Aaron Miller
RCPD encourages students with disabilities to study abroad
When it comes to studying abroad, it's not a matter of if you'll go, but when – but that isn't necessarily true, especially for students with disabilities.
In the United States, the Americans with Disabilities Act extends civil rights protections to individuals with disabilities similar to those provided to persons on the basis of race, color, sex, national origin, age, and religion. It guarantees equal opportunity for individuals with disabilities in areas such as public accommodations, employment, transportation, state and local government services and telecommunications.
And so while students in the United States are protected against discrimination if they have a disability – physical, learning, or otherwise – in other countries the same laws do not apply. This can be discouraging and even frightening for a student considering study abroad.
But MSU officials encourage students with disabilities to study abroad, and offer resources to help them research their destination and prevent any problems that may occur because of their disability.
Back in 1997, Nick Catanzarite, a wheelchair user, was one of the first MSU students with a disability to step forward and request accommodations for studying abroad.
“Nick sort of set the framework for what RCPD specialist Val Nilson and I started working on,” said Cindy Chalou, assistant director of the Office of Study Abroad. “Since then, we have been more conscious of students with disabilities who wish to study abroad, and we are working to increase their opportunities and accommodations.”
Catanzarite originally wanted to study in Rome, but after doing research with the help of RCPD, he realized the accessibility in Rome was not high enough for someone in a wheelchair, so he decided to study in London instead.
While some countries, especially developing ones, may not be accessible for students with disabilities, that shouldn't stop students from finding a program that does work, said Nilson.
“It's really important to research the programs – and that's where the Office of Study Abroad and the RCPD come in,” she said. “We can help the student do that.”
“Before, a lot of students with disabilities didn't even consider studying abroad, but as companies look more and more for international experience, it has become more important, and so we are working to expand the possibilities.”
Above all else, Nilson said, don't let your disability discourage you from even considering study abroad: “We will work with you and we can find something that will work.”
For students with learning disabilities, the challenges are slightly different. Many countries don't accommodate learning disabilities as much as in the United States.
Juan, a student at MSU with a learning disability, studied abroad in Ecuador.
“I was worried about it because the pace of the class was going to be too fast,” he said. “And it was a new thing for them – having a student with a claim of a disability and asking for extra time on exams and note-taking assistance.
“But they were more than willing to accommodate.”
Research was the most important part in preparing to study abroad, Juan said.
“It was absolutely worth going to the trouble,” he said. “Get in touch with RCPD and the Office of Study Abroad – studying abroad is absolutely a must.”
Students with disabilities who want to study abroad can contact John Pedraza . More information can be found on RCPD's Web site at www.rcpd.msu.edu, or at the Office of Study Abroad's Web site, located at http://studyabroad.msu.edu. Scholarships are available, but some deadlines are approaching. Contact Nilson or Chalou (chalouc@msu.edu) for more information.