One out of every ten students in college during the 2011-2012 school year had a disability, according to the National Center for Education Statistics.
It is safe to say representation for college-aged people with disabilities has grown over the past few decades: Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 specifically prohibits public entities like universities from discriminating against disabled people.
Specifically at the University of Maryland, on-campus services and events help to foster support for the local community. But students and members in the community feel there is still a need for more advocacy on campus to combat the stigma behind disability.
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| The Shoemaker Building is home to UMD's Disability Support Service, as well as the Counseling Center. Photo by Mike Siegel. |
The University of Maryland provides the standard accommodations for disabled students
Through UMD’s Disability Support Services, students can find the appropriate accommodations required for their situations. Located in the Shoemaker Building, DSS provides testing accommodations like extended exam time and computer access during an exam; reading accommodations; dead and hard of hearing services like interpreting and transcription services and other miscellaneous accommodations like early course registration.
Like many college students, senior journalism and American studies double major Shannon Gallagher dozes out in class from time to time. Between balancing good grades and a social life, the likelihood of getting those seven to eight hours of sleep is slim. But unlike most college students, Gallagher has a legitimate excuse: she has narcolepsy and cataplexy.
Gallagher was diagnosed with narcolepsy and cataplexy about four years ago. She is just one of many students registered through DSS, but besides the small talk chatter and the occasional plea for assistance from professors, her disability isn't something she commonly talks about or chooses to talk about.
Stephanie Cork, a doctoral student with a background in disability studies, feels the university has emphasized disability greatly for a while, but there is still more of a need for advocacy and awareness.
“I think [the university] approach[es] it from a rehabilitative model, versus the social justice model and therefore focus[es] on accommodation where awareness and advocacy are also necessary,” Cork said over email. “We need more collaboration between the Office of Diversity and Inclusion, DSS and the President's Commission on Disability Issues to really facilitate the success of students here at the university and beyond.”
Cork also feels there needs to be more conversation regarding specific issues within disability studies like visible versus invisible disabilities; those with "invisible disabilities," or disabilities that are not visible by simply looking at someone, have much more privilege, she said.
Alyson Lynch, a senior government and politics major who has Lyme disease, feels the university’s accommodations for disabilities are up to par with what is required, but there is room for more.
“I think they have everything that they have to have to follow the law...but I don’t think they take extra steps to make the campus more accessible. They have wheelchair ramps because the law requires it of them, but they are totally out of the way usually,” Lynch said. Her Lyme disease makes it difficult to walk long distances without resting, often resulting in chronic pain; she often relies on a wheelchair to get around campus, even though she is able to walk on both legs.
“Every time I go out in my wheelchair and people realize I can walk, I’m questioned and attacked,” Lynch said.
The DSS did not respond for comments.
Through events and policy, the university is slowly but surely fighting against the stigma behind disability
To help fight against the stigma of disability and promote representation, the University of Maryland celebrated Disability Awareness Month this past October with weekly events to continue the conversation surrounding disability. Some events included a Disability Studies Roundtable and a webinar on how to maximize accessibility of course materials.
The university also advocates for disability awareness through its Rise Above campaign, which “focuses our University community on assumptions and biases that we need to overcome and values that we need to embrace in order to create an inclusive campus,” according to the Office of Diversity and Inclusion.
Specifically, the Rise Above Ableism campaign featured panels where professors discussed disability studies research, yoga sessions for “all body types” and a traveling and interactive photo booth where students could share their experiences and thoughts on how ableism has affected their lives.
The university has also joined in on the Maryland Commission on Civil Rights’s Defying Definitions campaign, which asks students to reflect on identity and diversity by sharing how they perceive or are perceived by others and themselves.
Beyond campus events, UMD has also taken a policy approach to promote representation for disabilities. The university revised disability procedures after a professor "retaliated" against a student by "failing to implement academic adjustments," essentially making him disclose his dyslexia in a lecture hall full of students, The Diamondback reported in March.
The university agreed to revise its complaint procedures to confront disability discrimination by Oct. 1, 2015 to include:
- "notice to students of procedure, including how and where to file a complaint;
- application of the procedure to complaints alleging disability discrimination carried out by students, employees, or third parties;
- adequate, reliable, and impartial investigation of complaints, including the opportunity to present witnesses and other evidence;
- designated and prompt timeframes governing and major stages of the grievance process;
- notice to the parties of the outcome of the complaint, and the basis for the decision;
- the right of the parties to appeal the findings, remedy or both; and
- an assurance that the University will take adequate steps to prevent the recurrence of any prohibited actions and to correct discriminatory effects on the complainant and others, if appropriate."
Like the student involved in the aforementioned university case, Lynch has also had some issues with how professors address her accommodations.
"[Professors] will think they’re being kind or helpful when they say, 'oh well I don’t care about that!' or 'I already do that' when I give them my accommodation forms, but they’re only increasing the invisibility of my illness by minimizing it," Lynch said. "Think colorblind racism. Saying 'everyone’s the same in my eyes' only erases my hard experiences."
The need to educate able-bodied people about issues people with disabilities face is becoming more and more prevalent. In light of this, professors Carolyn Fink and Peter Leone were awarded $15,000 grants last fall to develop a disability studies certificate or minor program, The Diamondback reported.
Alex Martocci, a junior kinesiology major and able-bodied student, agrees with Cork on the need for furthermore advocacy and awareness on campus.
"As an able-bodied person, I think that the fact that I am unable to give any information [about disability identity on campus] other than what DSS does for exams is quite telling," Martocci said.
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