AHEAD: Association on Higher Education And Disability

December 2011 ALERT

• Letter From The Editor
• Message from Ahead President
• Federal Update
• Ahead Taskforce on Students with Intellectual Disability In Postsecondary Education
• Professional Development Opportunities
• Affiliate‘s Corner
• Career Information
• Mobility International
• Us International Council On Disabilities
• Resources & Announcements

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

Happy Holidays everyone! As you may know the international disability community recently celebrated the International Day of Persons with Disabilities on December 3rd.

“The annual observance of the International Day of Disabled Persons was proclaimed in 1992, by the United Nations General Assembly resolution 47/3. The observance of the Day aims to promote an understanding of disability issues and mobilize support for the dignity, rights and well-being of persons with disabilities. It also seeks to increase awareness of gains to be derived from the integration of persons with disabilities in every aspect of political, social, economic and cultural life.” (United Nations Enable)

I hope that you will take the time to learn more about the events of that day and what you can do in future years to recognize this. The U.S. International Council on Disabilities article in this issue can provide you more information on what else is going on, to assist people with disabilities around the world. As we grow as an organization, we continue to gain new members from various foreign countries. We are all in this together and no matter how many different languages we speak, we speak with one voice when it comes to promoting equal access for persons with disabilities around the world. I know that we sometimes have a tendency to think locally. However, thinking globally can only improve the quality of life in the long term for all of the students that we serve. Together, we can create a better world for everyone!

Also in this edition are some great articles from the AHEAD taskforce on students with Intellectual Disabilities, an update on the new regulations, and all of the great work that they are doing as well as updates on events and workshops throughout the U.S.

Best wishes for an uneventful end of the semester and a well-deserved restful holiday break.

Emily (Singer) Lucio
lucio@cua.edu
ALERT Editor

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MESSAGE FROM AHEAD PRESIDENT

The fall semester will wrap up soon at most schools, and the much appreciated winter recess at many will be eagerly awaited in the next few weeks. With the onset of winter, we all think about what needs to be done before spring whether on campus or elsewhere during these colder months. For AHEAD the next few months will entail considerable focus on the New Orleans Conference for next July – reviewing the many proposals for presentations, firming up keynote speakers, securing exhibitors, making local arrangements for entertainment and everything else that goes into a successful AHEAD Conference. Over 220 session proposals have been received! AHEAD is so pleased to know that the PEPNet 2.0 Training Institute will be held concurrently with our annual conference in July, 2012. Regardless of whether you think you’ll have the opportunity to go to New Orleans, please do put the week of July 9, 2012 on your calendar to help you design a strategy to secure support to attend. In fact DESIGN is the main theme of the Conference as it impacts all elements of our professional lives in disability resources.

The AHEAD Board of Directors met in Albuquerque in mid October. We welcomed new members Terra Beethe, Secretary, and Jamie Axelrod, Gaeir Dietrich, Alberto Guzman along with Ron Stewart who are all Directors at Large. Ron Stewart is the Lead Chair of the five new Standing Committees, and in that capacity he sits on the Board. Highlights of the meeting included:

• Acceptance of the updated Strategic Plan
• Establishment of a work group to review disability language as used by the association
• Approval of work plans submitted to the Board by the Standing Committees
• Designation of an ad hoc group to explore feasibility of establishing a foundation and/or other funding streams to expand the work of the association
• Approval of the development of Exemplars for disability resource departments
• Approval of proposal from Executive Director to add a Research Consultant and a Communications Consultant, both will be part-time

Professional training is available for disability professionals from an array of sources. AHEAD sponsors the most and varied trainings throughout the year, and we hope that you stay attuned to offerings in addition to, of course, the annual conference. Coming up in early February is the 6th Annual Management Institutes in Phoenix, Arizona. The three Institutes are:

• The Institute for New and Newer Disability Resource/Service Managers
• Advanced Topics in DS Management
• Cutting-Edge Curricular Accessibility: Multi-Media Instruction and STEM Programs

