Applications accepted as space permits through May 1.

Surrounded by an evening feast of rice, pinto beans, chicken, fried plantains, and bananas, Debbie Buhler and her host sister gesture back and forth, adding in a mixture of American and Costa Rican signs. Debbie, a deaf student from Montana, is on the Mobility International USA “Youth Leadership and Cross-Cultural Perspectives on Disability Rights Exchange Program” for 16 days in San Jose, Costa Rica.

During the warm summer days, 12 young people with disabilities from the United States are busy soaking up the local culture, learning new languages and taking part in discussions on disability rights and leadership with Costa Rican disability organizations.

“The Costa Ricans desire to improve life for those with disabilities rouses our group and inspires us to work harder in our own lives,” says Sarah Snyder, a wheelchair user from Missouri who listens intently during a wheelchair workshop about a Costa Rican woman who laid in bed for 14 years without access to a wheelchair. “We hear the cry of these groups who say these problems have to stop.”

Mobility International USA (MIUSA), a non-profit organization established in 1981, is dedicated to empowering people with disabilities through participation in international exchange programs, and collaborates with disability-led organizations in Costa Rica who are committed to similar change. The program not only attracts young adults with a wide variety of disabilities, but the group also represents diverse cultural backgrounds.

“When I first met my host mother – a wife, mother of two and school counselor – I knew immediately that she was a strong woman and a unique, beautiful person. Many nights we stay up laughing and talking about our experiences growing up with a disability and comparing life in the U.S. and Costa Rica,” says Andrea Siow, a program participant with Hopi heritage. “My host mother said she is very proud to have me in her home and that I change her perception of America and native peoples in particular. Her energy touches everything and everyone around her. I will never forget these mornings when she wheels down the hallway, singing and checking on each of her children – of which I am now one.”

This summer 13 young people with disabilities will travel abroad again to Costa Rica between June 27 and July 12. But, to be part of the 2008 group, applications are due March 28. “Photographs can’t do it justice,” says Sarah about a field trip to the Costa Rican countryside. “You have to actually take the path up the mountain, feel the cool, dampness of the air, smell the tropical greenery and breathe in the whole atmosphere.”

This opportunity provides a good first step for those with no overseas travel experience but who have international interests. MIUSA removes barriers that may make some people with disabilities initially hesitant to travel abroad.

“We provide American Sign Language interpretation on the program and materials in alternative formats. Other accessibility arrangements, such as personal assistants, will be negotiated to ensure full participation,” says Jena Price, the MIUSA Program Specialist who led the group abroad.

And money should not be a barrier either, since MIUSA offers generous partial scholarships thanks to the New York Community Trust, DeWitt Wallace/Youth Travel Enrichment Fund. The only restrictions are that everyone must be a U.S. citizen between 18 to 24 years old.

It’s a Friday night near the end of the program, and Debbie relishes in being surrounded by over 100 people signing in the warm night air. LESCO, the Costa Rican sign language, is different than American Sign Language, but Debbie says, “I understand most of the people I sign with by watching their signs, body language and gestures. I’m learning that all it takes is patience and openness to develop lasting friendships with Costa Ricans.” Read Debbie's full story here.
 
To request an application, email exchange@miusa.org, call 541-343-1284 (tel/tty) or download it online at: www.miusa.org/exchange/costarica08/index_html.

Applications are accepted until May 1 as space permits, and late applications are considered only if space remains available.