February 2007
The articles published in the ALERT represent the opinions of the authors and are not an endorsement by the Association or necessarily representative of the views of the Association.
— From
the President
— From the Editor
— Top 10 Reasons to apply to be a candidate for AHEAD’s Board of Directors
— Reframing Disability: Desegregation in Higher Education...
— Professional Development
Calendar
— AHEAD Conference 2007. 10 things to do in Charlotte...
— Catherine Campisi, head of California DOR announces retirement
— Patricia Pierce retiring after 29 years at Vanderbilt
— AAAS Recruiting Scientists and Engineers...
— ENTRY POINT! Internship Opportunities...
—
ACCESS Program offered at Lincoln College
— Summer
in Costa Rica: Mobility International USA (MIUSA) sponsors "Youth
Leadership and Cross-Cultural Perspectives...
— CALL FOR STUDENT POSTERS
From the President
Anna Quindlen, a columnist and one of my favorite writers, entitled her Jan.1, 2007 article in Newsweek “The Time Machine”. Overtly it was about the gift giving frenzy of the Christmases of our past and our children’s past: reflections on mad searches for the newest and most coveted gifts that we just know, at the time, will make the difference between devastation and euphoria. She evolves her article, though, into a reflection on “the old bromide: don’t sweat the small stuff and it’s all small stuff”… concluding that the philosophy is really “absurd”. She reaches this conclusion through reflection that it’s really only the “small stuff” that has lasting impact: memories of hand-made tree ornaments, stories about baking cookies, time spent with family.
As I read the article, I thought about the potential impact of the "small stuff" in a disability resource office. Often we get so busy with scanning textbooks, hiring interpreters and reviewing documentation that we can’t imagine finding time to establish a strategic plan for integrating new concepts of disability or infusing universal design concepts into our interactions with the campus community…. let alone to considering how we would implement it. In some ways, it may be our version of driving all over town looking for a Nintendo Wii.
Anna Quindlen says, "The essence of the season lies in figuring out what is passing minutiae and what is enduring memory. That may be the essence of everything." It’s an elegant thought… and an empowering lesson to me to attend to the small things that may truly be those that have the potential to create sustainable "memories". Rather than feeling overwhelmed with the enormity of changing the paradigms under which the campus acts, there is "small stuff" we can easily integrate into the work we are already doing. An example is to change our emphasis and language, such as:
- Ask students what design features of a class cause access issues rather than asking how their disability affects them
- Communicate to faculty members that you need their assistance in arranging for testing accommodations because they haven’t designed their test in a way that will allow them to accurately assess what each of their students has learned… and suggest ways they could change that
- Describe your office as one that assists the campus in creating accessible, equitable, inclusive environments rather than one that helps students with disabilities
Earlier in the week, I talked with a colleague from the African American Student Center on campus, a cultural center that’s been struggling for some time. She told me about the remarkable change she’s seen in the overall tone of the office and in the students. The "faculty fellow" in the office has begun to refer to the students as “scholars”… such a small thing.
The Board will be meeting in Charlotte, NC March 15th to the 17th. If you’re in the area and interested, please join us. We’re looking forward to spending a day with the leadership of the Race, Ethnic Diversity and Disability Special Interest Group in cultural competency training and planning. Board meetings are always open to the membership; minutes from previous meetings are posted on the Website.
Carol Funckes
From the Editor
Greetings AHEAD colleagues. As we boldly set out
to make 2007 the best year yet, we are aided in this endeavor
by the dedicated people whose contributions, big and small, make
the difference. Be sure to read President Carol Funckes’ thoughts
on making the little things count, and take note of the retirement
of a few individuals whose efforts will have a lasting impact
on all of us. Also included are a number of opportunities for
action and recognition, such as joining the AHEAD Board of Directors,
or becoming part of a resource directory of scientists and engineers
with disabilities.
For those of you planning to attend the AHEAD 2007 conference in Charlotte, NC, “… Of
Pride, Prejudice and Passion …: Crowning 30 Years of Commitment”
we have included in this issue Alice Hugi’s “Top 10 things to do
in Charlotte.” Start making plans!
Finally, this issue once again features a column along the theme of “Reframing Disability.” As a faculty member in the College of Education at Northern Arizona University, Christopher S. Lanterman posits profoundly about the necessity of perceiving the classroom with “new eyes.” In applying the principles of universal design to the university classroom, notes Lanterman, “the ‘new landscapes’ that we seek are those in which full and equitable participation of persons with disabilities means physical and attitudinal desegregation.” Observing how Lanterman’s implementation of universal design has informed his pedagogy proves to be an enjoyable and thought provoking read.
