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Running head: STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES

Students with Disabilities


Bianca Rostran
Azusa Pacific University
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Now that the session is coming to an end, I must say, I am very fortunate to have had the

chance to take this diversity class. It has helped shed light on many important topics I never

really thought about before. One particular topic we talked about was privilege. This topic was

one that was very complex to understand. Especially since privilege can be defined in more ways

than one. One particular topic we slightly touched upon in regards to privilege was students with

disabilities. That is why I have decided to become more familiar with the hardships disabled

students go through. I would specifically like to learn what it is like to be a disabled student who

is transitioning from high school to college.

Ive been working at Animal Behavior College for about three years now. Our student

population on campus has always been very diverse. I work with veterans, military spouses, and

many first generation students. The one population that seems to be growing though, are students

with disabilities. This is a population I am not too familiar with. Unfortunately, the college that I

work for does not have a center for students with disabilities. So, whenever I have a student with

a learning disability open up to me about an issue or difficulty they are having, I really do not

know how to help them out. I also dont have anyone knowledgeable in this areas to fall back to

for questions. Let alone, anywhere to send them to. The best thing I could do is speak from my

own personal experience, which isnt much to begin with. As a future Student Affairs

professional, I know this is something I have to change. That is why I knew that the first step was

to educate myself. That is why I have decided to do my action plan on this particular population.

After working on my action plan, I have brought more awareness to my campus. Since

my campus is considered a private vocational college, we are not required to have a disability

center. Which at first I did not see as a problem. However, now that our population is growing, I

feel things need to be changed. After bringing this topic up at one of our meetings, our president
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has really taken into consideration creating a new department for our growing population.

Although, I know this will take some time, I am glad things are going to change soon. The other

change the president has suggested is creating new workshops for our staff. One of the

workshops will focus on students with disabilities. These workshops will focus on different

populations on campus. We are scheduled to start these workshops in the summer. I am really

looking forward to them. Especially, after completing my action plan.

The first objective to my action plan was to develop an awareness of the hardships

students with disabilities go through. I knew with this objective the first thing I needed to do was

define what disability meant. Regardless of which perspectives one takes, the definition and

meaning of disability is wide and varied, and is best defined by and with people with disabilities.

As the text Readings for Diversity and Social Justice noted Disability is generally divided in the

following manner a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more of the

major life activities of such individual; a record of such an impairment; or being regarded as

having such impairment. ( p. 320-331). Now that I have a better understanding of what

disability means, I can help create my own personal awareness.

Discrimination towards people with disabilities is referred to as ableism. As mentioned

by the author Brown It involves the presence of negative attitudes, limited physical access,

limited access to communication and/or resources, and barriers to rights as individuals are some

examples of obstacles faced by people with disabilities obstructing fulfillment of their desired

roles in society (p.207-218) The disability oppression theory model seeks to combat the

stereotypes, misconceptions, and restrictive attitudes that are often internalized by individuals

with disabilities. These misconceptions can sometimes affect those with disabilities by inhibiting
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their access to and power within in structures that fulfill basic needs, like health care, housing,

education, and the legal system.

Not only did I want to gain knowledge with this population, but I also wanted to get a

better understanding of them. I know that in order to become an ally for this population it will

take different steps. Ive learned that my priority should be to help my student succeed. Success

for these students requires a focus on individual achievement, individual progress, and individual

learning.

The two activities that I have decided to do are self-reflect and attend a Students with

Disabilities Center on a college campus. First and foremost, I decided to write down on my

journal my own biases and assumptions as they relate to disabled students. Here, I was able to

reflect on all of my thoughts and feelings. For example, when I think about students with

disabilities the first thing I think about is physical disability. Im sure a lot of people just focus on

this kind of disability as well. We become so in tone with the term physical disability that we

completely disregard mental disabilities. Yes, they both have a different meaning. However, they

both students will deal with oppression. I thought about all of the hardships they must encounter

in order to live a normal life. Which later brought me to focus on how I take many things for

granted, like walking, driving, and attending college. I talked a bit about my own privileges and

what I can do to become a better ally for this population.

I also had a chance to visit the Disability Resource Center at Cal Poly Pomona. There

center caters to students with physical and mental disabilities. They offer counseling, mentors,

clubs, and study sessions. The Disability Resource Center (DRC) supports this commitment by

providing services and accommodations intended to facilitate equal access for students

disabilities. They even offer students Ability Allies. Ability Allies are a network of faculty, staff
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and students who take a visible role in promoting disability awareness, supporting persons with

disabilities, and maintaining resources for working and interacting with people with disabilities.

