D.R.E.A.M.S. Club Newsletter

February/March 2013—Volume 1, Issue 1

1 About the D.R.E.A.M.S. Club

2 Disability Services—How it works.

3 Inclusive Restrooms at SFCC

4-5 Disabilities Awareness Advocate Encourages Students with Disabilities to Study Abroad—Wesley Morton

6 Contact the DREAMS Club

Inside this issue:

About the D.R.E.A.M.S. Club

Unless otherwise noted:

Written and Edited by: Kathlyne Gish

Layout and Design: Kathlyne Gish

Photo editing: Linda Rawson

of someone with a disability, and 3) students of both

Santa Fe Community College or the Higher Education

Center who are going into health and social service ca-

reers, including but not limited to: Nursing, Dental,

Teaching, ASL interpreting, Psychology, Human Ser-

vices, Social Work, and Education. We also accept com-

munity members into our club. Everyone in our club is

treated as an equal, respected, accepted, and valued

human being, whose opinions and goals matter.

The D.R.E.A.M.S. Club is becoming a very active

club on campus. The goals of the club are, in part, to

provide peer support to all club members; to build stu-

dent connections between students going into social

service professions and students with disabilities to

build a greater understanding of the needs and rights of

those with disabilities, and share awareness of commu-

nity resources available or needed. We also provide

leadership opportunities, because together we really

can make a difference both at Santa Fe Community Col-

lege and in our community.

We are building community affiliations with organi-

zations and non-profits that we recognize as supporting

or actively assisting people with disabilities in New Mex-

ico. We are officially affiliated with Las Campanas Com-

padres, and Public Allies of New Mexico (an AmeriCorp

program), and we recognize and thank them for the

wonderful work they do to serve people in our commu-

nities. And at SFCC we are grateful for the support of

the Student Government Association, Student Ambas-

sadors, The Office of Student Development, The Disabil-

ity Services Office, especially our club sponsor Vaune

Hegmann, and the numerous clubs, fellow students,

and faculty and staff members who have actively ex-

pressed their support for the D.R.E.A.M.S. Club. ▪

The D.R.E.A.M.S. Club is a new student club at

Santa Fe Community College. D.R.E.A.M.S. stands for

Disability Rights, Education, Advocacy, and Mutual

Support. We are currently comprised of thirty-one

SFCC students, and two community members. We are

primarily students who are either: 1) a student with

any type of disability (documented or undocumented,

and disclosure is not required). 2) the family member

Find the D.R.E.A.M.S Club newsletter online at:

http://dreamsclubnm.blogspot.com/p/

club-newsletters.html

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In college it is the student’s responsibility to initiate the

request to receive accommodations. At Santa Fe Com-munity College, Disability Services is here to assist stu-dents with disabilities so that we receive the support and accommodations we need to be included in college courses and activities.

Even if you do not have documentation of a disability, but suspect you may have one, speak with a liaison in the Disability Services office. They may be able to assist you or provide guidance and advice. Currently Disability Services assists approximately 200 students with all types of disabilities. Here are some common questions you may have been wondering:

What are some common accommodations that students with disabilities receive?

Services for deaf and hard of hearing students Interpreters, readers, and scribes Note takers (who may be compensated) Extra time on exams Private room and alternate testing arrangements Textbooks in alternate format Assistive technology needs Connecting students to community resources

What is the process to receive accommodations? Students with disabilities who are interested in receiving services while at SFCC should get in contact with Disabil-ity Services. The process for receiving services is accom-plished in three easy steps:

Step 1: Contact Disability Services

Call or come by for an appointment or to make an ac-commodation request.

Step 2: Intake/Eligibility Appointment

Set up an intake appointment with a Disability Services Liaison to review your needs and your accommodation requests.

Step 3: Accommodations

After eligibility for services is determined, you will receive an accommodation letter from Disability Services. You will give the letter to your instructor. The instructor is required to provide the accommodations that are stated on that form. If an instructor asks what your disability is, you are not required to disclose that information.

What happens if an instructor does not understand the process to provide a student with accommoda-tions? Tell your instructor to call the Office of Disability Services to clarify your accommodations or to receive assistance they need to provide accommodations to you.

What can a student do if an instructor fails to pro-vide accommodations? Tell someone in Disability Services immediately if an in-structor states that they cannot provide a documented accommodation to you, or if they do not provide you with the accommodations they have been notified of. Instructors are required to provide reasonable accom-modations requested by the Disability Services office.

How much time in advance do I need to give Disabil-ity Services in order to get accommodations? Most reasonable accommodations may be arranged with-in ten business days. Students receiving reasonable ac-commodations have a responsibility to notify the Disability Services office of their need for accommodations in a timely manner.