I hope to have sparked your interest… enjoy this issue of ALERT and keep the submissions coming to alvaro@email.unc.edu
Sincerely,
Alvaro Gómez, ALERT Editor
Top 10 Reasons to apply to be a candidate for AHEAD’s Board of Directors
Running for the AHEAD Board of Directors… by Grady Landrum
Top 10 reasons why you should run for a position on the Board of Directors of AHEAD?
#10 Free travel throughout
the US for board meetings
#9 Free food at board meetings
#8 Nice hotels
#7 10 fun people with whom to spend 3 weekends a year
#6 Notoriety
#5 Free registration for Annual Conference
#4 Inside scoop on all the AHEAD planning
#3 Get lots of ribbons for your name tag at the conference
#2 People will start talking to you like they have known you
for years
#1 Looks good on your resume.
Although all of the above may happen to you if you become a board member what we really need on the board are dedicated people who want to work and grow this organization. When I first ran for the board it seemed like a natural progression for me professionally because I had been active both in our state and regional groups. Nobody at the international level knew who I was or what I could bring to the board. I really did not know anyone at the international level either and I had only been to one very unsatisfying annual conference in Long Beech. It was other people who encouraged me to run for the board because they thought I could represent our area and concerns at the next level of leadership in our organization.
I will be honest with you, it does take time, it does take commitment, and it does take some extra work to accomplish your tasks on the board but in the long run it is well worth the energy and effort. You may laugh at a few of the top 10 items above but they are all true and to me they were the least rewarding part of serving on the board. The friendships, the knowledge of how the organization works, and the accomplishments of the board’s hard work were reward enough for me. There were some really rough times for me personally, for the board, and for the organization but they are minute in comparison to seeing the organization grow and flourish as it has these past ten years.
So I would encourage all of you to look around for potential leaders in your state affiliates and regional groups and then give them a call and urge then to run for a board position this year. It will take you ten minutes to make the call. It was one of the most rewarding experiences in my professional career to serve on the board and eventually serve as President of AHEAD. I don’t know if I would have ever thought about running for the board the first time if Gretchen Holden at Kansas State University had not called and urged me to run.
I would encourage anyone in this organization who believes they have something to offer AHEAD to strongly consider running for a board position this year.
Reframing Disability: Desegregation in Higher Education: Applications of Universal Design
Christopher S. Lanterman
Northern Arizona University
“The real voyage of discovery consists not
in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes.” Proust,
in his A La Recherche du Temps Perdu, highlights the importance
of perception in reframing the quest. I believe that this is
the essence of universal design in higher education – helping
us to reframe the landscape by seeing it with new eyes.
Four years ago, I was a new faculty member in our College of Education, and
I was intent on making the learning experience for my students as beneficial
as possible. So, when a student requested printed copies of my transparencies
as an accommodation for her vision impairment, I thought nothing of it. She
did not have a letter from our disability services office, but this did not
seem to be a major request, so I agreed. The following spring, I attended a
workshop facilitated by the director of our DS office. He pointed out, early
in the session, that accommodations may only be provided when a student has
been determined eligible by the DS office, and comes to faculty with a letter
indicating this. I was clearly taken aback. “Why not do what is necessary
to help all students be successful?” I thought.
It was later that spring that I was introduced to the concept of universal design at an institute sponsored by the University of Arizona. There, Dr. Beth Harrison brought the concept of universal design into focus for me. For the past four years, I have worked to implement the principles of universal design into my courses. Now, I have reached the point where my students do not need to request alternative testing, notes or slides are available through my website, and readings are available online. Though there are still opportunities for enhancing the design of my classes, the only accommodation that students have needed are interpreters or FM systems.
This process has been an evolution, which continues every semester. I began by revising my syllabus to make it more learning-centered. I changed language to a more personal tone, I included justifications for the assignments in my classes, I provided rubrics and grading criteria at the beginning of the course, and I loaded the syllabus to my website. The syllabus included hyperlinks to the online readings and to supplemental resources, such as guidelines for citing in APA format, information on finding peer-reviewed resources, and research databases. Over the following year, I added slide presentations, in html format, to the site. These slides relate to course lectures and activities.
As I continued to pursue universal design, I considered some of the most widely-used services provided by our DS office – testing accommodations. Students who require testing accommodations are often “segregated” from their peers during examinations. It seemed to me that extra time and alternative formats were the essence of most accommodations, so I decided that I would find a way to address these accommodations within the structure of my course so that my students would not need to be segregated. As a result, I give my students take-home tests that are available electronically. Many of my colleagues challenged the efficacy of my pedagogy for this practice. They expressed concerns about cheating, about the importance of “immediate recall,” and about the format of our state’s exam for professional licensure, the Arizona Educators’ Proficiency Assessment (AEPA). I considered these concerns at length, but I remained committed to the principles of universal design. I was compelled to resolve these challenges in a way that would reconcile pedagogy and passion. My exams are designed as learning tools, as much as they are for assessment. They are comprised of analogies, multiple choice questions that require higher orders of thinking, such as application, analysis, and evaluation, and essay questions. I give students a week to complete their exams, and I format the exams in similar ways to the state licensure exam. Informally, students report that they have learned more by taking the exams this way. Additionally, the grade distribution for my exams is similar to that of other instructors in my department. Finally, though it would be difficult to demonstrate a correlation with my exams, 98 percent of our graduates pass the special education portion of the AEPA.