I am privileged to teach the New and Newer Institute with Carol Funckes of the University of Arizona and look forward to meeting many new professionals in our exciting and dynamic field. Information about the Institutes has been sent recently to AHEAD members directly.
The AHEAD to You! audio-conference sessions are off and running. These 90 minute, fully captioned, sessions are offered about once a month. Go to http://www.ahead.org/events-and-workshops/audio-conference for details and to sign up. These sessions are excellent opportunities to invite campus colleagues to your office to listen in on important topics. Check out the January 19th offering entitled Increasing Access by Decreasing Reliance on Documentation – a thought provoking session presented by Adam Meyer of Eastern Michigan University.

At the recent Board meeting, Stephan Hamlin-Smith, our AHEAD Executive Director and representative on the Federal Commission on Accessible Instructional Materials in Postsecondary Education, along with Gaeir Dietrich, new board member and chair of the Commission, gave us updates on the work of the Department of Education’s Accessible Instructional Materials (AIM) Commission. The final AIM Commission report just became available to the public after its submission to Congress and the Secretary of Education. You can review the complete report online at: http://www.ahead.org/uploads/docs/AIM_Commission_Report_12%206%2011_FINAL.doc

AHEAD is represented at gatherings and meetings continually throughout the year. Recently Board member Tom Thompson presented at the 2011 State of the Art Conference on Postsecondary Education and Individuals with Intellectual Disabilities on Disability Services Professionals and Inclusive Programs for Individuals with Intellectual Disabilities. Board members attend meetings of their state Affiliates, giving updates about the activities of the association. Additionally, members represent the association with collaborative work groups, such as the Council for the Advancement of Standards in Higher Education (CAS), the National Joint Council on Learning Disabilities (NJCLD), Access Technology Higher Education Network (ATHEN), and other professional groups around the country. Thanks to all those members who do this vital work! Thanks to people who go to meetings on behalf of the association; Emily Lucio from Catholic University often represents AHEAD at events in Washington, D.C., such as the recent reception recognizing the International Day of Persons with Disabilities.
I wish everyone a wonderful holiday season with good cheer, a bit of time off, and a growing enthusiasm for the potentials in the upcoming year. Feel free to contact me jean@ahead.org.

Jean Ashmore, President

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FEDERAL UPDATE

Ahead of the ADA Access Curve: Part 8
A Case of a Different Animal:
DOJ’s lawsuit against the University of Nebraska about emotional assistance animals

On November 23, 2011, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) filed suit against the University of Nebraska at Kearney (UNK) challenging its alleged refusal to allow students with emotional disabilities to live in campus housing with an emotional assistance animal. The Fair Housing Amendments Act of 1988 (FHAct or the Act) protects the right of people with disabilities to keep assistance animals as a “reasonable accommodation” in housing, even when a landlord’s policy explicitly prohibits pets. For the first time, the federal government has sued a university to enforce these provisions as to emotional support animals for people with emotional or psychiatric disabilities.

DOJ’s complaint in this case tells us a great deal about the ways in which HUD and DOJ apply the Fair Housing Act. Its resolution is likely to answer some of the questions campus administrators face regularly as they try to untangle the confusing maze of federal laws that may apply to decisions to allow animals on campus – in housing and elsewhere. But it is likely to leave many questions unanswered, including how to apply section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act to similar issues both in housing and elsewhere on campus.

THE KEY FACTS

In October 2011 HUD filed an administrative charge against UNK, several of its administrators, and the Nebraska Board of Regents under the Fair Housing Act. The University elected to have the charges resolved in court. As the federal agency authorized to litigate FHAct cases, DOJ filed suit accordingly.

The facts are in dispute, as is the application of the Fair Housing Act.

