Weekly News Updates

Top News Stories about Disability and Higher Education, October 6–19, 2024

• The Minnesota Respond, Innovate, Succeed, and Empower (RISE) Act became law (See Section 9 and appendices of MN SF 4003 ). It will require colleges to ease disability documentation requirements, require written explanations from instructors who say they can’t provide accommodations, and let students withdraw from courses without penalty if they are denied accommodations. It also calls for development of more inclusive higher education initiatives for students with intellectual disabilities.
• There are also multiple new laws in California affecting students with disabilities:
  • Students getting disciplinary notices have the right to an adviser of their choosing during the process, and the college must provide training to the adviser (CA AB 1575 )
  • Disabled students with nine or more credit hours/units will be eligible for a $1,298 grant per semester (CA AB 1885 ).
  • State colleges and universities must meet students’ needs for food, housing, and other basic needs (CA AB 2033 ).
  • Stigmatizing mental health terms in existing state will be updated and use first-person terms (e.g., “mentally ill person” will be “person with a mental health condition”). (CA AB 2119 ).
  • State community colleges must create student equity plans focused on increasing student success, including students with disabilities. Representatives of specific groups must serve on committees creating the plans. (CA AB 2403 )
  • The California College Student Disability Program Evaluation and Training law will require public colleges and universities to evaluate disability resource offices’ costs and budgets, and to offer training programs about disability access and compliance to new employees. (CA AB 2821 )
• Saying she is unable to read and write, tell time, or count money , University of Connecticut freshman Aleysha Oritz is suing Hartford Public Schools for not providing adequate special education services and for not giving sufficient parent information in Spanish.
• In the wake of Hurricane Helene, North Carolina colleges and universities have launched multiple programs addressing mental health needs of students and employees, even as campus members are still dealing with effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.
• AI research and development need to include people with disabilities , says an essay in Tech Policy Press, noting that AI is learning society’s ableist definitions of intelligence, communication, and human values.
• Vincennes University’s ASL and Deaf studies programs are now based at the Indiana School for the Deaf , giving professors and students an immersive experience in Deaf culture.
• As participation in dual enrollment programs rises for students with disabilities, a new report compares public and charter schools’ rates of disabled students’ participation in SAT and ACT testing, AP and IB courses, and dual enrollment programs.
• Most college students want or already use peer supports for their mental health, so Insider Higher Ed asked an expert to share what works.
• A Master’s program for incarcerated people now says some of the students funded by Vocational Rehabilitation should not have received services, leaving them unable to get assistance and pay tuition.
• “Deafblindness” is now an official disability category in Wisconsin schools, and use of interveners facilitating access to information and environments is an official accommodation. Educators hope this facilitates better post-high school transition services and access to Vocational Rehabilitation. (A link to more information is available at the website.)
• 988 suicide and crisis line information must now be on all college ID cards at New York colleges and universities , and all employees and students must receive training about using the resource.
• In understanding addiction, the humanities and arts offer a “vital counternarratives to the clinical view of addiction,” says Professor Steven Mintz from the University of Texas at Austin.
• For students thinking about bringing emotional support animals or service animals to college , U.S. News & World Report has published some basic advice.
• In recognition of National Disability Awareness Month , Rutgers students, staff, and faculty shared one thing they’d like others to know about having a disability or being a caretaker for someone with a disability.

Top News Stories about Disability and Higher Education, September 29–October 5, 2024

• A MacArthur “genius” grant was awarded to astrophysicist Keivan Stassun , a founder of the College Autism Network who has worked on numerous higher education initiatives for neurodiverse students.
• Members of Ohio University’s Student Senate are working with 4 Paws for Ability to petition for students to use service dogs in dorms without registering them with disability services, and to allow service dogs in training to be in the dorms.
• DREDF has published a guide entitled “Know Your Rights: Mask Bans on California College Campuses,” saying the bans can be harmful for students with disabilities.
• Gender dysphoria “may be a disability” under the Americans with Disabilities Act and Section 504, according to a rule published by the US Dept. of Health and Human Services. Seventeen states have filed a lawsuit challenging it.
• Employment rates for disabled people have risen dramatically since COVID-19 emerged, partly due to options for remote work.
• Columbia College Chicago announced it is cutting the ASL major one week after hosting a Deaf Awareness Day Celebration, with the editorial board of the campus newspaper saying elimination of ASL courses goes against campus DEI work.
• Supports for Deaf college students involve more than just accommodations , according to findings from a National Deaf Center survey of disability services professionals.
• The majority of first-year students in 2019-2020 had increased stress and anxiety due to the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a national study by the US Department of Education.

