Integrating Disability into Diversity

Yvette Q. Getch, Ph.D. &

Rodney L. Parks, Ph.D.

DISABILITY: A FORM OF DIVERSITY

What is disability?

Why should disability be included in our discussions of diversity?

Issues related to the intersection of diversity and disability.

Legislation protects individuals with disabilities.

Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act

The American with Disabilities Act

DISABILITY IS DIVERSITY

Perhaps the most neglected, misunderstood, and marginalized groups of individuals that we work with in the field of counseling are individuals with disabilities. While on the surface, this may seem to be a bold statement. The mere fact that so little is included in our counseling texts about individuals with disabilities give credence to this statement (Getch & Johnson, in press)

The same statement is true in higher education

INCREASING NUMBERS OF STUDENTS WITH

DISABILITIES

Approximately 707,000 students with disabilities were enrolled in 2 and 4 year colleges during the 2008-2009 academic year (Raue and Lewis, 2011)

Approximately 50% have learning disabilities Parker and Boutelle (2009)

Numbers are increasing

Students with LD/ADHD /Dyslexia have doubled in the last decade (U.S. DOE, 2000)

Disability and Post-Secondary Institutions

Total Number of Institutions

N Percent

Public 2-year 1,040 1,040 99

Private not-for-profit 2-year

110 90 76

Private for-profit 2-year

480 310 63

Public 4-year 630 620 99

Private not-for-profit 4-year

1,510 1,340 88

Private for-profit 4-year

390 290 74

Number of 2-year and 4-year degree granting postsecondary institutions, and percent that enrolled students with disabilities

Disability and Post-Secondary Institutions

Difficulty Hearing

Difficulty Seeing

Difficulty Speaking

Mobility Tx Brain

Learning ADD/ ADHD

Autism Cognitive Health Mental Other

Public 2-year

90 84 53 90 74 94 87 70 71 80 87 26

Private not-for-profit 2-year

29 26 18 35 26 67 53 36 30 56 76 7

Private for-profit 2-year

32 35 18 70 25 60 40 18 26 47 53 3

Public 4-year

92 90 46 93 84 97 94 78 39 95 94 30

Private not-for-profit 4-year

65 59 25 68 47 84 78 49 26 72 69 11

Private for-profit 4-year

60 37 16 46 19 72 64 34 27 39 52 8

Percent of 2-year and 4-year degree-granting enrolling any students in each disability category

ATTITUDINAL BARRIERS

“How is it fair to my 99 students that I have to wait to show a video until it is closed captioned just because of that one deaf student” (Conversation with a professor, Spring 2012)

“How can a blind person work with kids in schools anyway? How is she going to do her job? I feel like I’m wasting my time teaching her”

“I feel sorry for her. She makes me uncomfortable”

ATTITUDINAL BARRIERS

Indeed, the white, wealthy, male imbalance in LD and ADD diagnoses is so stark that the diagnosis has a nickname among campus disabilities experts: “We call it Wonderbread. It is an expensive white bread you buy at the store,” says Jim Kessler, director of disability services at UNC-Chapel Hill.9 While noting this label, Kessler goes on to stress that he doesn’t believe this white, high-income population is being overserved by offices such as his (Vickers, 2010 p. 5).

CONCEPT OF SPREAD (WRIGHT, 1983) FIGURE 2 BY HAMIESTER,ET AL.

(1999)

BARRIERS

“Them”

Assumptions/Attitudes

Limiting

Lack of knowledge

Spread

Resources

Lack of information

OPPORTUNITIES DENIED

Study Abroad

Organizations

Honors programs

Registration

Admission

Retention

CREATING A FRIENDLY, SUPPORTIVE

ATMOSPHERE

Diverse materials, wall decorations, etc.

Space that is accessible with universal design

Materials that are accessible

Registration and orientation sessions that meet the needs of students with disabilities

Staff and administrators who are familiar with disabilities and accommodations

RESOURCES AND ACCOMMODATIONS

Priority Registration

Time of class

Class location

Schedule conducive to needs

Assistance with Housing

Trouble shooting accommodation issues