The government alleges that Brittany Hamilton had enrolled at UNK for the Fall 2010 semester and made three requests to have an emotional assistance animal (a four-pound miniature pinscher) live with her in university-owned apartment-style housing. She signed a release for her medical records and presented two letters from a nurse who had treated her for depression and anxiety and had prescribed a therapy dog. The dog had then been trained to respond to the student’s anxiety attacks by placing his front paws on her shoulders, which helps her concentrate and distracts her from her anxiety. Several weeks after making her request, the student had not received permission to have her support animal with her, and she withdrew from classes and left campus.

The complaint alleges that the University makes reasonable accommodations to allow animals in university housing only in the case of dogs that are “trained and certified as service animals” under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), and that not allowing other types of animals for people with emotional and psychiatric disabilities violates the Fair Housing Act. DOJ also challenges what it calls the “numerous onerous documentation requirements” imposed on students with “psychological impairments” (and not on those with physical disabilities) who request accommodations and services. The information that UNK required included a formal diagnosis, treatment plan with medications, clinical summary of limitations, and the rationale for each requested accommodation.

The University has made few public statements about the case, but it appears to challenge the facts as well as Fair Housing Act coverage of student housing. It apparently claims that it is subject only to the service animal requirements of the ADA and defends the nature of its inquiries about the individual’s disability. The University says it would have allowed the animal if it had had ADA “certification.” One of the university’s purported concerns, as reflected in an email quoted by DOJ in its complaint, is that allowing animals other than dogs as required by the ADA would mean that anyone whose doctor says they are anxious could have a dog, cat, snake, or monkey on campus.

WHAT WE KNOW FROM THIS CASE ALREADY

The government’s case advances three principles:

1. The Fair Housing Act applies to dormitories and residence halls.
Apparently one of the defenses of the University will be that its student housing is not covered by the FHAct because of its transient nature. While case law is not definitive, it is clear from HUD’s regulations under the Fair Housing Act and other enforcement actions that the government considers the Act to apply to dormitories and residence halls as “dwellings” under the Act.

2. The Fair Housing Act requires reasonable accommodations such as modifications of policy to allow assistance animals, including emotional support animals, in covered housing.
HUD has explicitly determined that the FHAct (as well as section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act) covers the use of support and therapy animals. The Department has filed several charges to enforce this point and issued a regulation on the issue in the context of a pet ownership rule for certain federally-assisted housing. Neither the text of the Act nor HUD regulations define the types of animals (e.g., species such as dogs or cats) that qualify as a “reasonable accommodation” or that are “assistance animals.” However, the pet ownership rule refers to those animals that “provid[e] emotional support that alleviates one or more identified symptoms or effects” of a person’s emotional or mental disability.

After DOJ issued its 2010 regulation limiting the definition of “service animal” under the Americans with Disabilities Act to dogs that perform specific tasks (see text box above) , HUD issued a February 2011 memorandum explaining that DOJ’s regulations do not affect the provisions and applicability of the FHAct or Section 504. (DOJ had made a similar statement when it issued its regulation.) HUD stated that disabled individuals may request a reasonable accommodation for assistance animals in addition to dogs, including emotional support animals, under the FHAct or Section 504. HUD explained that assistance animals encompass a broader group of animals than does the definition of “service animal” under the ADA, and that “where both laws apply, housing providers must meet the broader FHAct/Section 504 standard in deciding whether to grant reasonable accommodation requests.”

Generally, a housing provider is required to waive a rule banning pets on a case-by-case basis when (1) an individual with a disability makes a request, (2) the requested animal is necessary for the requestor to have an equal opportunity to use and enjoy the dwelling or participate in a housing program, and (3) there is a nexus between the disability and the service that the animal provides.

3. The Fair Housing Act allows only limited inquiries about a disability and the nexus between a disability and the need for an animal.

HUD has consistently maintained that in assessing reasonable accommodation requests, only limited inquiries about a person’s disability can be made, and it has charged others, including universities, with asking for more information than is necessary to make this determination. A 2004 Joint Statement of HUD and DOJ, Reasonable Accommodations under the Fair Housing Act,says that, in response to a request from a person whose disability is not obvious, a housing provider may request “reliable disability-related information that (1) is necessary to verify that the person meets the [FHAct’s] definition of disability…, (2) describes the needed accommodation, and (3) shows the relationship between the person’s disability and the need for the requested accommodation.”