This activity did make me feel good about all of the resources this department offered at

Cal Poly Pomona. But it did make me question if all the other campuses offer the same

resources. Most public campuses offer a phenomenal resource center for students. Its the small

private colleges that tend to be more limited in staff and resources. For example, Woodbury

University in Burbank, CA only has one person on staff to deal with 200 students with

disabilities. I spoke to him via email in regards to his center. He told me due to budget they

cannot hire more staff. He said what is even tough is that he cant help all of his students like he

would like because he does not have the time. Again, things like this really frustrate me. It proves

to me that we still have a lot of changes to make in higher education. More people need to be

educated in the importance of being more inclusive on campus.

My second objective was to gain increased knowledge of the hardships disabled students

go through. There is so much I need to learn in order to better help out this population at work. I

need to learn everything from challenges and misconceptions. In my research I found out that

postsecondary enrollment of students with disabilities has grown. However, postsecondary

outcomes of students with disabilities are less positive when compared with students without

disabilities. As the author Horn and Berktold noted Students with disabilities are more likely to

be enrolled in 2-year institutions, less likely to transition successfully to 4-year institutions, and

less likely to earn a postsecondary degree or credential than their non-disabled peers (p.3-8).

In order for students with disabilities to succeed in postsecondary education they must

have equal access to course content and activities. Such access is mandated by federal legislation

at public institutions. The author Moore and Newlan stated Positive attitudes of instructors and
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their willingness and ability to provide accommodations have also been positively correlated

with the success of students with disabilities in postsecondary institutions (p.137-145).

However, many faculty members, administrators have limited knowledge and training in

disability-related laws and accommodations for students with disabilities. The need for transition

services for students with exceptionalities is critical for their success after high school. It is

essential for school professionals, parents, and students to work collaboratively and consultively

to determine each student's future goals and develop an effective plan to meet those goals

successively. This is something I knew I could definitely relate to right now. That is why I felt it

was necessary to pick two activities that provided me with an insiders perspective and quality

knowledge.

The two activities I have decided to do consisted of reading the book Transition Planning

for Students with Disabilities and interviewing three college students with disabilities. Before

interviewing the three students, I decided to read the book first. That way, I could get a better

understanding of each student. The authors were very insightful in the way it focuses on all

aspects of that transition planning from school to post-school levels. It provided me with a

foundation of transition services and a historical overview of models and practices. It also

offered a critical look at transition with students from culturally and ethnically diverse

backgrounds.

In addition, the book presents an in-depth look at assistive technology to assist students in

fully participating in the planning for their future, it describes the process for planning and the

importance of family collaboration. This book really answered many questions I his book

focuses on all aspects of that transition planning from school to post-school levels. The book

provided me with a foundation of transition services and a historical overview of models and
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practices and offers a critical look at transition with students from culturally and ethnically

diverse backgrounds. In addition, it presented an in-depth look at assistive technology to assist

students in fully participating in the planning for their future and also describes the process for

planning and the importance of family collaboration had. It also prepared me for my interviews.

I interviewed three students for this activity. Two of the students were 2nd year students at

Long Beach Community College and one was a senior at Cal Poly Pomona. I asked each student

the same questions. The only thing that was different was there age and race. So, I thought that

maybe each would have a different experience. The first question I asked was: What are some

challenges you have in college? My first student went to a private high school. He struggled all

through high school. He was constantly being put on probation for his grades. He knew it wasnt

because he wasnt smart; he just couldnt manage to focus. No one ever brought the idea of a

learning disability to his attention. So, he didnt think much of it. Once he started college, he

noticed he was dealing with the same issues. Thats when he started to doubt himself.

He would talk to some of his professors and most of them acted like that was his own

personal problem. None of them offered a helping hand. That is when he felt hopeless and alone.

He thought no one was trying to understand his concerns. He opened up to his buddy about his

issue. That is when buddy told him that he should get tested for ADD on campus. At first he

didnt think he had an issue. The thought of having a learning disability made him feel ashamed

and embarrassed. However, he was not ready to give up just yet. Thats when he decided to go to

the Disability Center. There they had him meet with a counselor. Right away, he felt that was

safe non-judgmental zone. He felt as though he was not alone. The counselor helped him come

up with strategies to help him study. He really took advantage of all the suggestions he was given

that he found himself getting better grades.


