Helpful, dedicated, and information savvy are three words I use to describe fellow study abroad colleagues.  These attributes combine to great effect when partnering with students that have disabilities.  Most importantly, as our Australia resident director, Annette Tesoriero, states, “Think ability first – disability second.”  In an effort to promote information exchange across the field I share my advising experiences and observations. 

In 2001 I had the privilege to partner with a student and assist with her preparations to study abroad in Australia.  Amber, a wonderful ambassador for our program and our first vision-impaired applicant, set an encouraging precedent for subsequent participants.  Since then, we have regularly facilitated study abroad for students who have disabilities on our program, including a vision-impaired student I hosted in Melbourne last semester. 

In terms of pre-arrival preparations I have been involved with, the main areas include assessing accommodation needs, reviewing planned activities for suitability and adaptation if necessary, coordinating readers for scanning or transfer of materials into Braille and scheduling orientation and mobility training. With the vision-impaired student who took her guide dog, further preparations involving liaison with quarantine officials and local guide dog associations were also needed.  From my experience students will advocate for their needs and an important role for professionals is to make contacts students can develop into important networks they will need to facilitate accommodations. 

When students first arrive in their host city, familiarization and exploring their new home – housing, campus and local area – is the first step. Vision-impaired students on the IFSA-Butler program have lived in residential colleges for the semester, allowing them to live in a community and develop a strong support network.  Orientation and mobility training can be provided by local disability associations at no cost in Australia. John-Ross Barresi from Guide Dogs Victoria, who has worked with our past student, comments, “The main issue when working with overseas students is teaching them about the road rules we have in Australia. Cars coming from the opposite direction when you’re trying to cross a road, takes a little getting used to. Our signal crossings can be very different also with different audio cues and their set-outs.” 

Other on-arrival tools include assisting with identifying the local currency.  Coins in Australia can be picked up in no time with the different shapes, sizes and surfaces, however polymer notes with only 7mm size difference are harder to distinguish and students may need to devise an identification system.

From working with two vision-impaired students with varying personalities and different assistive measures – one a Braille user and the other a voice recognition software user, one a white cane and the other a guide dog user – the common demonstrable trait was not letting anything hold them back. They both participated in IFSA-Butler activities with some assistance – sea kayaking, Sydney Harbour Bridge Climb, weekend farm host visit, surfing and biking (tandem). 

Both students excelled academically with one student completing an independent research project with a neuroscience professor and another undertaking a film studies class.  Socially, both students made a number of host and international friends and enjoyed a number of inter-state adventures.  One student enjoyed Australian lifestyle so much that she extended her stay for a full year.

Being involved in making cross-cultural endeavors a reality for underrepresented groups is exciting!  I encourage you to open your doors to students who have disabilities – through accessible material, inclusive language and images, partnering with campus disability offices and staff trainings using MIUSA resources. Be sure to not overlook your own advising skills or what students with disabilities can participate and achieve. Ability first – disability second!

To illustrate our students’ attitudes towards success with a disability, we quote from Amber’s e-mail signature:

“When the odds are against me I prove them wrong,
When all else fails I succeed,
When all else ceases to live, I breathe,
When all turns to ashes, from it I rise,
So it doesn’t matter what you throw at me or what you do,
I am, I do, that’s all the matters.”

- Heather Griggs

Cara Besch, who authored this article, has been with the Institute for Study Abroad, Butler University (IFSA-Butler) in a number of capacities, including program coordinator in its head office from 2001-2004 and student services coordinator in Melbourne, Australia since 2006. While in the United States, Cara was a regular presenter at NAFSA regional and IFSA-Butler conferences on the topic of advising students with disabilities.  Cara often co-presented with her former students and also developed internal staff training sessions incorporating campus disability advisors and local disability agencies. Cara is also a proud guide dog puppy co-sponsor.

Paula Cowan, who assisted with editing of this article, is the Manager, Communications and Academic Services and has been with the organisation since 2003.  Paula is a former student services coordinator and has also worked directly with students on IFSA-Butler programs with disabilities. 

Useful Resources:

Guide Dogs Victoria (orientation and mobility training for someone who is visually impaired or blind)

Vision Australia

Australia Quarantine (information on importing disability assistance dogs) 

Institute for Study Abroad, Butler University, Australia

Institute for Study Abroad, Butler University