For those seeking immediate gratification, universal design might be frustrating. There are so many aspects of instruction, and so many different contexts, that new challenges arise frequently. However, the “new landscapes” that we seek are those in which full and equitable participation of persons with disabilities means physical and attitudinal desegregation. Applying the principles of universal design in classrooms is one step toward this vision, but it requires us to see disability and instructional design with new eyes.
November 2007 Calendar
Take advantage of these upcoming
events, conferences, and other opportunities to increase and
share your knowledge.
Calls for Presentations and Articles
ALERT submission and publication dates:
The ALERT is now being published every other month. Please keep those articles
coming! Here is the schedule for submissions:
Submissions Due: |
Publication Date: |
March 26, 2007 |
April
13, 2007 |
May 21, 2007 |
June 4, 2007 |
AHEAD and Affiliate Events
THE 2007 AHEAD Management Institutes:
February 22 - 24, 2007, New Orleans, LA
The 2007 AHEAD Management Institutes have been developed to offer important professional development opportunities for disability service professionals. All three institutes will be offered in a workshop style format with a friendly balance of lectures, discussions, and small group interaction. In addition to invaluable information and resources, the institutes will offer excellent networking opportunities for participants. The Institutes will be held in the beautiful Sheraton Hotel New Orleans on Canal Street in the heart of the historic city.
Institute One: The
AHEAD Institute for New and Newer Disability Services Managers
Institute Two: Managing Assistive Technology from A to Z
Institute Three: Disability Services in the Community College
- Key Issues and Best Practices.
For detailed information please visit: http://www.ahead.org/training/reg_training/Spring_2007_ProfDev.htm
2007 TRIO Training
Symposium
Students with Disabilities in TRIO Programs
February
22 – 24, 2007, New Orleans, LA
A large percentage of participants served in TRIO programs are
students with disabilities. Understanding the unique needs
of students with disabilities, and having the awareness of
how to best serve them, significantly increases TRIO Directors’ and
staffs’ ability to be fully supportive and inclusive.
These skills and knowledge also assist in increasing retention
and graduation rates, and adding to the overall quality of
the educational supports offered by TRIO programs for all students.
During this intensive and interactive three-day symposium, the dynamic trainers will present in-depth information on a broad variety of disability-specific issues through a framework based in practicality and applicability to services offered by TRIO programs. Attendees will leave the symposium with the knowledge and resources necessary to begin implementing improved, more efficient, fully inclusive services to their students right away!
For registration information and details of the symposium, please visit http://www.ahead.org/training/reg_training/Spring_2007_TRIO.htm
Other upcoming Conferences, Trainings and Expositions
Check out these offerings from our colleagues in the fields of disability and higher education:
Accessing Alliances: Disability Studies Across
the Curriculum
February 22-23, 2007, George Washington University.
The George Washington University Marvin Center
800 21st Street, NW
Washingon, DC 20052
Over the past decade, Disability Studies has increasingly influenced scholarship across the university, particularly in the humanities and social sciences. Displacing a singular medical model for understanding disability, Disability Studies attends to the multiple ways that bodies, abilities, and disabilities have been represented culturally. This two-day symposium will generate ongoing conversations about how to build Disability Studies alliances between faculty in Disability Studies, professionals in Disability Support Services, and students.
For more information, link to http://gwired.gwu.edu/dss/symposium/
23rd Annual Pacific Rim Conference on Disabilities,
March 12 - 13, 2007
Sheraton Waikiki Hotel and Resort
2255 Kalakaua Avenue
Honolulu, Hawai'i 96815
U.S.A.
With more than 24 countries, provinces & territories represented at the 2006 conference, Pac Rim 2007 will continue the long-standing tradition of assembling researchers, professionals, paraprofessionals, persons with disabilities, family members, students and others to present on a variety of topics that affect everyday lives. Pac Rim continues to promote cutting-edge opportunities to learn from one another, share resources and ideas that support the quality of life, community inclusion, and self-determination for all persons with disabilities and their families to help shape our world community.
Featured keynotes for the 2007 conference: Greg Smith ("The Strength Coach"), Kim ("The Real Rain Man") & Fran Peek, Dr. Claudia Osborn, Troy Justesen, Assistant Secretary for Vocational & Adult Education and Patricia Morrissey, Commissioner, Administration on Developmental Disabilities, U.S. Department of Health & Human Service
For more information, please contact Stephen C. Potts, CMP, Co-Chairperson
Website: http://www.pacrim.hawaii.edu
Phone: (808) 956-7539
Fax: (808) 956-7878
E-mail: prinfo@hawaii.edu
Address: UH-Manoa Center on Disability
Studies
Attn: 2007 Pacific Rim Conference
1776 University Avenue, UA 4-6
Honolulu, Hawai'i 96822 U.S.A.