WHAT WE STILL NEED TO KNOW

What inquiries are allowed?
HUD determined in the UNK case that the university illegally inquired into the nature and severity of the student’s disability when it required detailed disability information that exceeded what is needed to review a request for reasonable accommodation in housing. But what is not yet clear – partly because all the prior cases raising this issue have settled before a definitive decision was issued by any court – is what is allowed. It is obvious from the charge and complaint that in this case HUD and DOJ consider the requested “detailed information about the student’s treatment, limitations and medications” and “a specific DSM-IV diagnosis” to go beyond what is necessary. The complaint also specifies the following requests as too onerous: information about the evaluator’s licensure and/or specialization, list of other providers providing treatment, a clinical summary of which substantial life activities are impaired and the extent to which they impact the academic or living environment, and clear evidence that the symptoms are present in two or more settings.

Other questions

Other questions that arise under the Fair Housing Act and on which there is no definitive guidance include:

What type of professional (or other person) qualifies to provide the information for determining that an accommodation is needed? That question isn’t raised in this case, but it is unclear whether the information needs to come from a medical provider or can come from someone else.

Is there a limit on the species of animal that is to be considered an assistance animal? This year, all of HUD’s charges have related to dogs, but other charges and court cases have considered cats (and possibly other domesticated animals) as assistance animals.
How should a housing provider accommodate individuals with disabilities who may have allergies to a particular type of service or assistance animal? This is an issue more likely to arise in a residence hall setting than in a typical apartment building.

Are landlords required to authorize more than one animal as a reasonable accommodation for one person?

Can a deposit be required? HUD’s position appears to be that a “pet deposit” is inappropriate if an animal is a reasonable accommodation (because it’s not a pet).

Can universities impose conditions as to vaccination and cleanliness requirements, registration with Disability Student Services offices, and leaving an animal alone in a unit while the owner/handler is elsewhere? How do colleges and universities reconcile the individual’s right to have an emotional support animal in a housing unit with the institution’s right under the ADA to exclude those animals from non-housing facilities such as classrooms, labs, and dining facilities? For example, is a support animal to be left alone in a dorm for several hours when the animal’s owner is out all day?

WHAT YOU SHOULD DO IN THE MEANTIME

With so many outstanding issues, and coverage by more than one law, what should colleges and universities, do pending further guidance?

First, be aware of all the laws that govern service animals and assistance animals: the ADA, the Fair Housing Act, and section 504. Be sure that you apply the broadest requirements for each situation.

Questions similar to those posed here arise under section 504, which will also apply to both housing and non-housing facilities; and HUD (without respect to housing) and/or the Department of Education (D. Ed.) may have jurisdiction under that statute. HUD generally applies section 504 in a way consistent with the FHAct. Prior to DOJ’s 2010 revisions to the ADA regulations, D.Ed. had issued numerous letters of resolution addressing the types of conditions that can be imposed on assistance animals under section 504 and inquiries as to documentation. Indications are that D.Ed. may now be reluctant to allow those inquiries and conditions, in light of DOJ’s restrictions on them in the 2010 ADA regulations.

Educate faculty and staff about the various requirements under the three statutes.
Evaluate and revise your policies about service animals and assistance animals. Specifically,

• Don’t exclude emotional support animals and other assistance animals from housing. That is, be ready to waive a “no pets” policy as a reasonable accommodation. Prepare guidance for those who make decisions about what animals are allowed.
• Don’t charge a deposit for assistance animals in housing. It is permissible to charge for damage to a unit that results from the presence of an animal, if the damage is beyond reasonable wear and tear.

Respond promptly to requests for reasonable accommodations in housing, including the use of assistance animals. Delay puts you at risk of having HUD or the courts consider failing to act as equivalent to a denial of a request for reasonable accommodations.