Top News Stories about Disability and Higher Education, September 15–21, 2024

• The AccessText Network provided digital versions of printed textbooks , but with its closure, colleges, and students are looking for alternatives.
• The Chronicle of Higher Education offers tips and strategies to make courses more inclusive for all students.
• Student services staff often provide support and trauma-informed care to students, but many of them need training and support for their own mental health needs.
• Local ASL interpreters at Imperial Valley Community College earn $35/hour, but the Board of Trustees approved an out-of-state contractor paying interpreters $110/hour to travel to campus, without any education or certification requirements.
• Architects created a neuro-inclusive educational space at Smith College , but first, they had to let go of traditional assumptions about learning and design in higher education.
• Medical students started an Inclusive Medical Coalition at Washington State University Spokane, and its work is already enhancing the training of future healthcare professionals.
• A new “one-stop shop” for Pittsburgh State University’s students centralizes advisors, resources, and offices like disability services, so students can easily find what they need at any point in their career.
• Despite not having any on-campus ASL courses , Michigan State University students have set up a weekly ASL Club to learn, practice, and build community.

Top News Stories about Disability and Higher Education, September 8–14, 2024

• College students still have high rates of mental and emotional health concerns, but The Healthy Minds study found the prevalence of depression, anxiety, eating disorders, and other conditions has decreased for the second year in a row.
• The NCAA has given Gallaudet University’s football team approval for ongoing use of helmets they tested that provide players visual information from coaches.
• Physically disabled MIT math and physics major Ben Lou recently went viral for a speech in China where he said, “Society might expect that due to your disability, you won’t be able to accomplish at the same level… Brush that thought aside.”
• The federal government has banned Naviant from servicing federal loans in a $120 million settlement for deceptive practices that included negatively affecting the credit of borrowers with disabilities, including disabled veterans.
• One professor uses her personal experiences with ADHD to plan courses that will reach Gen Z students.
• How do students experience the transition to college and accessing accommodations? Students and the director of the Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund (DREDF) director shared their thoughts with NPR.
• For Suicide Awareness Month, the DocsWithDisabilities podcast will focus on suicide students in training for medical fields.
• All employee groups related to diversity, equity, and inclusion have been eliminated at the University of North Texas, but groups related to disability were not affected.
• Dual enrollment is growing , but one Boston University professor notes that multilingual learners and students with disabilities lack opportunities to participate.
• Research about diversity training in higher education and corporations suggests it’s not very effective, but some of the problem may be trying to change people instead of institutions.

Top News Stories about Disability and Higher Education, September 1–7, 2024

• Students going to out-of-state colleges or inclusive higher education programs may be eligible for services from the Vocational Rehabilitation agency in their home state, says new VR guidance.
• A disabled professor shared her experiences in a piece in Wordgathering , including going through the accommodations process and realizing universities assume only students have disabilities.
• Think College released its annual report about its 41 higher education transition program (TPSID) grantees at 39 colleges and universities. An executive summary and report of highlights are available, as well.
• What should campus administrators know about disability? Gen Z has new perspectives to offer.
• Professors still think students learn better with paper books than digital textbooks , even though less than ten percent of college courses rely solely on physical books.
• The National Women’s Law Center filed an amicus brief for scientist Dr. Vivian Cheung in her disability discrimination suit against her employer; the brief frames the case within a history of disabled Asian American women.
• SAMHSA has published a guide to preventing substance use in disabled young adults ages 18-25.
• Beacon College will air another season of “A World of Difference: Embracing Neurodiversity” on PBS in Florida.
• To create leaders in high school transition for students with disabilities , the U.S. Department of Education awarded the University of Oklahoma $6.5 million to train 20 doctoral students at six campuses.
• Medical students at the University of the Philippines have created a MediSIGN handbook teaching medical professionals enough Filipino Sign Language for basic communication with patients.

Top News Stories about Disability and Higher Education, February 18–February 24, 2024