Multiple Perspectives on Access, Inclusion, and Disability:
Rights, Responsibilities, and Social Change
April 3 & 4, 2007, The Ohio State University Columbus Campus
" If I am not for myself, then who will be for me? And if I am
only for myself, what am I? And if not now, when?"
— Hillel The Elder
As a modern land grant university, an important part of The
Ohio State University's mission is outreach and engagement,
serving
the community through a variety of activities. During the
tenth anniversary year of the Americans With Disabilities
Act (ADA),
the Multiple Perspectives On Access, Inclusion And Disability
conference was created to help fulfill this mission.
The organizing theme for this year's Multiple Perspectives
conference "Rights,
Responsibilities and Social Change" seems appropriate
to a year that has seen the passage of the United Nation's
Convention
on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and looks forward
to the public debate and impending presidential election.
The theme is meant to encourage presenters and participants
to consider
topics, methods and programs from a fresh perspective.
Continuing the tradition of the past six years, the Seventh Annual Multiple Perspectives conference will bring together a diverse audience to explore disability as both an individual experience and social reality that cuts across typical divisions of education and employment, scholarship and service, business and government, and race, gender, and ethnicity.
Pre-Conference Institute: E-Text: Production, Distribution & Management for Accessibility
Monday, April 2, 9:00 AM to 5:30 PM & Tuesday, April 3, 9:00
AM to 12:30 PM
Registration is now available at: http://mpconference.osu.edu/sessions
Postsecondary Disability Training Institute (The Center on Postsecondary Education and Disability at the University of Connecticut)
Tuesday, June 12 - Friday, June 15 & Saturday, June 16, 2007 – Saratoga Springs, NY
The objective of this Training Institute is to
assist concerned professionals to meet the unique needs of college
students
with
disabilities. Participants can select from a variety of Strands,
Single Sessions, and a Saturday Post-Session taught by experts
in the field, which provide participants with in-depth information
and adequate time for questions and follow-up discussions. Participants
also have opportunities to share information and network with
each other at various activities throughout the week.
The Institute will be held at the Saratoga Hotel & Conference
Center -- Saratoga Springs, NY
For more information please visit: http://www.cped.uconn.edu/07pti.htm
Contact: Carrol Waite, Institute Manager: carrol.waite@uconn.edu OR by phone: (860) 486-3321
AHEAD Conference 2007. 10 things to do in Charlotte, North Carolina
The AHEAD 2007 Conference Site
The Westin and Hilton Hotels and the Charlotte Convention Center are situated in the uptown financial district of North Carolina’s largest city, Charlotte. The conference hotels are on either side of the Charlotte Convention Center. And just an easy walk or trolley ride to the city’s most exciting restaurants, museums and cultural Centers including the Blumenthal Performing Arts Center, where the smash hit "The Lion King" will be in performance July 12th – August 19th.
Ten Things to do in Charlotte, NC which might surprise you
- In 2006, Charlotte became the home to the US National Whitewater Center, the world’s largest artificial whitewater river. Designed to host World Cup Competitions, the Center is only ten minutes from downtown Charlotte, so plan on spending some time rafting, kayaking, or canoeing at the Center.
- It is hard not to think of NASCAR when visiting Charlotte. With dozens of NASCAR shops in the area, plus Lowe’s Motor Speedway and the future home of the NASCAR Hall of Fame, it is hard not to get the racing itch. Make plans to watch a race, tour the track or participate in Jeff Gordon’s Racing School.
- Shopping in Charlotte is quite diverse. Be prepared to drop a fishing line while shopping at Bass Pro Shops Outdoor World, the world’s largest outdoor outfitters at Concord Mills. Concord Mills ~ "Where Great Shopping Lives" features hundreds of the best names in retail including Polo Ralph Lauren Factory Store, Nike Factory Store, Osh Kosh B’Gosh Outlet, Zales the Diamond Store Outlet and Off 5th Saks 5th Avenue Outlet. . Or shop with class and sophistication at South Park Mall, home to Nordstrom, Neiman Marcus, Crate and Barrel, plus many great restaurants. You can also enjoy the many small neighborhood boutiques and antique shops scattered throughout Charlotte.
- Ever been on a Gallery Crawl? Spend Friday nights visiting the art galleries of NODA one of Charlotte’s trendy neighborhoods. Do not miss the action outside as many of Charlotte’s finest musicians play along the streets or top to have a bit to eat at the many restaurants in the area.