And finally, watch this case and watch this space. Court action is likely to present further guidance on your responsibilities. And we’ll update you with developments.

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AHEAD Taskforce on students with intellectual disability in postsecondary education

Tom Thompson
Task Force Members: Group One-Judy Shanley, Steven Eddy, Carolyn Triano; Group Two- Karen Pettus, Suzanne O’Neills, Dedra Hafner; Group Three-Cate Weir, Anne Moll, Tom L. Thompson
“Congress acknowledged that society's accumulated myths and fears about disability and disease are as handicapping as are the physical limitations that flow from actual impairment.”  (Justice William J. Brennan,  Arline v. Nassau County, 1987)

At its April Board of Directors meeting, the AHEAD Board created the Task Force on Students with Intellectual Disabilities in Postsecondary Education. From time to time, the Association’s Board has created task forces on an ad hoc basis to address emerging issues in higher education. Last fall in 2010, the Board issued a statement, see below, to affirm its commitment to the full participation of all persons with disabilities in postsecondary education. Subsequent to this position statement, the Board authorized the creation of a White Paper on this topic. This paper will be released soon to all members.

At this time, it was decided that an ongoing task force can continue to address issues being raised by various stakeholder groups interested in students with intellectual disabilities participating in postsecondary education. Disability Service professionals, parents of prospective postsecondary students, and faculty and staff involved in facilitating postsecondary opportunities for students with intellectual disabilities are all invested in figuring out how to create and sustain these effective postsecondary opportunities. In addition, the Higher Education and Opportunity Act of 2008, specifically focused on the need to expand opportunities for this population.

More information will be provided soon to the AHEAD membership as the Task Force is organized and members are invited to participate in its work. In addition to the White Paper on this topic, it is anticipated that other useful information, guidance and training materials will be created by the Task Force. The chair person, facilitating the work of the Task Force is Tom L. Thompson, retired (1980 – 2010) Director of Disability Services from Harper College in Palatine, Illinois and AHEAD Board of Directors member (through Summer 2012). Tom can be reached at tltharper30@yahoo.com

AHEAD Position Statement from Jean Ashmore, President (issued October 31, 2010)

Dear AHEAD Members,

Recognizing that new enrollment trends at member institutions can create challenges for Disability Services professionals, the AHEAD Board of Directors, at its Fall 2010 meeting, discussed students with intellectual disabilities and the companion legislation which promotes their postsecondary engagement. The Board wishes to share the following statement with members:

AHEAD is the premiere professional association committed to full participation of persons with disabilities in postsecondary education, as stated in the Mission statement for our association. In support of the recent call for proposals (RFP) from ThinkCollege on Training initiative grants for students with intellectual disabilities, the AHEAD Board of Directors reaffirms this commitment. Additionally, AHEAD members are encouraged to learn more about the scope and purpose of this RFP, as well as its foundation in and furtherance of the Higher Education Opportunity Act of 2008.

Numerous programs for students with intellectual disabilities currently exist in a variety of postsecondary educational settings. While Disability Services professionals do not usually operate such programs, we are in a unique position professionally to inform institutional decisions to design and implement programs that are welcoming and inclusive for students with intellectual disabilities. AHEAD, in partnership with the Institute for Community Inclusion and ThinkCollege.net, will continue to provide its members with guidance on how to support and facilitate the full participation of students with intellectual disabilities in postsecondary educational settings. A White Paper on incorporating students with intellectual disabilities in postsecondary settings is being developed as a member resource.

