DREAM Weekly: November 29-December 5, 2015

DREAM Weekly Email, Disability and Higher Education in the News: November 29-December 5, 2015
From DREAM: Disability Rights, Education, Activism, and Mentoring
Sponsored by the Association on Higher Education And Disability (AHEAD)
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Weekly Email Update on Issues Related to Disability and Higher Education 
Week of November 29-December 5, 2015
 
In honor of  December 3, the International Day of Persons with Disabilities here’s a few disability and higher ed news items JUST FROM THIS WEEK – scroll down to see our usual weekly email (which has a couple more items from around the world of particular interest to people in the US):

• Obama proclaimed December 3 the International Day of Persons with Disabilities in the U.S.: https://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2015/12/03/presidential-proclamation-international-day-persons-disabilities-2015
• A visually impaired college student in Nepal struggles to simply get to campus: http://kathmandupost.ekantipur.com/news/2015-12-04/petroleum-crisis-adds-to-disabled-peoples-woes.html
• The International Wheelchair & Amputee Sports Federation opened its new headquarters at Aylesbury College in England: http://www.insidethegames.biz/articles/1032207/international-wheelchair-amputee-sports-federation-officially-opens-new-headquarters
• A blind college student in India uses private sponsors to attend college: http://www.thedailystar.net/country/education-and-self-reliance-blind-students-dream-181990
• Malaysian amputee Aizan Sofia Amin got her doctorate at the University of Glasgow in disability studies, and is now working to improve life for disabled people across Asia: http://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2015/12/04/a-winner-despite-losing-leg-dr-aizan-beats-the-odds-to-obtain-doctorate-after-amputation/
• India is working to set up the country’s first center for disability studies: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/allahabad/World-disability-day-celebrations-at-Allahabad-University/articleshow/50037479.cms
• In Canada, Fanshawe College professor Jeff Preston has muscular dystrophy, and he spoke at a conference about his experience of being called “retarded” even while talking about his research and academic work: http://www.theobserver.ca/2015/12/03/high-profile-disability-advocates-share-stories-at-annual-accessibility-conference
• Therese Hunt  has a Master’s degree in bio-mechanics from Roehampton University in England and would sometimes spend 18 hours doing exams because of her cerebral palsy – but don’t compare her to Stephan Hawking: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/women/life/meet-the-amazing-student-who-spent-18-hours-dictating-each-unive/
• Rivers State University in Nigeria is expelling students who have disabilities, under much protest: http://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/headlines/194437-rivers-university-under-fire-for-expelling-student-with-speech-and-hearing-challenges.html
• China is alarmed by rising rates of HIV among high school and college students: http://www.seattletimes.com/nation-world/world-aids-day-china-alarmed-by-rise-in-hiv-among-young-elite/
• A free webinar is available online for anyone wanting to learn more about inclusive higher education options in Australia for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities: http://www.adcet.edu.au/resource/9207/webinar-inclusive-education-at-the-university-of-sydney-tertiary-education-for-people-with-intellectual-disability/

 
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 Disability and higher education in the news (in no particular order):
 
* In a major policy shift, the UK is cutting subsidies to college students with disabilities, asking campuses to take responsibility for paying disability accommodations like colleges in the U.S. must do (https://www.rt.com/uk/324633-disabled-funding-cuts-tories/), but students are very worried about the consequences (http://www.bbc.com/news/education-35001427)
 
* As the home of Ed Roberts, UC-Berkeley has an important place in the history of disability and higher education, but this in-depth article examines why it continues to be physically inaccessible even when it is increasingly compliant with federal codes: http://www.dailycal.org/2015/12/03/students-with-disabilities-battle-inaccessibility-and-isolation/
 
* An article in the Atlantic looks at how race, class, and social demands may be leading underprivileged men to take risks with their health and the possibility of long-term disabilities just to benefit the wealthy: http://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2015/11/football-risks/416862/
 
* Protestors at Brown University have presented their demands for greater diversity and inclusion, including a new concentration in disability studies (http://www.browndailyherald.com/2015/12/04/students-of-color-release-diversity-demands/); the student newspaper also just finished a four-part series designed to increase awareness of disability on campus (http://www.browndailyherald.com/series/pathology-to-power/)
 
* An article in the Washington Post profiles former Gallaudet University professor Edith Rikuris and her isolated impoverished existence after retirement, until she entered a facility designed for Deaf senior citizens: https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/magazine/my-deaf-neighbor-wrote-mother-is-dead-many-more-notes-would-follow/2015/12/01/fbf4561e-81aa-11e5-8ba6-cec48b74b2a7_story.html
 
* Chaz Davis has been steadily becoming blind while at the University of Hartford, but returned to running and is competing as both a Division I athlete and a Paralympian: http://www.sacbee.com/sports/article47861955.html
 