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The second student I interviewed was born with leg paralysis. Ever since elementary

school she would see a counselor. Her counselor helped her with ways to dealing with her

disability. So, since she was young she has learned to be accepting of her disability. When she

attended high school she was put in a special class. There she was surrounded with lots of

support and students who shared a similar struggle. She considered her high school her safe

zone. So, its safe to say she was scared to start college. She knew she would not have the same

support as she did in high school. The thought of no having the same support scared her. It even

made her think twice about going to college. She knew she could not let her fear take the best of

her. Her high school counselor encouraged her to reach out to the Disability Center on camps

before signing up for classes.

Her campus, for the most part is handicap accessible. However, a larger campus meant it

was going to be hard to get around. All of her classes were spread out. Another thing she noticed

is that she stood out in all her classes. That made her feel very uncomfortable. For some reason

she thought everyone was staring at her. That might have not been the case, but she couldnt help

to feel that way. This was definitely something she was not use to in high school. This is

something she has yet to get past. Meeting with her counselor on campus definitely helps out.

She hopes to gain that same courage and acceptance she once had.

The third student I interviewed attends Cal Poly Pomona. She is a first generation college

students from a Mexican background. At a young age she has been dealing with depression and

ADD. Her parents have always had a hard time understanding her situation. So, when she was

struggling in college with her grades. Her parents were not understanding. They thought that by

now they would get over her condition. She definitely reached out to her counselor for help.

However, her challenge was that she did not have the support of her family. She said they have
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always been in denial and that it was not an excuse for her to do bad in school. Although, she had

the support on campus, she lacked support at home. This made it hard for her to transition from

high school to college. She really was not experiencing the college life she expected. She

definitely has her ups and down. She is confident though that she will graduate. Her motivation

right now is herself. She wants to prove to herself that she can overcome all her doubts.

Interviewing these students really helped me get a better understanding of all the

challenges our students are going through. Most importantly, I now know that only because a

student does not look physically disabled, it does not mean they are not dealing with a mental

disability. What I learned is that a mental disability is just as tough to deal with as physical

disability. Therefore, educators should be sympathetic to both. Like the author in Readings for

Diversity and Social Justice stated Different conditions cause different types of functional

impairment. Deafness, mental retardation, paralysis, blindness, congenital limb deficiencies, and

epilepsy may pose common social problems of stigma, marginality, and discrimination, but they

also produce quit different functional difficulties. (p. 320-331). After hearing each one of my

students share their challenges, I stopped and questioned to see how I would deal with them.

Honestly, the thought of feeling unrepresented, alone, and misunderstood frustrated me. This

frustration has definitely encouraged me to do more for my students. The last thing I want is for

my students to feel alone and unwanted.

My third objective was to develop multicultural skills to work more effectively with

disabled students. I knew this was a vital part of my action plan because it would help test my

progress and understanding of students with disabilities. My first activity was to talk to the

director of the Student Disability Center who will help evaluate my skill level and development

in working with disabled students. For this activity I spoke to Dr.Borin, the Director of Students
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with Disabilities at Long Beach City College. I was able to meet him at the Student Affairs

Conference at UCLA. Luckily, I was able to connect with him after the conference via email. He

was very generous enough to help gather some students for me for the interview as well as

allowing me to participate in a focus group. I am very thankful to have been able to work with

him. Not only was I asking him some tough questions about his role but he also challenged me

back with some questions of my own. I was very confident in answering his questions. Thats

how I knew that I did a thorough job at understanding this particular population.

For my second activity I was able to attend the workshop that was being held on campus.

The workshop was titled Disability: A different Paradigm. The workshop was held by the

Rosalba Rios, the Director of Disability Services at Whittier College. Only four students attended

this workshop. So, we were able to have deep intimate conversations with Rosabla. Talking

about students with disabilities can sometimes be an uncomfortable topic. However, she made it

very comfortable for us to ask questions. She talked about a lot the challenges she deals with on

a daily with students. She even gave us tips on how to handle situations we would encounter in

case we were working with this population.

