Arizona State University will offer a disability studies major beginning in Fall 2019. NCDJ board member Amy Silverman reports the details in a new article for Phoenix New Times.
higher education
AZ Board of Regents committee rejects new major of Disability Studies
In a column for the Phoenix New Times NCDJ Advisory Board member Amy Silverman advocates for the creation of a Disability Studies major at Arizona universities. A sub-committee of The Arizona Board of Regents accepted requests for new majors last week and approved all the proposed majors except for Disability Studies. Silverman argues that there is a market demand for expertise related to disability issues. Click here to read Silverman’s full column.
College student diagnoses classmate with POTS, postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome
Last Friday the student newspaper Iowa State Daily featured an excellent profile of two college women who share the same invisible disability – postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS). Laura Wiederholt had been living with the condition for several years and recognized the symptoms described by her friend Taylor Schumacher. With Wiederholt’s encouragement, Schumacher received an official diagnosis and was able to adapt her lifestyle to her new condition. Apparently POTS is more common than people realize but it is underdiagnosed due to symptoms like fatigue and nausea that resemble other illnesses. Check out the article here to learn more about POTS and the students adapting to it.
Professor teaches NYU Engineering students about disabilities
Alan Goldstein, a former actor turned award-winning professor at NYU, partners engineering students with people with disabilities to make short documentaries about their lives. The Chronicle of High Education reports on Goldstein’s unique class about “Disabilities Studies.”
Univ of Illinois students with disabilities creating ‘culture house’ to build community
A group of students with disabilities at the University of Illinois are working to found a ‘cultural house’ where they can build community. The process is in its beginning stages but the founders are hopeful the new community space would create a needed space for students with disabilities to appreciate their culture and organize for more awareness of disability topics. Click here to read the full article by Karen Liu in the student paper The Daily Illini.
Options Grow in Higher Education for Students with Intellectual Disabilities
More colleges, like Clemson University, are offering opportunities for students with intellectual disabilities. But across the nation, there is still more demand for those programs. Read more
University of Minnesota Students Clash with Professors Over Invisible Disabilities
Students in Minnesota say professors are not properly accommodating students with invisible disabilities. More training may be needed as more students come forward with mental illness, according to advocates. Read more
University of Texas Elects First Physically Disabled Student President
Alejandrina Guzman is the first student body president elected at University of Texas at Austin with physical disabilities. Read more
Colleges See Increased Enrollment of Students with Disabilities
Universities are implementing more inclusion programs for students with disabilities, like Bergen Community College’s Turning Point program for students with intellectual disabilities or Fairleigh Dickenson’s COMPASS program. Read more
Disability Support Services at International Universities
U.S. News and World Report explores accessibility at universities across the world. Read more