* Southern University may boast of having “the best band in the land,” but two students who are brothers are showing that their autism and synesthesia may help them be among the best of the best: http://www.nbcnews.com/news/nbcblk/autistic-brothers-walk-tall-southern-university-marching-band-n470631
 
* Ruth Westervelt, a former professor of design at Syracuse University, has sued the campus for gender discrimination and disability discrimination due to her Crohn’s disease: http://dailyorange.com/2015/12/syracuse-university-professor-sues-university-on-disability-gender-discrimination/
 
* Deaf students at Harvard have created community through the CODA student organization, but are frustrated that Harvard still refuses to offer ASL courses: http://www.thecrimson.com/article/2015/12/2/deaf-students-culture-harvard/
 
* College students with diabetes are finding support from each other, apps, and their college food service providers: http://theithacan.org/life-culture/the-not-so-sweet-life-students-cope-with-diabetes-in-college/
 
* A survey of 800 literature and arts professors found that 60% believe trigger warnings are harmful to academic freedom, but they do think complete course descriptions might address student concerns: https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2015/12/02/survey-sheds-new-light-faculty-attitudes-and-experiences-toward-trigger-warnings?utm_source=Inside+Higher+Ed&utm_campaign=ecd4172144-WNU20151204&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_1fcbc04421-ecd4172144-198891893
 
* Full texts are now available of the 2014 Congressional hearings on college access and success for students with disabilities: PDF version at http://purl.fdlp.gov/GPO/gpo61464 and text version at http://purl.fdlp.gov/GPO/gpo61465
 
* Service and support animals are making a big difference on campus for students with a variety of disabilities: http://www.santacruzsentinel.com/health/20151130/service-and-support-animals-improve-campus-life-at-uc-santa-cruz
 
* The US Department of Justice sued Oregon for funneling people with intellectual disabilities into menial jobs, but higher education programs are opening up new postsecondary options in the state: http://www.oregonlive.com/education/index.ssf/2015/11/surprising_idea_for_students_w.html
 
* Ryan Hoffman, a former college lineman for the University of North Carolina, died homeless and ill, with a death that highlights how football head injuries can have devastating long-term consequences: http://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/03/sports/ncaafootball/ryan-hoffman-north-carolina-tar-heel-dead.html
 
* Campuses are doing more outreach to address men’s mental and emotional health needs: http://www.news4jax.com/health/mens-mental-health-programs-on-college-campuses
 
* Moss Traumatic Brain Injury Model System Center has published  a guide for college students with traumatic brain injuries and college disability specialists working with them, including tips for dealing with brain injuries’ effects on executive functioning: http://click.icptrack.com/icp/relay.php?r=93195286&msgid=810869&act=1OQJ&c=654309&destination=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mrri.org%2Fimages%2Fstories%2Fpdf%2Fmodelsystem%2FCollegeStudents_TBI.pdf
 
* Cambridge University’s Student Union received a petition with 350 signature supporting creation of a student officer to work on disabled student issues: http://www.varsity.co.uk/news/9403
 
* Students with intellectual disabilities on campus is becoming a “new norm” for higher education: http://news.hjnews.com/allaccess/elevated-program-for-students-with-intellectual-disabilities-part-of-new/article_ee08e5e2-def4-5652-813c-c2ab8a31a34a.html
 
* Philadelphia Eagles cheerleader Dana Pirolli was diagnosed with epilepsy as a college student, and after hating herself and her illness for years, she finally realized the epilepsy made her who she is: http://www.mtv.com/news/2618561/epilepsy-didnt-stop-me-from-becoming-a-philadelphia-eagles-cheerleader/
 
* Both Arizona State University (http://www.statepress.com/article/2015/11/autistic-social-group) and Texas A&M (http://www.thebatt.com/news/aggies-on-the-spectrum/article_e4d59e74-98a8-11e5-bbec-5b313cb606e0.html) are creating student organizations for autistic students
 
* Catherine Frazze, activist and disability studies professor from Ryerson, was named an officer of the Order of Canada for her lifelong work with people who have disabilities: http://theeyeopener.com/2015/11/ryerson-school-of-disabilities-studies-professor-emerita-catherine-frazee-named-an-officer-of-the-order-of-canada/
 
* Elizabethtown College in Pennsylvania is one example of campuses without formal programs trying to create inclusive opportunities for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities: http://lancasteronline.com/learning-teaching-a--way-street-at-elizabethtown-college/article_6aad6e64-92eb-11e5-887c-8b94c0d398b6.html
 
* Macalester College students in Minnesota are creating awards for professors who have been instrumental in supporting students’ mental and emotional health: http://themacweekly.com/2015/12/mental-health-and-disability-professors-who-support-us/
 
* Colleges can help students find resources and support for eating disorders, but can also be places where students finally realize the variety of people (and sizes of people) who experience these disorders: http://www.dailytexanonline.com/2015/12/01/mind-over-matter-students-overcome-eating-disorders-social-stigma
 
