Wheelchairs and the People Using Them are Everywhere: Studying Abroad with a Disability
Elizabeth Emery, Associate Professor of French, Montclair State University and Melissa Mitchell, Outreach and Training Coordinator, National Clearinghouse on Disability and Exchange
Presentation Outline from the Foreign Language and Disability TeleTraining
I. Advising students: You want to go where and you’re in a wheelchair?
A. Assist students to find or research the destination that meets their academic and personal reasons for going abroad.
B. Avoid assuming destination are impossible just because a student may be the first to go.
C. Research and discuss the realities of various destinations.
II. Reasonable accommodations and accessibility abroad
A. There’s no ADA there! In country laws that may help students. http://www.dredf.org
B. Free and low cost accommodations that assist students. http://www.miusa.org/ncde/tipsheets
C. Discussion of flexibility and the need to accept more help abroad than at home
D. Personal assistants, service dogs and equipment
III. Funding
A. Social Security
B. Vocational Rehabilitation
C. Scholarships
D. Financial Aid
IV. Preparing for Travel
A. Having the language you need http://www.miusa.org/ncde/tipsheets/keyphrases/
B. Working with airlines and accessible transportation abroad
http://www.miusa.org/ncde/tipsheets/airlinetips/
http://www.miusa.org/ncde/spotlight/featuredcountry
C. Identifying resources to repair equipment or find spares if needed
http://www.miusa.org/orgsearch
V. Conclusion