- Visit Charlotte’s Discovery Place Science Museum and IMAX Theater. You won’t be disappointed in Charlotte’s premier interactive museum.
- Come pan for gold at Reeds Gold Mine outside of Charlotte. This historical gold mine dates back to 1799. Today it features exhibits on gold, the geology of gold and mining technology and equipment. Take a tour and pan for gold in the streams which started America’s first gold rush.
- Don’t forget to stop by the Levine Museum of the New South, the Mint Museum of Craft + Design or the Afro-American Cultural Center all within walking distant to the Convention Center.
- Like hair raising roller coasters, the wettest water park, the coolest stage shows? Then you will surely enjoy Carowinds Amusement Park outside of Charlotte on the NC/SC border.
- Visit one of the best places for Southern home cooking in downtown Charlotte, Mert’s Heart and Soul. Expect to wait in line but don’t miss their cornbread with honey butter.
- Charlotte is called the City of Frescoes. Charlotte is home to four sites painted by Ben Long, NC native. Frescoes can be viewed at the Bank of America lobby, the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department and the Transamerica Square Building. All are free and open to the public.
Catherine Campisi, head of California DOR announces retirement
California Disability Community Action Network
NEWS REPORT
#088-2006 November 8, 2006
Marty Omoto, Director/Organizer
To Respond to THIS email report reply to: martyomoto@rcip.com CDCAN website: www.cdcan.us
SACRAMENTO - After service of seven years and under two governors,
Catherine Campisi, director of the California Department of Rehabilitation,
announced today that she will leave her post to retire, effective
December 22, 2006. Campisi was highly regarded by many disability
advocates across the state for her personal integrity and commitment.
The Schwarzenegger Administration had no announcement today on any replacement for Campisi who is 58 years. old. Gov. Schwarzenegger, who won re-election in a landslide over State Treasurer Phil Angelides in yesterday's election, left the State today for an official visit to Mexico dealing with trade issues.
The Department of Rehabilitation, which is overseen by the California Health and Human Services Agency headed by Secretary Kim Belshe, provides opportunities for persons with disabilities, including employment and independent living. It is one of several departments that is responsible for programs or services directly impacting children or adults with disabilities.
Other state agencies include the Department of Social Services (In-Home Supportive Services, SSI/SSP, licensing of group homes for persons with disabilities and seniors, etc), the Department of Developmental Services (including overseeing regional center funded commmunity based services and developmental centers for people with developmental disabilities), the Department of Mental Health (including mental health community based services, facilities, state hospitals) , the Department of Health (including Medi-Cal, Long Term Care), the Department of Education (special and adult education), the Department on Aging (certain senior programs and services). The Departments of Housing and Community Development, Transportation, and Employment also have programs or services impacting people with disabilities or seniors.
Thanks Two Governors For Support And Praises Belshe
Campisi thanked the Governor for his support and praised Secretary
Belshe as "...one of the most dynamic and brilliant people
for whom I have ever worked". Belshe in previous meetings
publicly praised the work of Campisi as director.
Campisi, in a graceful and eloquent email announcement of her retirement, also thanked the two governors she served under as director, Gray Davis and Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Campisi Appointed By Gov Davis
Campisi, originally appointed by Governor Gray Davis in 1999
was one of the few members of the Davis Administration heading
a department that Governor Schwarzenegger retained - a decision
widely supported by many advocates, even if not all agreed with
specific department policies and actions.
Text of Campisi Announcement
[Sent November 8, 2006 at 5:30 PM]
Dear Colleagues, Partners and Friends in the Disability
Community:
After a great deal of thought, the time has come for me to make
a major life transition. It is with mixed emotions that I am
writing to tell you I have decided to retire as Director of the
Department of Rehabilitation (DOR), effective December 22, 2006.
This decision has not come easily and I have spent countless hours talking it over with my closest confidant, my husband. The reasons the decision has been so hard to make are numerous. Among them is my deep commitment to DOR's mission, my regard for the wonderful people working in the Department, especially my Executive Leadership Team and my outstanding assistant, Georgianna, and the fact that so much good work remains to be done. Yet, despite these factors, it is time for me to make this life change.
When I became DOR Director in December 1999, I
planned and hoped to be able to stay in the assignment until
the end of 2006. As
of that time, I will have worked full-time nearly 30 years and
will have lived 48+ of my 58+ years as a person with a significant
disability. While I am thankful for many years of good health,
it has become clear to me that it is time to rest more, lessen
my stress some, and find more, heretofore elusive, time for myself
and my husband to simply enjoy life's quiet and simple moments.
The seven years I have served as Director have been incredibly
challenging, enriching, and fulfilling. It has been the culmination
of a career dedicated to changing the physical, programmatic,
and social landscape for persons with disabilities so that one's
hopes, dreams, abilities and motivation are what determines one's
future, not stereotypes and prejudice, discrimination, lack of
accommodations, or low expectations. We have come a long way,
but have SO far yet to go.
