACLU sued and alleged disability discrimination; the organization has agreed to change its health screening questionnaire and will allow employees to request accommodations: http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/college-grad-banned-from-americorps-position-for-anxiety-counseling-wins-reforms and https://www.aclu.org/blog/disability-rights/americorps-adopts-health-screening-process-thats-fair-candidates-disabilities
 
* The University of Kansas has set up weekly Mentoring Circles for Disability Inclusion, with training and support for faculty and staff to improve disability inclusion in their work and the university: http://today.ku.edu/broaden-your-perspective-disability-inclusion-through-mentoring-circles
 
* Oklahoma City University is setting up e-sports teams, saying video games may be “the most inclusive” official sport on campus (video is captioned but not audio described): https://okcfox.com/news/local/video-gaming-is-now-considered-a-sport-at-oklahoma-city-university
 
* New York University student Sarah Kim accepted disability as a problem and put up with mistreatment over her cerebral palsy and being Korean-American, until a boyfriend encouraged her to hold herself and others to a higher standard: https://www.teenvogue.com/story/i-spent-years-accepting-mistreatment-because-of-my-disability
 
* The state said the University of Texas Austin had many disability parking spaces that were not ADA compliant, so the University created a “D+” parking permit for disabled students who don’t need fully compliant parking spaces, and they’re charging twice as much for it: http://dailytexanonline.com/2019/09/16/pts-adds-d-permit-to-preserve-%E2%80%98non-compliant%E2%80%99-spaces-for-disabled-students
 
* The Wordgathering journal of disability poetry and literature is moving to Syracuse University, with Diane Wiener as the new editor; the September issue features well-known poets from the past 15 years of the journal: http://www.wordgathering.com
 
* The College Diabetes Network has partnered with College Health TV to stream video content about Type 1 Diabetes to colleges across the U.S.: https://www.pr.com/press-release/794472
 
* “Humans of Long Beach” featured California State University and Mexican immigrant Jose Espinoza, who talks about becoming blind and the importance of mentors: http://digmagonline.com/blog/category/humans-of-long-beach-blind-student-qampa
 
* Professor Mara Grayson says trigger warnings are mainly used by white educators at predominantly white institutions when discussing race, allowing white students to opt out of difficult discussions when students of color can’t opt out of racism (podcast does provide a transcript): https://www.insidehighered.com/audio/2019/09/20/trigger-warnings-classroom
 
* An editor of the University of Delaware student newspaper is protesting campus policies prohibiting exotic pets as emotional support animals: http://udreview.com/fight-or-flight-exotic-emotional-support-animals-invalidated-by-university-policy/
 
* Survivors’ advocacy organizations are outraged by an Association of Title IX Administrators statement that says officials are overlooking evidence in hearings because they use trauma-informed approaches that assume symptoms are proof of assault: https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2019/09/17/new-statement-title-ix-association-draws-controversy?utm_source=Inside+Higher+Ed&utm_campaign=6a0a6f5db1-DNU_2019_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_1fcbc04421-6a0a6f5db1-198891893&mc_cid=6a0a6f5db1&mc_eid=a51c972f65
 
* The U.S. Department of Education has published a Q&A guide about how schools, districts, and vocational rehabilitation (VR) agencies can support students with disabilities in transitioning to postsecondary education; it clearly says that IDEA and VR funds can be used to support transition programs for students with intellectual disabilities:  https://www2.ed.gov/policy/speced/guid/increasing-postsecondary-opportunities-and-success-09-17-2019.pdf?utm_content=&utm_medium=email&utm_name=&utm_source=govdelivery&utm_term= and https://www.ed.gov/news/press-releases/secretary-devos-makes-clear-federal-funds-can-be-used-support-dual-enrollment-postsecondary-options-students-and-youth-disabilities?utm_content=&utm_medium=email&utm_name=&utm_source=govdelivery&utm_term=
 
* In the UK, the AccessAbility Project has created a STAART newsletter for students transitioning to higher education: https://www.gre.ac.uk/for-schools/activities/accessibility-project
 
* There are two new inclusive higher education programs:

• The University of Alabama has created CrossingPoints: https://cw.ua.edu/54569/top-stories/new-program-aids-intellectually-disabled-students/
• Clackamas Community College in Oregon is partnering with a local school district to create the Adult Transition Program: https://pamplinmedia.com/wsp/138-schools/438442-350566-west-linn-wilsonville-school-district-aims-to-make-college-more-accessible

