Costa Rica's University of Costa Rica-San Jose

In the words of Roxana Stupp, the coordinator of the University of Costa Rica Disability Student Services (DSS), "We are living in a special moment here in Costa Rica."

Stupp was referring to the dynamic changes in the Costa Rican social climate, current culture and attitudes towards people with disabilities, and the activism demonstrated by students with disabilities at the university. Costa Rica has an equal opportunity law resembling the Americans with Disabilities Act that has focused attention on the lack of accessibility in government, public and private arenas and is stimulating demands for accountability in implementing the tenets of the law. The DSS office hums with energy, vision and collaboration directed at removing barriers for students with disabilities on campus.

In March 1999, two Mobility International USA staff members and I toured the University of Costa Rica and met with Stupp and a few of the students who use the services offered by the DSS office. Stupp reported that there were 43 students with disabilities attending the University of Costa Rica in San Jose at that time. (That number reflected only those students who self-identified as having a disability and requiring services.) The support services program for students with disabilities started several years ago as part of the university’s Special Education Department. Now that students with disabilities are integrated into classes, the DSS has become its own entity and is at a higher level administratively. The program has grown throughout the years, gaining particular strength with the passage two years ago of the Costa Rican equal opportunity law for people with disabilities. One identified ultimate goal of the program is to have a student with a disability as the head of the DSS program.

General Situation for Students with Disabilities

While the university has few monetary resources, it is working very hard to educate teachers about students with disabilities, in addition to educating people about the law. University administrators are looking to help change cultural attitudes and to raise consciousness so that people will view disability as a social issue. They are able to interview university applicants with disabilities to assess their needs to make the admissions process accessible, whether it be allowing more time on the entrance exam, providing the exam in alternate formats, etc. Stupp feels that the university needs to make a plan for accessibility and follow it, with the knowledge that all changes will not happen overnight. She and the students also want the university to put provisions in its budget. The university has some experience with disability issues as it once offered a rehabilitation program. That program has now become a disability studies program offering a more comprehensive list of classes that address disability issues.

There are a fair number of services in place for students with visual impairments, and students appear to be very successful. DSS has a Braille embosser to convert exams and other materials. Lectures, texts and other academic resources are also made available on cassettes, and tutors are offered. We met Marjorie, a psychology student who is blind and is working on a Master’s degree. She volunteers with DSS, checking the cassettes and Braille to see if they were prepared correctly. Stupp also told us a story about Estevan, a student with a visual impairment who had four classes left before he could graduate. He was the president of the Students’ Federation and was studying law. The professor of the theater class Estevan wanted to take denied him admission into the class. He said that because Estevan is blind, he cannot get anything out of theater and suggested he take a music class instead. Estevan worked with the DSS and, backed by the law, he demanded and won access to the class. This was an important victory for the rights of students with disabilities at the University of Costa Rica.

While at the University of Costa Rica, we had the opportunity to also meet with Alfonso, a student who uses a wheelchair and studies political science. The campus is very spread out and there is no accessible transportation to, from or around campus. As part of the disability services program, Alfonso is working on obtaining an accessible van for the campus. The dorms are accessible, but there are still many barriers to address on campus. Unfortunately, few architectural experts in Costa Rica are able to teach the university about accessibility standards. The buildings are old and, while there are many ramps, they are very steep. There are no elevators and no plan at this time to install them.

Five Deaf students currently attend the university, four at the main campus and one student on another campus. Costa Rica has few sign language interpreters. However, Progresso, a program set up at the University of Costa Rica, now trains sign language interpreters in LESCO, the Costa Rican Sign Language. There are four levels to pass before becoming an interpreter and the University of Costa Rica is the only institution that offers this training. The DSS program provides LESCO interpreters in the classroom and support services for Deaf students.

The University of Costa Rica is making great strides towards accessibility, despite the lack of resources. It is definitely worth looking into as a possibility for study abroad and, although access is not perfect, an international student with a disability will find the DSS office to be a strong presence. The law that was passed to protect the rights of people with disabilities holds the most weight in the realm of education, as indicated by the experience of Estevan in gaining access into his university theater class. Students with disabilities attending the University of Costa Rica may find themselves pioneers in self-advocacy, with the support of dedicated people at the DSS. What better position to be in?

Additional information on the University of Costa Rica may be obtained on its website (www.ucr.ac.cr). Several universities and colleges have programs to Costa Rica. This is a partial listing of programs hosted by the University of Costa Rica:

Center for International Programs
Kalamazoo College
Kalamazoo, MI 49006
Tel: (616) 337-7133
Fax: (616) 337-7400
Email: cip@kzoo.edu
Web: www.kzoo.edu/cip

Study Abroad
Michigan State University
109 International Center
East Lansing, MI 48824-1035
Tel: (517) 353-8920
Fax: (517) 432-2082
Email: studyabroad@osa.msu.edu
Web: http://studyabroad.msu.edu

International Programs
SUNY at Albany
1400 Washington Avenue, LI-66
Albany, NY 12222
Tel: (518) 442-3525
Fax: (518) 442-3338
Email: oipua@csc.albany.edu
Web: www.albany.edu/intled/studyabroad.htm

Study Abroad
University of Kansas
108 Lippincott Hall
Lawrence, KS 66045
Tel: (785) 864-3742
Fax: (785) 864-5040
Email: osa@ukans.edu
Web: www.ukans.edu/~osa