When I think of myself at age 27, newly graduated with a Ph.D. in social psychology, a person with a significant disability on Social Security Supplemental Income (SSI) and In-home Supportive Services (IHSS), and a DOR consumer, all I wanted was a good job that would enable me to be off public benefits. Most of all, I wanted to use my skills and knowledge to benefit others and make the world a better place. Never in my wildest imagine did I think I would become the Director of the world's largest public vocational rehabilitation agency!
So many people made the journey possible. They
include
My wonderful parents, who loved, supported, and nurtured me,
and expected the best from me, no matter what; ·
My partner in our shared mission to make the world a better place,
my counsel in the truest sense of the word, and personal support
for nearly 20 years, my husband, Ralph;
My initial supervisors, Beverly McKee and Emmett Casey, who hired
me in my first career level, full-time position at the San Diego
Community College District; ·
Bill Tainter who hired me in my first Career Executive Assignment
at DOR and Brenda Premo who offered me the opportunity to serve
as Deputy Director;
Governor Davis who appointed me as Director in 1999, and Health
and Human Services Agency (HHSA) Secretary Grantland Johnson
who assisted us to protect and advance disability civil rights; ·
Governor Schwarzenegger who supported my continued service as
Director and HHSA Secretary Kim Belshé whose support has
been invaluable and who is one of the most dynamic and brilliant
people for whom I have ever worked; ·
Our DOR Executive Leadership Team and the dedicated DOR staff
statewide who fulfill our mission on a daily basis; ·
And, all the rest of you who guided, supported, assisted, and
worked with me over these nearly three decades.
Without a doubt, it has been a shared commitment to partnership and finding common ground that has allowed us to accomplish some of our shared goals over the last seven years. It is because we have worked in partnership -- DOR, the disability community, and public and private partners at the local, state, and national levels that, together, we have made a difference.
As I transition from the Directorship, please know that I hope our paths will continue to cross. My plans are to work part-time, travel, rest, and of course, continue to advocate for persons with disabilities.
With Godspeed and great regard,
Catherine Campisi
Patricia Pierce retiring after 29 years at Vanderbilt
Past President and long time past Board member, Pat Pierce, is retiring from her position as Senior Director, Opportunity Development Center, Vanderbilt University. Pat has been at Vanderbilt for 29 years. She organized the disability program at Vanderbilt in 1980 with the assistance of many AHEAD colleagues. She retires to spend more time with family, but plans to attend as many AHEAD conferences as possible.
AAAS Recruiting Scientists and Engineers with disabilities for unique Resource Directory.
AAAS seeks role models with disabilities for unique Resource Directory.
Dear AHEAD Members,Scientists and engineers with disabilities are invited to be listed and to nominate others for inclusion in a unique resource being compiled by the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). The information in the Directory will be used to overcome stereotypes and as a source of role models.
“We want to tell the stories of real scientists and engineers with disabilities in order to change attitudes and remove barriers to success,” explained Shirley M. Malcom of AAAS, director of Education and Human Resources, as well as chair of the AAAS Center for Careers in Science and Technology.
The prestigious Resource Directory of Scientists and Engineers with Disabilities, now entering its fourth edition, will be available upon request in print and CD-Rom formats, but participants’ information will not be posted to the Internet. Research for the Directory is funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF).
The new Directory will have many uses: Grant-giving agencies seeking peer reviewers or consultants with disabilities; event planners in need of speakers; curriculum and technology developers; policy-makers; news reporters; students, counselors, faculty, and families regularly request information listed in earlier editions of the resource, Malcom noted. The Directory also can help to promote networking among professionals with disabilities.
Today’s scientists and engineers with disabilities face different challenges at school or work, compared with earlier generations. The Rehabilitation Act of 1973 mandated access to higher education for qualified students with disabilities. The Education of All Handicapped Children Act (now IDEA) and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 also promoted educational and career opportunities for all. The individuals in the Directory encompass all science and engineering disciplines and the full range of apparent and non-apparent disabilities.
“Documenting the accomplishments of many different scientists and engineers with disabilities is essential because misinformation about people with disabilities can limit their educational and occupational opportunities,” said Virginia Stern, director of the AAAS Project on Science, Technology and Disability. “It is also important to accurately describe the needs of the disability community in order to develop effective support strategies, new assistive technologies, and improved curricula.”
Individuals with disabilities who hold graduate or undergraduate degrees in science, technology, engineering, or mathematics are invited to participate in the Directory. For more information about the project, contact Tesa Leon, tleon@aaas.org or 202/326-6582 (v/tdd). Students who are pursuing scientific or technical careers may contact Laureen Summers, lsummer@aaas.org for information about the ENTRY POINT! internship program.