• SUNY campuses will be investing almost $10 million annually to improve mental health services at 28 campuses, reaching over 200,000 students across New York.
• Australia has released a plan for the next ten years or more of higher education reform ; it includes need-based funding, with universities receiving more money for the number of “equity students,” including First Nations students and disabled students.
• As a Black Deaf philosophy professor , Teresa Blankmeyer Burke challenges those who see deafness as a hearing “loss” instead of Deaf “gain.”
• After detecting carcinogens in a North Carolina State University building , a local radio station reported that at least 101 people working there had cancer and over a dozen had serious illnesses.
• Can anyone recover from an eating disorder? One DePaul student with anorexia says it’s important to recognize and normalize the ongoing challenges of dealing with this serious mental illness.
• “What is the perfect academic cancer?” Professor Joy Jones-Carmack asked her husband after a diagnosis of breast cancer.
• Holograms are being used on more campuses , and Gallaudet University is among those experimenting with the technology.
• Growing up blind in India , Rajeev Annapragada is now in Columbia University’s MBA program, where mentors, friends, and accommodations are supporting his success.
• Rochester, NY police did not provide an ASL interpreter for Scott Matchett or his Deaf parents, and they believe that led to the death of their son, who was also autistic and dealing with mental illness after he started college.
• The disability discrimination claim of a Howard University student with ADHD and anxiety may move forward; it was wrongfully dismissed using local laws instead of federal ones.

American Sign Language courses are not just about language, but also about culture, human rights, and community, says Deaf ASL Professor Brian Leffler, who won an award for his work at the University of Georgia..

Top News Stories about Disability and Higher Education, February 11–February 17, 2024

• A new student loan program from the Biden Administration will offer debt relief to students with disabilities or “high-cost burdens for essential expenses” including health care.
• Have universities “become senior centers and care homes” run by elderly professors ? Maybe not - some people are concerned about associating age and physical conditions with reduced mental capacity.
• A Master’s in Transition and Accessibility Services in Post Secondary Settings is a new program available at the University of Saint Joseph.
• The final season of the TV show “The Good Doctor” will have a new character playing an autistic medical student.
• The Jewish practice of Shabat helped University of Washington student Sophie Hulet have new perspectives of their chronic illness and an understanding of what they needed for college.
• Fewer than 3% of students with intellectual disabilities in Minnesota attend college, but a new Inclusive Higher Education Consortium hopes to change that.
• Dartmouth has reinstated a policy requiring standardized testing for admissions, but students say it contributes to structural ableism and “measures students’ disabilities, not their abilities.”
• The University of Michigan student government unanimously passed a resolution to set up a disability cultural center.
• Alcohol, pot, and mushrooms helped a college student with epilepsy, who eventually decided to rely on sobriety and “natural charm” to work through social anxiety.
• Already understaffed and underfunded , the University of Washington’s Disability Resource for Students office is seeing faculty rely more on them for things professors could do themselves.
• A change in policy wording was supposed to clarify disability services at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, but some students say it actually creates barriers and rigidity.
• Learn about The Southwest College for the Deaf , one of only three colleges in the U.S. for deaf or hard-of-hearing students.
• If your work and studies are fueled by Starbucks, you’ll be happy to know Starbucks is starting to design “inclusive” stores, and the first one in DC features art by Ryan Seslow, a Deaf art professor .

Top News Stories about Disability and Higher Education, January 28–February 3, 2024

• Utah's Republican governor signed into law an anti-DEI bill for public colleges and universities, after a history of him championing women’s rights and diversity.

• In 1988, University College Dublin set up Ireland’s first disability services while creating a national AHEAD* organization that continues today as an advocate for disabled students.

• Young adult novel Where You See Yourself features a young woman making decisions about college based on wheelchair access while navigating friendships and romance; it just won a prestigious Schneider Family Book Award from the American Library Association.
• Read a summary of a virtual conversation about the politics of disability, Black womanhood, and disability justice at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), with links to information about panelists.
• University of Georgia students with “invisible disabilities” explain what it’s like to be in college, get accommodations, and deal with stigma.
• DisabledinSTEM on X and Purdue University are groups working to make labs accessible for disabled STEM researchers.
• Many college students don’t know how to request accommodations in jobs, but Teen Vogue explains what students need to know and ways to address “structural ableism in the workplace.”
• New research suggests engineering and technical Career and Technical Education (CTE) courses may help students with learning disabilities transition to college.
• The College of Saint Rose’s program for students with intellectual disabilities will continue in New York despite the college closing, moving to Russell Sage College.
• Binghamton University has a new Neurodiversity Club , which meets regularly with the existing Disabled Student Union and American Sign Language (ASL) Club.

* AHEAD in Ireland is not affiliated with the Association on Higher Education And Disability (AHEAD) in the United States

Top News Stories about Disability and Higher Education, January 21–27, 2024

• A new director of disability, culture, and inclusion has started at Johns Hopkins University, and he brings his own experiences as a disabled first-generation college student to his work.
• Students experiencing discrimination have more severe mental health concerns compared to their peers, according to a new report from Penn State University (click here to go directly to the report ).
• The blind professor leading Australian group Universities Enable says universities need more involvement of disabled academics and a community-led advisory mechanism for implementing disability policy.
• Disability studies in Serbia is expanding, thanks to work by the University of Novi Sad, Penn State Leigh Valley, and CUNY.
• Some seminaries have added courses or degrees on disability theology and ministry.
• Even when Deaf Filipinos make it to university , there’s usually no access to interpreters or other services.
• The Youth Disability Advocacy and Research Network at Bournemouth University in the UK works on disability issues in East Africa; they have published videos of Disability and Media workshops held last year.