All contact with Disability Services is confidential.

To contact the Office of Disability Services call or visit their office. They are located in the lower level of the West Wing. Room 313 Phone: 505.428.1711 Office hours: 8:00 am to 5:00 pm Monday through Friday

Disability Services—How it Works.

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Inclusive Gender Neutral Restrooms at Santa Fe Community College

Santa Fe Community College has four gender neutral restrooms on campus. These restrooms are universally designed, meaning they were designed so that the ma-jority of people with a variety of needs and abilities can access and utilize them. These restrooms are single stall and offer more privacy than traditional restrooms on campus. The gender neutral restroom in the Fitness Education Center has a wheelchair accessible shower and dressing area as well. These inclusive restrooms are ideal for anyone who…

Has a disability and needs a more accessible space. Has a disability and needs an attendant, especially

of a different gender. Are parents or guardians with children of a different

gender. Is transgender or gender non-conforming. Anyone who needs the additional safety or privacy

a single stall restroom provides. For more information on gender neutral restrooms, please contact Jessica Lawless by email: Jessica.lawless@sfcc.edu For more information on Universal design and disability issues, please contact Vaune Hegmann by email vaune.hegmann@sfcc.edu

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Interview and article by Wesley Morton

G uida Leicester is a person living her life with passion. She recently returned from 6-weeks

studying abroad in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil--the realization of a dream she has had for most of her life. A dream she has worked hard to make real.

In 2002 following a black widow spider bite, Guida suffered a massive right brainstem stroke. The stroke left her compromised and weak on her left side, limiting her mobility and affecting her speech, hearing and vi-sion.

“Before I had my stroke I had a dream. A dream I’ve had since I was in my twenties to study Portuguese in a study abroad program in Brazil.” Lying in the ER after her stroke Guida felt her dream had slipped away.

Yet, the stroke was a pivotal moment for her—a wake-up call and ultimately a powerful motivator. As a result of this total life upheaval, she feels a door was opened to greater meaning and purpose in her life. Guida wants to use her story, her journey and her knowledge to inspire people with disabilities to embark on study abroad adventures of their own.

Speaking of her study abroad experience, Guida gives high praise to Brazil’s national movement for disa-bilities awareness. Brazil will host the 2014 World Cup and the 2016 Summer Olympics and Paralympics. These are opportunities for the country to incorporate greater accessibility and more universal design into

their urban projects. “Vivir sem limites” (Live without limits) is a national plan announced by Brazilian presi-dent Dilma Rousseff intended to increase national ac-cessibility standards for people with disabilities.

While offering praise of Brazil’s accessibility efforts to prepare for these international events, Guida acknowledges the necessity of maintaining a broad and long-term sustainable vision. “Brazil needs to think beyond these two events and not just prepare stadi-ums, but prepare for their cities to be accessible for everybody at all times.” Examples of accessible urban features are cut-curbs and ramps with gentle inclines for people such as herself–-a wheelchair user--with par-ticular mobility needs.

As she was studying abroad, Guida experienced differences in cultural values between the U.S. and Bra-zil. She notes that the individualistic culture in the U.S. contrasts with the more communal mindset in Brazil. This collective identity means Brazilians are quick to jump in and help in certain cases. She witnessed groups of Brazilians coming together to lift disabled individuals into vehicles and up stairs in places where universal access wasn’t available—a response not com-mon in her life in the U.S.

The journey presented Guida with challenges. Dur-ing her last week in Rio de Janeiro, she was told that a field trip she had signed on for was not accessible and that a member of faculty had forgotten to inform her weeks earlier of this. After the missed excursion Guida came to find out that the site actually WAS accessible. This missed opportunity could have been avoided had her opinion been sought out and included in the deci-sion-making that concerned her.

This experience underscores the importance of having direct contact with the people in your program. Face-to-face contact, with the organizers of your jour-ney—faculty and program administrators—is best. The individuals in charge of the program need to know you, and see you in person. This will help decrease assump-tions made on your behalf and will give your voice the space to be heard, acknowledged, and incorporated into all levels of planning. Being open and transparent about what your limitations are in the context of travel-ing abroad will be to your benefit and will make for a more enjoyable and customized experience.

Disabilities Awareness Advocate Encourages Students with Disabilities to Study Abroad

Professor Gilberto and Guida Leicester

at Niteroí State Park– south of Rio de Janiero, Brazil

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Guida envisions disabilities trainings for administra-tors and programmers of international study programs to raise awareness around limitations, accessibility, and universal design. These trainings would help programs to better understand the laws and legal standards in host countries, as well as train public transportation profes-sionals how to properly lift people with disabilities in and out of vehicles.