 
* The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is spending $54 million to renovate its main library and improve accessibility: https://dailyillini.com/news/2019/09/16/university-historic-libraries-renovate-to-ensure-accessibility/
 
* A new Copyright Amendment Bill will revise copyright laws and ensure South African university students get accessible textbooks and documents: https://mg.co.za/article/2019-09-18-00-new-copyright-law-will-benefit-south-africans-with-disabilities
 
* A new $300,000 federal grant to the College of Saint Rose in New York will help the campus address sexual violence and domestic violence among students with disabilities and other “vulnerable student populations”: https://www.timesunion.com/news/article/Saint-Rose-gets-300k-grant-for-sexual-violence-14452411.php
 
* Boston College has created ABLED@BC, a new affinity group for employees with disabilities and others interested in working on disability issues: https://www.bc.edu/content/bc-web/bcnews/campus-community/around-campus/affinity-groups-luncheon.html
 
* Students at the University College Dublin in Ireland accuse the Access Centre of not understanding “anything that’s not a physical disability”: https://universityobserver.ie/they-dont-seem-to-understand-anything-thats-not-a-physical-disability-access-centre-accused-of-not-providing-adequate-resources-for-students/
 
* Worried about her daughter’s learning disabilities and ADHD, Felicity Huffman tried to rig SAT scores, and was sentenced to 14 days in jail, a fine, and community service: https://www.forbes.com/sites/lisettevoytko/2019/09/13/felicity-huffman-sentenced-to-14-days-in-prison-for-college-admissions-scandal/#7fa2da31fe7c
 
* U.S. Congresswoman Doris Matsui (D-CA) met 21-year old autistic student Zachary Task and gave him an internship the very next day: https://finance.yahoo.com/news/young-man-autism-spectrum-pursues-123300899.html
 
* Long Beach State University prides itself on accessible rec facilities and inclusive sports events, working closely with the campus Access Center: https://daily49er.com/sports/2019/09/17/srwcs-inclusive-program-eyes-uniting-csulb-students-between-the-lines/
 
* There are now over 350 concussion lawsuits from college football players against the NCAA, and the anecdotal evidence for CTE from college football also continues to increase: https://www.nbcnews.com/news/nbcblk/i-have-something-even-non-nflers-show-signs-concussions-n1054906
 
* Boston College’s Council for Students with Disabilities plans to “shake things up” through activities including a review of accommodations and expansion of the disability services office: https://bcheights.com/2019/09/18/cad-chairs-plan-expand-programming/
 
* Albion College student Jasmine Maddox says that winning the 2019 AHEAD Scholarship for disability activism and academic excellence helped her open up conversations about disability issues, like the lack of disabled and diverse faculty at Albion [full disclosure: DREAM and the NCCSD are funded by a federal grant through AHEAD]: https://www.albionpleiad.com/2019/09/albion-college-student-recognized-for-disability-advocacy/
 
* Ali Ibrahim is blind and was accepted to the University of Maidiguri in Nigeria, but then told he could not attend because there are no services for students with disabilities: http://leadership.ng/2019/09/15/unimaid-turns-down-visually-impaired-candidate/
 
* The University of Wyoming has created a certificate in American Sign Language: https://www.wyomingpublicmedia.org/post/university-wyoming-establishes-american-sign-language-certificate#stream/0
 
* Student Anna Kramer says Brown University is working hard on access, but there are still problems – and the campus community could help solve them if they knew more about the issues: http://www.browndailyherald.com/2019/09/18/kramer-20-brown-is-accessible-but-not-enough/
 
* After success with its annual “1842 Day” fundraising effort, Villanova University will give $1.5 million to Disability Services and the LEVEL student group: https://www.vuhoops.com/2019/9/18/20871881/villanova-basketball-wildcats-arizin-news-1842-devin-askew-kerry-kittles
 
* Community college student Jermaine Greaves showed some dance moves with his wheelchair at a New York Afropunk festival, and now 10 million people have watched the video (neither video is captioned or audio described): https://7news.com.au/news/north-america/man-in-wheelchair-goes-viral-after-video-of-dance-moves-at-new-york-festival-c-459395 and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hF6YBuWTnqQ
 
* A woman with epilepsy shares all the ways she experienced discrimination while working as a college administrative assistant: https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/time-talk-epilepsy-employment-discrimination-185508021.html
 
* The National Disability Mentoring Coalition has published a list of resources and recommendations for people who are new to mentoring: https://ndmc.pyd.org/new-to-mentoring-ndmcs-top-5-recommendations/
 