Top News Stories about Disability and Higher Education, November 26–December 2, 2023

• How can Black people heal from the psychological, physical, and emotional experiences of racism? Professor Charmeka Newton at the University of North Dakota has developed a toolkit for individual use.
• “Postvention” policies help colleges deal with a student’s death by suicide , but most campuses don’t have anything in place.
• An “academic doula” at the University of California Davis is helping faculty deal with the anxiety and stress of pregnancy and returning to academia after parental leaves.
• Campus presidents don’t talk about mental health , so former Grinnell College President Raynard Kington comes out and offers advice for presidents and trustees.
• Learn the basics about inclusive higher education and how it works, with an article from the director of the program at Kennesaw State University.
• Two autistic professors share their experiences: An autistic professor of midwifery in the UK has tips for more inclusive courses; and being a neurodivergent professor in academia can be challenging , says Simone Brixius-Anderko from the University of Pittsburgh.
• Governors need to update career and technical education strategic plans , says the U.S. Department of Education; 37% of CTE students have disabilities.
• A scathing special report by the American Association of University Professors (AAUP) reviews the ways politics have affected academic freedom and DEI work (including disability).
• As a senior, Taliah Carmona is reflective about being hard of hearing and how her perspective changed her years at LeMoyne College.
• With the anime A Sign of Affection movie coming on in January, follow-up volumes six and seven have been published faster than usual - read the Manga Review to learn more (it has spoilers!)

Top News Stories about Disability and Higher Education, October 22–28, 2023

• “Generation P” is entering college and admissions officers are adapting to consider the academic, social, and emotional setbacks students experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic.
• New Jersey’s Division of Civil Rights has entered into a Consent Decree with Mercer County Community College after an employee with COVID-19 was fired instead of getting an extended medical leave or accommodation to work remotely.
• Nearly half of adjunct faculty said they had such low salaries that they postponed necessary health care and mental health services , according to a new American Federation of Teachers survey.
• The Netflix series Sex Education has started its final season , with the main characters going to college, where they learn about disability rights and accessibility.
• Two college soccer players helped Team USA win gold in the Deaf Olympics: Spring Arbor University’s Paige Beaudry and Lafayette College’s Ani Khachadourian .
• In a recent survey, 75% of faculty had conversations with students about mental health , but only half believed they could recognize a student in crisis.
• The University of Toldeo’s law school has a new Disability and Education Law Association for students.
• A cyberbreach at the University of Michigan led to an Internet shutdown after hackers accessed personal information for 230,000 students, staff, and faculty, including health information.
• Colleges and universities in New Jersey must implement comprehensive suicide prevention and mental health programs beginning in fall of 2024.
• First-year Grinnell College student Eliza Cline shares her perceptions of ableism on campus and how the Disability Cultural Association is addressing it.
• A promotional video is available for the upcoming Japanese movie A Sign of Affection (Yubisaki to Renren ), which will debut in the U.S. in January 2024; the story follows a Deaf college student and her romance with a hearing upperclassman.
• The annual Deaf Town event at Ohio State University required nonverbal communication, with a “Town Jail” for people who used their voices.

Top News Stories about Disability and Higher Education, October 1–14, 2023

• A new debt relief plan for student loans is coming together at the US Dept. of Education, with a focus on borrowers qualifying for partial or full cancellation of debt due to “hardship”, including medical debt, chronic illness, and whether a borrower is on Medicaid.
• Chelsea Reinschmidt went to the UK for a graduate degree, but now the University of Brighton says they will only fund interpreters for 25% of her degree program, meaning it’s likely she will be deported back to the U.S.
• Emergency COVID funds have had a permanent positive impact in some aspects of higher education , including raised awareness of students’ mental health needs and innovative programs to address them.
• News about the anti-DEI movement in higher education:
  • Draft regulations for Florida’s anti-DEI legislation are available , and while banning “diversity, equity, and inclusion activities” and “political or social activism,” the law exempts programs to help students with “unique abilities” (i.e., a euphemism the Florida state government traditionally uses for disabled students).
  • Dr. Viki Peer shares her experiences teaching a “Gender and Disability” course at New College of Florida as the campus transitioned under Governor DeSantis.
• Disabled drivers at University of Wisconsin campuses can be fined if they park without a campus disability parking pass, but Republican lawmakers have introduced a bill requiring UW to honor state disability cards or license plates, regardless of whether the person has University permits.
• In Columbia, Jesion Aristizábal is setting up a university for disabled people like himself—he was a CNN Hero of the Year in 2016.
• A lawsuit alleges the Peace Corps is discriminating against applicants with disabilities —especially those with mental illnesses.
• Nicholas Gregorich graduated from Clemson University with his doctorate in chemical engineering , with mentors encouraging him to keep going during a long and complicated road filled with multiple mental health leaves and struggles to stay in school.
• A new report outlines more equitable ways to provide dual enrollment programs; the report does not specifically address students with disabilities, but it’s based on the authors’ research showing students with disabilities are only 3.9% of dual-enrollment students.
• Gallaudet University’s football team are testing helmets that have captioned messages for the quarterback visible inside the helmet; CNN has a video showing how the helmet works .