The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) is the world’s largest general scientific society, and publisher of the journal, Science. The non-profit AAAS is open to all and fulfills its mission to “advance science and serve society” through initiatives in science policy; international programs; science education; and more. For example, one of the association’s programs, ENTRY POINT!, provides internships for outstanding students with disabilities in science, engineering, mathematics, computer science, and some fields of business.
ENTRY POINT! Internship Opportunities for Students with Disabilities in Science, Engineering, Mathematics, Computer Science, and some fields of Business.
ENTRY POINT! is a program of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) offering Outstanding Internship Opportunities for Students with Disabilities in Science, Engineering, Mathematics, Computer Science, and some fields of Business.
The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) has developed unique partnerships with IBM, NASA, Merck, NOAA, Google, Lockheed Martin and university science laboratories to meet their human resources needs. Working with its partners, AAAS identifies and screens undergraduate and graduate students with disabilities who are pursuing degrees in science, engineering, mathematics, computer science, and some fields of business, and places them in paid summer internships.
For more information and to apply, please visit the website at http://www.entrypoint.org
ACCESS Program (The Academy for Collegiate Collaboration for Effective Student Success) offered at Lincoln College in Lincoln, Illinois for students with AD/HD
The Academy for Collegiate Collaboration for Effective Student Success (ACCESS) Program is a unique program offered by Lincoln College in Lincoln, Illinois. The ACCESS Program is designed to promote equal access to all aspects of Lincoln College to students with AD/HD to promote personal, individual success. Students who participate in the ACCESS Program are supported through direct collaboration between private coaches, tutors, teachers, counselors, and special education personnel.
Students who choose the ACCESS Program at Lincoln College begin their college experience with the unique opportunity of moving to campus before the general student population moves to campus. During this initial week, students complete an ACCESS Prep course. ACCESS Prep is taught by special education personnel and incorporates curriculum that includes skill instruction in study strategies, reading strategies, writing strategies, attention-sustaining strategies, and self-management strategies. The ACCESS Prep curriculum also includes specific social skills strategy taught by the counselor on campus. Upon completion of the ACCESS Prep course, students in the ACCESS Program then enroll in general education courses. Although students in the ACCESS Program may receive some teaching accommodations within the classroom as all of Lincoln College’s classes are small with the average class size of 16, the support system outside of the classroom is extensive. This support system begins with a personal consultation with special education personnel.
Initially, during this consultation, students receive documentation that outlines their requests for accommodations. However, also during this consultation, the student and the special education personnel design an Individual Goal Program. The Individual Goal Program is designed to enhance students’ strengths and short-term as well as long-term goals are created based upon the student’s input and the evaluations conducted by the special education personnel during ACCESS Prep.
Throughout the semester, the Individual Goal Program is implemented by personal coaches. Based upon these goals, all students in the ACCESS Program meet with their assigned coach as outlined on the Individual Goal Program. Coaches also continue to provide instruction in successful academic skills, monitor grades, assignments, attendance, and the extra-curricular participation of these students. All meetings are documented and the specific topic discussed at each meeting will be individual as per the students’ needs. All coaches receive professional development from the Director of the ODS to administer these services.
Upon the completion of the ACCESS Program, students should have the skills needed to successfully complete future college study or pursue their future careers. For more information about this program, please visit the web site at www.lincolncollege.edu.
Summer in Costa Rica: Mobility International USA (MIUSA) sponsors "Youth Leadership and Cross-Cultural Perspectives on Disability Rights Exchange Program." 16 days in San Jose, Costa Rica.
Spending Summer Days in San Jose – Young People with Disabilities Invited to Apply for Program to Costa Rica!
Deadline to apply: March 2, 2007 or as space permits. Applications available at www.miusa.org.
Surrounded by an evening feast of rice, pinto beans, chicken, fried plantains, and bananas, Debbie Buhler and her host sister gesture back and forth, adding in a mixture of American and Costa Rican signs. Debbie, a deaf student from Montana, is on the Mobility International USA “Youth Leadership and Cross-Cultural Perspectives on Disability Rights Exchange Program” for 16 days in San Jose, Costa Rica.
During the warm summer days, 12 young people with disabilities from the United States are busy soaking up the local culture, learning new languages and taking part in discussions on disability rights and leadership with Costa Rican disability organizations.
“The Costa Ricans desire to improve life for those with disabilities rouses our group and inspires us to work harder in our own lives,” says Sarah Snyder, a wheelchair user from Missouri who listens intently during a wheelchair workshop about a Costa Rican woman who laid in bed for 14 years without access to a wheelchair. “We hear the cry of these groups who say these problems have to stop.”
Mobility International USA (MIUSA), a non-profit organization established in 1981, is dedicated to empowering people with disabilities through participation in international exchange programs, and collaborates with disability-led organizations in Costa Rica who are committed to similar change. The program not only attracts young adults with a wide variety of disabilities, but the group also represents diverse cultural backgrounds.