* Providence College student Jacqueline Kelley describes her life with Moose, the “most well-recognized service dog on campus”: https://www.thecowl.com/news/friars-best-friend-understanding-the-importance-of-service-animals-at-college
 
* Colorado State University’s Student Disability Center celebrated its 40th anniversary, and movement from a medical model to a more social justice orientation: https://source.colostate.edu/guest-column-viewing-disability-through-a-different-lens/
 
* The  Maharaja Sayajirao University in India held the annual “Prerna” national festival, which is billed as Asia’s largest festival for people with disabilities, including sports demonstrations and a fashion show: https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/vadodara/fest-for-disabled-people-kicks-off-at-msus-fte/articleshow/71131377.cms
 
* Jaye Barnes acquired several chronic health conditions while in college, and now she’s offering tips to other students in the same situation: https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/3-tips-succeeding-student-chronic-054333784.html
 
* In partnership with Marshall University in West Virginia, Shepherd University has created CPSASD: The College Program for Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder: http://supicket.com/shepherd-university-provides-program-for-students-with-autism/
 
* The University of the South Pacific in Fiji is investing in accessible dorms and campus-wide services for students with disabilities: https://fijisun.com.fj/2019/09/16/university-of-the-south-pacific-upgrades-hostel-facilities-for-those-with-disabilities/
 
* Johnson County Community College in Kansas is the latest college to add Aira navigation services to assist blind and visually impaired students with navigating campus (video is captioned but not audio described):  https://www.kmbc.com/article/jccc-offers-campus-navigation-system-for-blind-visually-impaired-students/29008377#
 
* Autism advocate Temple Grandin is urging educators to teach students more trade skills: https://highlandsranchherald.net/stories/temple-grandin-urges-workforce-inclusion-trade-skills,286267
 
 
 
A Few Other Items of Possible Interest:
 
* The new Amazon Prime show “Undone” explores mental illness, trauma, spirituality, and the cochlear implant debate in a show about a young deaf woman who discovers she can talk to her dead father after a car accident (preview in review is not captioned or audio described): https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/review/undone-review-1239016
 
* More museums are encouraging blind and visually impaired patrons to experience art through touching and feeling pieces: https://www.csmonitor.com/The-Culture/Arts/2019/0918/Please-touch-the-fine-art-Museums-embrace-a-hands-on-approach
 
* While playing Doctor Who, Christopher Eccleston struggled to hide his anorexia, depression, and anxiety, but now he wants to fight the idea of men needing to “man-up” instead of getting help: https://www.stylist.co.uk/people/christopher-eccleston-book-men-mental-health-suicide-anorexia-depression/299699
 
* Archeologists now believe around one-third of Neanderthals had a disability, meaning most museums are inaccurately portraying them as healthy communities without any “vulnerable” members: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-7462229/Neanderthals-looked-like-wars.html
 
* The U.S. Army is investigating how a 19-year old autistic man was prohibited from joining the Army, but then contacted by a recruiter who encouraged him to try again while hiding the diagnosis: https://www.stripes.com/news/us/army-investigates-recruiter-on-claims-trainee-was-encouraged-to-hide-autism-diagnosis-1.598627
 
* The death of Jarrid Wilson from suicide sent shock waves through evangelical churches; he was well-known for helping Christians deal with depression and anxiety by talking about his own struggles: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2019/09/14/jarrid-wilsons-suicide-forces-churches-confront-mental-health/2313458001/
 
* NPR reviews two new books sharing the stories of writers with disabilities: https://www.npr.org/2019/09/06/757942304/in-two-essay-collections-writers-with-disabilities-tell-their-own-stories
 
* A cluster of children with autism is raising medical, ethical, and legal questions – all of the children were conceived using the same sperm donor: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/the-children-of-donor-h898/ar-AAHiNeS#page=2
 
* The Autism CARES Act has been reauthorized by Congress and heads to President Trump for his signature: https://usmids.org/lapartdi/ and https://www.disabilityscoop.com/2019/09/20/autism-act-clears-senate-2/27191/
 
* Award-winning London-based designer Ross Atkin says his work revolves around the idea of inclusive design and the ways environments are “letting them down” and not following a social model of disability: https://www.dezeen.com/2019/09/15/ross-atkin-disabilities-design/
 
 
 
 
 
For more information about DREAM or AHEAD contact Wendy Harbour ([email protected]).
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 (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).