Top News Stories about Disability and Higher Education, September 24–30, 2023

• New College of Florida has entered into an agreement with the U.S. Department of Education over allegations of disability discrimination in its websites and communication; a separate complaint was also filed last month regarding the college’s alleged “overly hostile actions” on the basis of race, gender, religion, LGBTQ+ identification, and disability.
• The Amherst student newspaper is kicking off a new column by Willow Delp called “Anti-Ableist Amherst” by arguing for a disability cultural center for neurodiverse and disabled students.
• A planning guide from the Think College National Coordinating Center offers information and advice for new inclusive higher education programs serving students with intellectual disabilities.
• Joshua Nicholson shares his experience as an autistic student at the University of Michigan , saying there needs to be more improvements — a campus survey showed disabled students at the University are 291% more likely than nondisabled students to report experiences of discrimination.
• A report from Canada suggests ways to support neurodevelopmental disabilities and mental health of Indigenous people in various aspects of society, including education.
• New federal guidance for promoting diversity and guidance for banning diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs do not mention disability as part of DEI; meanwhile students at the University of Iowa are actively working to include disability as part of campus diversity.
• Results of the 2023 Student Voice survey by Inside Higher Ed examined how chronic stress is affecting mental health, and some of the findings are: only 15% of college students said their mental health was excellent, half of the students with “poor” mental health haven’t accessed campus mental health resources, and only 27% of all students knew where to get help.
• Fort Lewis College staff member Ally Gee is raising awareness of people with hearing loss at the college and within the Navajo Nation .
• A new DO-IT webpage lists resources supporting the universal design of projects, conference exhibits, presentations, and professional organizations.

Top News Stories about Disability and Higher Education, September 17–23, 2023

• Yale is no longer requiring students with medical leaves to completely withdraw and reapply for admission, after a combination of a recent student suicide, student activism, and a legal settlement forced the change.
• In her new memoir, actress Kerry Washington talks about having an eating disorder during college.
• Prospective college students want to stand out in their college admissions essays, but they shouldn’t feel pushed to write about past traumas , says an op-ed in Teen Vogue.
• Students, faculty, and staff can all experience menopause , but higher education is not always a supportive place to share experiences, deal with symptoms like anxiety and depression, or adjust thermostats to “turn down the goddamn heat.”
• A free “Certificate in Inclusive Excellence” at Augusta University will help faculty and staff learn more about inclusion; the certificate includes disability awareness and suicide prevention courses.
• Two new centers in higher education are working on disability issues:
  1. Northwestern University’s Center for Racial and Disability Justice promotes “justice for people of color, people with disabilities, and individuals at the intersection of race and disability.”
  2. The Center for Virtual Care Value and Equity at the University of North Carolina will include research to improve equity in virtual mental health care for college students.
• Learn about Usher Syndrome , the leading cause of deaf-blindness, and two women who used accommodations during and after college.
• As summers get longer and hotter, air conditioning in dorms is becoming a necessity for people with and without disabilities and health conditions.
• Binghamton College is setting up additional funding for services including mental health, disability services, adaptive technology, and transition, with the purpose of showing “disability awareness and action is a campus-wide effort and priority.”
• Deion Sanders’ daughter Shelomi is using her Instagram account to post about having Type I diabetes while attending and playing basketball at the University of Colorado.
• A new Service Dog Club at the University of Tennessee brings together students who use service animals on campus.

Also of note: People who use American Sign Language can now access ASL services at the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline by going to 988lifeline.org or calling 1-800-273-TALK (8255) with a VideoPhone (VP). The NCCSD will soon be adding this to our list of crisis resources at https://nccsd.ici.umn.edu/crisis-resources.

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