Sincerely,
Jean Ashmore, AHEAD President

Framework for our work

We have created three work groups each of which has three members. Now we need to clarify and sharpen our focus for each group so that our work complements but does not overlap too much with one another. Each work group will meet on its own schedule, define its goals and timelines and communicate periodically with the whole task force via planned phone meetings and/or written updates.
Three major areas are being addressed by our AHEAD Task Force are:

• Defining the conversation about the inclusion of students with intellectual disabilities in higher education, inclusive of:
• What does the Higher Education Opportunity Act of 2008 reveal about the Department of Education’s focus on students with intellectual disabilities? What should we share with our postsecondary colleagues and how?
• Will programs for students with intellectual disabilities lead to a meaningful credential and gainful employment? What other outcomes are important?
• Does inclusion of students with intellectual disabilities mean that higher education is incorporating special education practices? How does higher education’s traditional focus on personal enrichment and preparation for a career interface and connect with inclusive programs?
• Does a college’s commitment to diversity intentionally include students with disabilities and students with intellectual disabilities? Is anyone excluded from the scope of a commitment to diversity?
• Responding to questions and fears raised by DS professionals such as:
• Will the presence of students with intellectual disabilities on campus lead to a negative view of other students with disabilities? Why is this thought to be a potential problem?
• Will the resources needed for programs for students with ID drain the resources from Disability Resources offices? What resources and services are needed that are new and different from those provided by a DR office?
• What are the pros and cons of a DS office also operating a program for students with intellectual disabilities? Are there advantages of having a program for students with intellectual disabilities that is separate but connected? If so, what are they?
• Answering how DS professionals will provide accommodations, access and use of assistive technology to students with ID and how there can be greater collaborative work on Universal Design.
• Is the process of determining accommodations different for students with intellectual disabilities? What is the same and what is different?
• How can assistive tech resources and equipment be a shared resource used by all students with disabilities?
• How could mutual effort on promoting universal design for instruction contribute to a more accessible curricula and environment for all students with disabilities?
• How have community college (open admission institutions) DR offices been working with students with intellectual disabilities in the past? What has been working and what has not been successful?

For more information on Intellectual Disabilities:
From the CDC: Intellectual Disability Fact Sheet
From the American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (AAIDD)

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PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES

The 2011-2012 AHEADtoYOU! Audio/Web Program line-up:

• January 19, 2012: Increasing Access by Decreasing Reliance on Documentation
• February 16, 2012: Diversity Audit Tools: Assessing Disability within Diversity in Higher Education:
• March 15, 2012: Advanced Topics in Curricular Accessibility: Accessible Video: Techniques, Tools, Strategies, and Solutions
• April 19, 2012: Technology Accessibility: Transforming our Institutions with New Guidance and New Perspectives
• May 17, 2012: Tools and Techniques for Managing Disability Services In Challenging Times
• June 7, 2012: Postsecondary Education for Students with Intellectual Disabilities: The Role for Disability Services

Advance registration is required. Please visit http://ahead.org/events-and-workshops/audio-conference to review complete logistic and program descriptions, package pricing details, and to download the registration form.

The 6th Annual AHEAD Management Institutes
February 2-4, 2012
The Sheraton Phoenix Downtown, Phoenix, Arizona

Institute 1: The Institute for New and Newer Disability Resource/Services Managers
Institute 2: Advanced Topics in DS Management
Institute 3: Cutting-Edge Curricular Accessibility: Multi-Media Instruction and STEM programs
And a Saturday morning plenary session for ALL attendees: Designing and Managing Services for Veterans with Disabilities in College

For more information: http://www.ahead.org/events-and-workshops/management-institute

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AFFILIATE’S CORNER

By Terra Beethe, M.S.

The Affiliates held their fall conference call on Monday, November 7th with 19 Affiliates attending. Topics discussed include the AHEAD new standing committees, Affiliate functions at the 2012 Conference, and the Affiliate Speaker Directory.