Since this workshop felt so intimate I was able to ask a lot of questions. A lot of the

questions I asked were in regards to the issues I am dealing with on my campus. One struggle I

deal with is how to open up to this population without feeling like I will offend them. A great

suggestion she had was to see where they stand with as far as their identity goes. She said this

would help in regards to how deep I can get in a conversation. This is something I never thought

about before but made a lot of the sense. The more conformable a student is with their identity,

the easier it will be to talk to them about issues and concerns they are having. Another question I
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asked her was how I could become a better ally for this population. She suggested that by simply

listening to them and understanding them, I could make them feel comfortable opening up to me.

Listening to the smallest details can make a difference in helping them feel included and

understood.

My last activity consisted of putting together a focus group at Long Beach City College. I

had four students attend this focus group. Two of them were the students that I previously

interviewed. Our focus group was very intimate that everyone spoke about the issues they deal

with on a daily basis. I really enjoyed that everyone was comfortable enough to share some

personal issues they have encountered. Many of them shared things they hadnt shared with

anyone before. Main reason for that is that they never thought anyone would understand them. I

asked them how their college experience has affected them because of their disability. What I

learned is that although they each share a different disability, they each experienced similar

challenges. The one issue that was very popular amongst the group was not being understood by

peers and faculty.

I definitely learned that it is not okay to have improperly trained staff members deal with

diverse students. I strongly feel that faculty should also participate in these multicultural classes

and workshops. College campuses are becoming more and more diverse. There is no excuse for a

student to feel misunderstood and unwanted just because they are a little different to their peers.

As educators we have the obligation to make each student feel like they belong there.

The most valuable thing I learned after putting together this action plan is that one should

be familiar with all the different student populations. I know that sounds hard and very complex,

but it shouldnt be. I know that I am in graduate school to better prepare myself for my career.

However, research papers and presentations are not enough. It is very important that I expose
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myself to different student populations. That is why I plan to attend more workshops on campus

and off campus this year. Last year I can honestly say I did not make an effort to attend many of

the ones they offered. Mainly because I did not think they would really benefit me. After

attending two workshops this year, I can say otherwise. I think a well-rounded Student Affairs

professional is more valuable than one that just focuses on one particular thing. As generations

change, so do students. Student Affair professionals should be able to keep up with all the

changes. Attending workshops, conferences, and events will definitely help with the growth that

is needed in order to stay up to date.

As I mentioned in the beginning of this paper. I do plan on helping my campus with the

development of Students with Disabilities Center. I know that as of right now only an idea has

been presented. However, I plan on moving this forward with the help of my team. I feel that it is

more than necessary to have a department on campus. This population is only growing, which

means the demand will too. Not having a center on campus will make these students feel

unrepresented and unwanted. That is something I would never want a student to feel. I also plan

to assist my supervisor with our monthly workshops. I know that if Im feeling like I cant

support my students with disabilities, I am sure my fellow coworkers are feeling the same way.

The beauty about life is that all humans were created different. Therefore, we all have

different needs and wants. That is why every student should be seen in a holistic manner. I know

that sometimes that can be rather difficult for an educator to do, however, that is the only way

one can help the student out. I believe that one of the enduring challenges in higher education is

learning how to accommodate the increasing demand for education from populations that have

been excluded from pursuing a college degree in the past. I know that it is 2016 and one would

think that such problems no longer exist. However, this is something I am experiencing first hand
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on my campus. It amazes me that they are now just considering creating a department for

students with disabilities. What amazes me more is that I just started to see this as a problem as

well. If it wasnt for this program, I am pretty sure I would still be naive about the problem.

I think a good solution for this problem is requiring that every college student take a

multicultural class. As educators we can no longer be content with hoping that our students hear

guest speakers and attend multicultural events and somehow become culturally competent

citizens. If we want students to build tolerance, acceptance and respect we must be able to teach

them no only the positive attributes but also presenting students with all the human flaws and

group conflicts. I think this will help students see the achievements diverse groups.
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Resources

Berktold, Jennifer, Horn, Laura. (1999, June). Students with Disabilities in Postsecondary
Education: A Profile of Preparation, Participation, and outcomes, 3-8.
Brown, S. E. (1995). Disability culture/rights/pride paradigm. Las Cruces, NM: Institute on
Disability Culture.
Gilson, S. F., & Depoy, E. (2000). Multiculturalism and disability: A critical perspective.
Disability & Society, 15(2), 207-218.
Moore, C.J., Newlon, B.J., & Nye, N. (1986). Faculty awareness of the needs of physically
disabled students in the college classroom. AHSSPPE, 4, 137-145.

M, Adams. (2000). Readings for diversity and social justice. New York:Rotledge, 320-331.

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