“When I first met my host mother – a wife, mother of two and school counselor – I knew immediately that she was a strong woman and a unique, beautiful person. Many nights we stay up laughing and talking about our experiences growing up with a disability and comparing life in the U.S. and Costa Rica,” says Andrea Siow, a program participant with Hopi heritage. “My host mother said she is very proud to have me in her home and that I change her perception of America and native peoples in particular. Her energy touches everything and everyone around her. I will never forget these mornings when she wheels down the hallway, singing and checking on each of her children – of which I am now one.”
This summer young people with disabilities will travel abroad again to Costa Rica between June 20 and July 5. But, to be part of the 2007 group, applications are due March 2. “Photographs can’t do it justice,” says Sarah about a field trip to the Costa Rican countryside. “You have to actually take the path up the mountain, feel the cool, dampness of the air, smell the tropical greenery and breathe in the whole atmosphere.”
This opportunity provides a good first step for those with no overseas travel experience but who have international interests. MIUSA removes barriers that may make some people with disabilities initially hesitant to travel abroad.
“We provide American Sign Language interpretation on the program and materials in alternative formats. Other accessibility arrangements, such as personal assistants, will be negotiated to ensure full participation,” says Jena Price, the MIUSA Program Specialist who will lead the group abroad.
And money should not be a barrier either, since MIUSA offers generous partial scholarships thanks to the New York Community Trust, DeWitt Wallace/Youth Travel Enrichment Fund. The only restrictions are that everyone must be a U.S. citizen between 18 to 24 years old.
It’s a Friday night near the end of the program, and Debbie relishes in being surrounded by over 100 people signing in the warm night air. LESCO, the Costa Rican sign language, is different than American Sign Language, but Debbie says, “I understand most of the people I sign with by watching their signs, body language and gestures. I’m learning that all it takes is patience and openness to develop lasting friendships with Costa Ricans.”
To learn more about Costa Rica and disability issues, visit the National Clearinghouse on Disability and Exchange’s “Featured Country: Costa Rica” page at http://www.miusa.org/ncde/intlopportunities/costa_rica.
To
request an application, email exchange@miusa.org, call
541-343-1284 (tel/tty) or download it online at: http://www.miusa.org/exchange/costarica07/index_html.
Applications are due by March 2, 2007, and late applications
are considered only if space remains available.
CALL FOR STUDENT POSTERS:
Multiple Perspectives on Access, Inclusion, & Disability
2007: Rights, Responsibilities & Social Change
CALL FOR STUDENT POSTERS
Multiple Perspectives on Access, Inclusion, & Disability
2007: Rights, Responsibilities & Social Change
If I am not
for myself, then who will be for me?
And if I am only for myself, what am I?
If I am not for myself, then who will be for me?
And if I am only for myself, what am I?
And if not now, when?
Hillel The Elder
The Seventh Annual Multiple Perspectives on Access, Inclusion & Disability conference is seeking undergraduate and graduate student research; performance, writing or visual art; or applied and community service projects for a poster session and reception on Monday April 3, 2007. Please visit: http://ada.osu.edu/conferences for more information on the conference.
Posters that relate to this year's conference theme "Rights, Responsibilities & Social Change" will be given preference in the review process.
Posters can take several forms:
Print material
mounted on poster board or display panels or arranged on
a table
PowerPoint, web page or video presentation from laptop (10
minute length
recommended)
Presentation materials must fit on a 3'x6' table or along
6' or less of wall space
Presenters must provide their own equipment
Posters are being solicited to represent the broad interdisciplinary approaches to disability. Awards and recognition will be given at the undergraduate and graduate level in four categories:
Class
Projects & Papers
Independent student research (independent study, thesis, grant
sponsored or dissertation)
Community Service, Outreach, and Applied Problem Solving
Art & Performance
Visit these sites for information on how to present at a poster session:
http://airweb.org/page.asp?page=586;
http://writing.colostate.edu/guides/speaking/poster/index.cfm
http://www.plu.edu/~libr/workshops/multimedia/posters.html
Students and teams of students who wish to present a poster display of their project must send the following information to ADA-OSU@osu.edu no later than March 19, 2007.
A title and
a 50 to 500 word description of their proposed poster
E-mail address, phone number, and surface mail address of
primary presenter
As appropriate, university, department, grant, course or
student organization affiliation
A letter of support from a faculty member or organization
advisor associated with the project
Submissions will be reviewed as they arrive; selected participants will be notified within 2 weeks of submission and no later than by March 23, 2007. Conference fees will be waived for all accepted presenters.
For more information contact: L. Scott Lissner, ADA Coordinator ada-osu@osu.edu or 614-292-6207 (voice) or 614-688-8605 (tty)