• Ark-AHEAD Partners with Institute for Human-Centered Design to Enhance Recruitment of Students with Disabilities into Design Professions. For more information, see article in Career Section.
• CAHEAD (Capitol Area) will host a holiday event on Monday, December 12th from 11am-2pm at Marymount University in Virginia. This event is open to all C-AHEAD, AHEAD in VA members and MDDHEN Members. There will be a brief presentation on Intellectual Disabilities by a parent, a student and a professional. For more information, contact Anne Aichele at aaichele@marymount.edu. Save the date for our March event on the ADAAA New Regulations. Presented by Irene Bowen, ADAone and Jim Bostrom, DOJ. Tuedsay, March 13th 10am-2pm at American University.
• NJ-AHEAD is holding their 19th annual transition conference on December 2nd in cooperation with New Jersey City University and held on the NJCU campus. The conference will include a motivational speaker and sessions on technology, and academic coaching, we will have a faculty panel and a student panel; the theme is transition to higher education for students with disabilities. For more information, please contact Jennifer Aitken, jaitken@njcu.edu.
• Utah AHEAD held their fall conference November 4th with legal update from representative from state Risk Management Office, also representative from Denver Office of Civil Rights give a year-in-review presentation. They also had a Director’s Panel to discuss recent issues and keeping up with legal changes and technology changes. Marcus Engel was the Keynote speaker in combination with local community college’s disability week.

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CAREER INFORMATION

Live Webcast for Career Services and Disability Services Professionals and Employers

Season Two of the N-the-Know Webcast Series: “Career Development for Students with Psychiatric Disabilities: A Research Update”

Thursday, January 12
2:00 to 3:00 PM Eastern time

Presented by
Dr. Sarah Helm, Coordinator
Disability Careers Office
University of Tennessee, Knoxville

The presenter will discuss the results of a recent qualitative study on the career development and employment concerns of job-seeking students with psychiatric disabilities. The findings indicated these students have multiple concerns about employment, anxiety and confusion with disclosing their disability and little understanding of their rights and responsibilities under the ADA. Therefore, higher education professionals need to be knowledgeable of these concerns of students within this population.
The price for this webcast is $99.
For more information and to register: http://www.cosdonline.org/n-the-know

Ark-AHEAD Partners with Institute for Human-Centered Design to Enhance Recruitment of Students with Disabilities into Design Professions

Recognizing the powerful intersection of disability and design, the Institute for Human Centered Design (IHCD) has worked for many years to promote more usable design in all environments. More recently IHCD has launched a program called Access to Design Professions (http://www.adaptenv.org/index.php?Itemid=37&option=Project). The goal of the project is to increase the number of people with disabilities in design-related professions. As stated on the IHCD website, "the current lack of designers with disabilities perpetuates the practice of design that isolates, excludes and stigmatizes people with disabilities." The Board of Ark-AHEAD is pleased to have had the opportunity to participate in a partnership project with Access to Design Professions.

Titled "The Difference a Degree Makes: Promoting Partnerships to Enhance Recruitment of Students with Disabilities into Design Professions", the Ark-AHEAD project has taken a multi-tiered approach to increase the number of students with disabilities enrolled in design-related academic programs. Project co-directors, Anne Jannarone, University of Arkansas, and Melanie Thornton, University of Arkansas at Little Rock, identified and developed a comprehensive list of programs and majors in Arkansas postsecondary schools that prepare students for design-related professions. They have also developed a web page on the Ark-AHEAD website (arkahead.org/access-design-professions.htm) which provides a list of these programs and highlights the importance of the recruitment of students with disabilities into design professions. They are partnering with other disability service professionals and faculty in design-related academic programs to make this resource appropriate for the various stakeholders that they intend to reach. Once finalized this content will be provided in a downloadable flier that can be disseminated at career fairs, transition fairs, and college recruitment fairs. This resource will be shared with transition professionals, school counselors, rehabilitation counselors, disability service providers, and parent organizations through email lists, newsletters and presentations.

Future activities of this project include collection of data from design-related programs regarding the enrollment of students with disabilities, a mass dissemination to stakeholders, and presentations to rehabilitation counselors and transition coordinators. The Ark-AHEAD Board would be pleased to collaborate with other affiliate organizations who would be interested in replicating this project in your state. For more information, contact Melanie Thornton at mpthornton@ualr.edu or Anne Jannarone at ajannaro@uark.edu.

[This project has been developed in partnership with Access to Design Professions, Institute for Human Centered Design (IHCD), Boston, MA and funded in part by a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA).