I asked her what her message is to students who as-pire to study abroad and who are living with a disability. “Go for it. Do it, do it, do it.” Preplan carefully. Consid-er, “What are my medical needs? What are my equip-ment needs?” Find out what equipment you will need in your country of choice and whether you should acquire the equipment in the U.S. or upon arrival in your destina-tion. Airlines will provide free shipping to the country if they know you are a person with a disability. Guida found American Airlines to be a good airline for this.

Communicate as much as possible with the people in the program, in your university, as well as the host coun-try before departure. Once you arrive at your destina-tion, be flexible. You will have to adapt. For example, you may have ten people helping you and your wheel-chair up a flight of stairs as opposed to using an elevator because there might not be one. If you are going to a country where a different language is spoken, learn the terms for your disability in that language.

For students with a disability, studying abroad is typi-cally more expensive because of medical, equipment, and living accommodation needs. Investigate fellow-ships and scholarships. Talk to your Department of Vo-cational Rehabilitation (DVR) early on. The Rotary Club is a good source for funding opportunities, and the Mobili-ty International USA website also has good information on scholarships and other types of funding.

Guida’s study in Rio de Janeiro was made possible by the Foreign Language and Area Studies (FLAS) Fellow-ships program through the U.S. Department of Educa-tion, an opportunity she found through UNM’s Latin American Iberian Institute (LAII).

To get started students should work with their office of international studies as well as their accessibilities ser-vices office on campus. Also find the international office in your host country and be in communication with them. She recommends Mobility International USA

(miusa.org) as a great website to start investigating the possibilities.

Guida’s study abroad experience is informing her work as a graduate student at UNM. Her inquiry project, “University Students with Disabilities and Study Abroad Programs,” is an exploration of the unique issues, barri-ers, and possibilities inherent in international exchange for individuals with disabilities. Her thesis is a reflection of her dedication to opening the way for others to study abroad.

Guida is a featured presenter at the upcoming disA-BILITY Awareness Fair, April 4th, 2013 at Santa Fe Com-munity College. She will present on the theme of Study Abroad for People with Disabilities. ▪

Guida’s blog has wonderful stories and relevant in-formation for study abroad. Check it out: http://guidario2012.wordpress.com/

“Nothing About Us Without Us” is the title of a blog post on Mobility International USA’s website featuring Guida’s Study Abroad experience (http://www.miusablog.org/2012/12/nothing-about-us-without-us/).

Continued...

“A social inclusive society is defined as one where all peo-

ple feel valued, their differences are respected, and their

basic needs are met so they can live in dignity.”

~The Social Inclusion Act, Canada~

March is Learning Disabilities Awareness Month The U.S. Department of Education's Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services Rehabilitative Services Administra-

tion defines learning disabilities as:

A disorder in one or more of the central nervous sys-tem processes involved in perceiving, understanding, and/or using concepts through verbal (spoken or written) lan-guage or non-verbal means. This disorder manifests itself with a deficit in one or more of the following areas: attention, reasoning, pro-cessing, memory, communication, reading, writing, spelling, calculation, coordination, social competence, and emotional maturity.

http://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ovae/pi/AdultEd/dislearning.html

Mailing Address: Santa Fe Community College Attn: Office of Student Development C/O Janet Berry 6401 S. Richards Avenue Santa Fe , NM 87508

E-mail: DreamsClubNM@gmail.com

Facebook: SFCCDREAMSCLUB

Blog: DreamsClubNM.blogspot.com

D. R . E . A . M . S . C l u b

Article Submissions Interested in contributing to this news-letter? DREAMS Club is now accepting news-letter article submissions, information, and article ideas of the following: Information and Resources

Article ideas Any non-published articles Please submit the proposal or draft of the article by email to: DreamsClubNM@gmail com Please add the subject line: “Submission of Newsletter Proposal” *Sorry, we are unable to pay for article submissions at this time.*

The D.R.E.A.M.S. Club was created with loving memory of:

Derrick Roybal

11-08-1976 to 10-07-2008

Student and Community workshops

on topics related to disability

Film, “When Billy Broke His Head”

Information and resource tables

Local community agencies

Students and the General Public are

Welcome to Attend!

Thursday, April 4, 2013

10 am to 5 pm

Santa Fe Community College

Main Hall and Jemez Rooms

DisABILITY Awareness Fair FREE Public Event Sponsored by the D.R.E.A.M.S. Club

For more info, email us at:

DreamsClubNM@gmail.com

Blog Page: http://dreamsclubnm.blogspot.com/p/

disability-awareness-fair-project.html

Derrick on the Ropes Course Field at SFCC in 2008

Member of

Student Ambassadors and the Student Government Association.

Student Representative on the Governing Board,

and much more.

He was determined to be included.