Featured Person: Molly Bloom
Meet Molly, who has a physical disability, and find out why her year of study in New Zealand and Sweden was "the best year of her life."
Age: 22
Disability: Amputee (hemi-pelvectomy)
Program Countries: Iceland, New Zealand, and Sweden
Program Length: About one year, total
Program Type: Study abroad
About Me: Prior to my first study abroad experience in Iceland, I had only to been to Mexico for family vacation and, even then, without a disability. I became interested in studying abroad when I added a Nordic studies minor to my to college degree. For the first time I started learning a lot about other countries and their cultures, and I developed an interest in traveling to the Nordic region, which I had learned so much about in my classes. After I studied abroad in Iceland, my interest in travel blossomed. I completed two semesters abroad, the first in New Zealand and the second in Sweden, and traveled to many other countries over the course of that year. It is fair to say my interest in travel has developed into a passion.
Some other activities in which I am currently engaged include school (I'm working towards a degree in linguistics and Nordic studies at the University of Colorado), and sports (I play wheelchair basketball and ski).
Was your international exchange experience arranged through an exchange organization? If so, what was the application process like?
Two of my exchange experiences were through my university, the University of Colorado at Boulder. The third was through a program called The University Studies Abroad Consortium. The application process involved lots of coordinating to make sure that the programs would be accommodating of my disability. Before even applying, I got in touch with program coordinators, who, in turn, connected me with coordinators at the schools I was interested in. I needed to make sure that my housing and classrooms would be wheelchair accessible. I had to do a lot of research before I finally settled on a program that would accommodate my needs because some programs, especially in Europe, were unable to do so.
If you received any scholarships, stipends, or other funding for your exchange, who provided them?
I received scholarships from the study abroad program at the University of Colorado, from the Swim With Mike foundation, and from the Foundation for Asia Pacific Education.
What were your concerns as you prepared to travel? What kinds of resources did you use to address these concerns (website, advisor, book, etc)?
My concerns were how accessible the towns where I would study were going to be. To get an idea of this, I contacted disability services at each school I was enrolling in. I tried to search the web, but I did not have much luck with my search because the town I studied in were rather small.
What was your experience living in the host country? Please share your impressions of housing, transportation, activities, cultural attitudes towards disability, and your strategies for navigating abroad.
I was not in Iceland long enough to draw conclusions about the country's attitude towards people with disabilities. The culture in Sweden is rather reserved, so it was very rare for anyone to address me directly about my disability. For instance, hardly anyone asked how I lost my leg in Sweden. I felt like this represented two aspects of Swedish culture: (1) that people with disabilities are treated as any one else who does not have disabilities and (2) that Swedish people feel a bit uncomfortable directly addressing the topic of disability. Also I found that, unlike in the US, I did not get "special treatment" in Sweden because of my disability.
Unlike the culture in Sweden, the culture in New Zealand is rather open and friendly, so people often asked me very direct question about my disability (like, "How did you lose your leg?"). Even though they asked such direct questions, I felt like people in New Zealand would ignore my disability when making judgments about my character. That means they would treat me like they would anyone without a disability.
What would have been helpful to have known before you began your journey?
I don't think there is anything I wish I had known. Part of the thrill for me was discovering so much and being out of my comfort zone. I learned a lot about myself from my experience because I was put into so many situations which I had to work through on the spot, rather than being prepared for them before hand.
What were the benefits of the experience, and how has your international experience informed your future plans?
The benefits of my experience are innumerable. My year abroad has been the best year of my life. I've grown so much and I'm a happier person because of it. I hope to keep traveling in my future, especially now that I've made friends all over the world.
Read more about Molly in an article written about her for the online publication, GlobaLinks Newswire. If you have an exchange or disability-related question for Molly, email clearinghouse@miusa.org to get in touch with her.
Visit our "Featured People" page to meet other international exchange alum.