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MOBILITY INTERNATIONAL

International Exchange is an Option at U.S. Community Colleges

“In the last two weeks before leaving to go back to America, I discovered that I could communicate with Deaf Italians smoothly, and even engage in long conversation. Being able to share tons of stories about our cultures, experiences, politics and fairy tales is my most savored experience from Italy,” says Perseus McDaniel, an Edmonds Community College student who is Deaf and became interested in studying in Italy after learning how to read and write in Italian. The Student Government at his school helped pay for the two sign interpreters' expenses to go with him on the two month study abroad program to Florence, Italy in 2011.

The National Clearinghouse on Disability and Exchange’s recently-updated “Community College Exchanges” tipsheet (http://www.miusa.org/ncde/tipsheets/communitycollege) compiles resources for participating in and creating inclusive exchange programs through U.S. community college campuses. It lists exchange programs opportunities and alumni with disabilities success stories to and from the United States.

“Now that I'm back, I want to present about my experiences studying abroad in Italy and help study programs to recognize that Deaf students can participate in any exchange programs that are provided for hearing students.” Please share Perseus’s stories with students on your campuses: http://www.miusa.org/ncde/stories/mcdanielfp.

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U.S. INTERNATIONAL COUNCIL ON DISABILITIES

December 2, 2011

On the Occasion of the 2011 International Day of Persons with Disabilities
The members, staff, and board of directors of the United States International Council on Disabilities (USICD) join the global community in celebrating December 3, 2011 as the International Day of Persons with Disabilities. This year's theme for December 3 is "Together for a Better World for A l l : Including Persons with Disabilities in Development." The leadership of USICD supports this theme and believes that international development agencies and organizations must be inclusive of people with disabilities when determining policy and allocating project resources.

Today, there are an estimated one billion people globally with disabilities—about 15% of the world's population. 80% of people with disabilities in the world today live in developing countries. The World Health Organization (WHO) and the World Bank's recent World Report on Disability highlights these findings, and the report asserts that people with disabilities are less likely to have access to education, health care services, employment, transportation services, and information.

Addressing these disparities requires international cooperation. National aid agencies such as USAID, as well as international donors, have made significant strides in incorporating disability on a policy level. But these World Report figures indicate that work remains before people with
disabilities can fully benefit from aid organizations' initiatives. USICD joins with the world disability community in solidarity for the advancement of development inclusion and human rights protections, under the international slogan, "Nothing About Us Without Us."

Organizations led by and consisting of people with disabilities are some of the strongest voices in the push for disability inclusion. The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), a treaty which the United States has signed and may soon consider ratifying, calls upon
States Parties to promote the participation of disability civil society in local, national and international venues. As a non-governmental, constituent-led, membership organization, USICD is a leading voice in support of U.S. ratification of the CRPD. USICD's membership envisions a world where the equal rights of persons with disabilities are protected and advanced, where the capacities and talents of persons with disabilities are celebrated and elevated, and where people with disabilities come together across borders as a global disability community.

As we look ahead into the next year, we encourage development actors to build stronger connections to real disability experts—people with disabilities themselves. Disabled people's organizations and other allies can help expand disability inclusion, participation, and leadership in the development sector. Development initiatives must listen to the voices of the 1 billion global citizens with disabilities in order to build a just and inclusive world.

The USICD Board of Directors
Marca Bristo, President

For more information on USICD: www.usicd.org

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RESOURCES AND ANNOUNCEMENTS

Updated Library of Free/Inexpensive Software

Over the last few months, the Adaptech Research Network team has been busily updating our website to include more of our publications, presentations, and updates on our current research activities. In particular, our Downloads section, which houses our very popular Free and Inexpensive Adaptive Technology Database, now includes information on built-in accessibility features of Windows 7 and Mac OS X. We also now document built-in accessibility features and apps for the iPod Touch, iPhone and iPad that are likely to be useful.

Visit us at www.adaptech.org and send us feedback at info@adaptech.org. Suggestions for our next update are welcome!

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