* For Justin Hansen, playing football at Colorado State University also meant a new chapter in his life with Asperger’s: http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/humankind/2015/11/27/college-football-player-aspergers-did-impossible/76322186/
 
* Student Dylan Quick was sentenced to 48 years for the 2013 rampage at Lone Star Community College – his defense attorney noted that Quick is deaf and mentally ill, but never sought help from his family, campus, or community due to fear (video has captions but no audio description): http://abc13.com/news/judge-calls-campus-attackers-actions-horrific/1107859/
 
 
And a few related items of possible interest to college students:
 
* December 1 was World AIDS Day – you can learn more about it at http://www.worldaidsday.org/about
 
* On December 2, 14 people were killed in a shooting at a San Bernardino facility that serves people with disabilities – the shooting is now being described as a terrorist act by US citizens who sympathized with ISIS: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-35006404
 
* In the wake of several more mass killings in the U.S., remember that mental illness can be an easy scapegoat for violence, but not an accurate or just one: http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/dec/03/mental-illness-an-easy-scapegoat-for-those-who-wont-point-fingers-elsewhere
 
* Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump insulted a reporter with a disability, denied it, blamed him, and then launched a book called “Crippled America” so here’s a summary of the story with facts about Trump spending money on the ADA (http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2015/12/02/donald-trump-s-war-on-people-with-disabilities.html) and an article about how disabled people took over the Twitter feed for Trump’s book: http://www.upworthy.com/the-crippled-america-hashtag-started-an-important-conversation-its-not-the-one-trump-intended
 
* For the first time ever, a live entertainment show had video description services – if you skipped “The Wiz” on NBC last night because you’re blind or visually impaired, you may want to ask if friends have it on their DVRs: http://corporate.comcast.com/news-information/news-feed/comcast-to-include-video-description-with-nbcs-production-of-the-wiz-live
 
* Unemployment rates continue to rise for people with disabilities, climbing to 12.1% (https://www.disabilityscoop.com/2015/12/04/nov-15-jobs/21638/), but unemployment is dropping for college graduates (http://fortune.com/2015/11/30/underemployed-college-degree/) – no stats readily available on rates for college graduates with disabilities
 
* Kylie Jenner had a photoshoot where she appeared in a gold wheelchair, but wheelchair users are calling her out on it: http://mashable.com/2015/12/01/kylie-jenner-interview-wheelchair/#jPgfYAasVsqS
 
* A viral video of a couple dancing is part of a growing trend for wheelchair ballroom dancing (video not captioned or audio described): http://www.freep.com/story/life/2015/11/28/wheelchair-ballroom-dancing--lessons-fred-astaire-studio/76303244/
 
* The National Center on Disability and Journalism at Arizona State University has released a first-of-its-kind style guide for journalists and others writing about disability: https://asunow.asu.edu/20151203-asu-center-releases-new-style-guide-disabilities
 
* “Autistic women can bake cakes!” Yeah, not a great headline – so why did a picture of a decorated cake go viral? http://themighty.com/2015/12/why-im-not-thrilled-about-the-story-behind-th1s-decorated-cake-going-viral/
 
* Several major national disability organizations have started a petition asking for reform of federal employment laws requiring contractors to hire people with disabilities: http://www.streetinsider.com/Press+Releases/The+ADA+Legacy+Project,+DisBeat,+TASH,+and+Rooted+in+Rights+Call+for+Reform+of+AbilityOne,+Launch+Petition/11126718.html
 
* Disability studies is encouraging people to “reclaim” public spaces, including works like the film “Invitation to Dance:” http://www.syracuse.com/opinion/index.ssf/2015/11/celebrating_a_new_parade_of_disability_dancers_commentary.html
 
* There may be a Philly accent, but do Deaf people in Philadelphia have an accent in ASL, too?  That’s what two linguistics professors are hoping to find out: http://www.phillyvoice.com/penn-linguist-researching-accent-american-sign-language-philadelphia/
 
* The UK has published guidelines for professionals working on sex and sexual health issues with young people who have “life-limiting” disabilities – an article about this is at http://www.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/article/34948399/i-have-a-life-limiting-condition-and-i-want-to-talk-about-sex (radio clip not transcribed), and the guide itself is available at http://www.togetherforshortlives.org.uk/assets/0000/1063/Let_s_talk_about_sex_2009.pdf
 
* Massachusetts campuses are working to reduce hunger and food insecurity among students: http://www.telegram.com/article/20151128/NEWS/151129097
 
* In Wales, a hair salon has introduced a “quiet chair” and its not just introverts enjoying it – this might be terrific for people with various disabilities, as well:  http://www.theguardian.com/fashion/shortcuts/2015/dec/02/hairdresser-quiet-chair-cut-without-the-chitchat
 
* Work to bring sanitary pads to refugees and women in developing countries is also having an impact on children and people with disabilities: http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-34925238
 
 
 
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 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.