Physical or Mobility Disability

A Student Paves Her Path Through Perth

For Lauren Presutti, a sociology major at Central Michigan University (CMU), the personal discovery that came from studying abroad in Australia this summer was well worth the many months of planning, questioning and hard work.

Musical Energy from Zimbabwe

A Zimbabwean student and musician with a disability shares his views on studying at a college in the U.S. in this video.

Capturing the Everyday Beauty of New Zealand

Mathew Cowlin is a student at Kenyon College in Ohio who traveled across the world to study in Christchurch, New Zealand for six months. Mathew, who has cerebral palsy, found the site seamlessly accessible.

Pursuing a New Overseas Adventure in England

In England, MIUSA exchange alumnus Mickey Kay landed an internship with Motivation, an international disability and development organization. Mick has a mobility disability and uses a wheelchair to explore the sites of Bristol.

No Ordinary Vacation

Kasenya, a 12-year-old girl with cerebral palsy, took a 4-month trip with her family in Southeast Asia. No ordinary vacation, the family volunteered at local orphanages, schools, and organizations in order to experience aspects of travel not typically accessible to tourists.

It Comes With its Own Territory

Samson Ngutwa is a Hubert Humphrey Fellow at the University of California Davis, where he develops skills that will apply to serving the public sector in his home country of Malawi. Samson has an amputated leg and uses a prosthetic.

Boren Scholar Will Study Language, Disability in China

Chinese-American student Ming Canaday, who previously studied in China through CIEE, will continue language studies at a Chinese University as a Boren Scholar. Read an article about her goals for the trip and her career improving the lives of people with disabilities on the University of Oregon website.

Effecting Change Through Film

Through documentary film, Mitch St. Pierre aims to raise public awareness of conflicts around the world. The Canada native, who has osteogenesis imperfecta and uses a wheelchair, has traveled to over forty countries.

Researching Advanced Reactors: A Fulbright Experience in Switzerland

Via YouTube, Kristina Yancey discusses her Fulbright research in nuclear reactor technology, navigating Switzerland using a power wheelchair, and learning German with international students.

Promoting Mutual Understanding with an Eye on Disability: A Snapshot of a Fulbright Experience in Canada

Andrew Levinson shares his Canadian experiences in the Fulbright U.S. Student Grantee Newsletter Issue 30, April 2011. He is a power wheelchair user and as a Fulbright Student grantee enrolled in a master's degree program in Critical Disability Studies at York University in Toronto.

Featured Person: Sumitra Krishnan

Meet Sumitra, an American college student who deepened her knowledge about the convergence of cultures in Spain and Morocco while building on her proficiency in Spanish and French. Sumitra uses a cane and occasionally a wheelchair for mobility.

Featured Person: Michelle Wang

During a service learning exchange in the U.S., Michelle Wang observed people with disabilities participating in a range of life activities. Michelle is a student from China who has a physical disability.

Featured Person: Sefakor Komabu-Pomeyrie

Meet Sefakor, a woman from Ghana whose proactive character helped her earn a Ford Foundation Fellowship for U.S. study. As a person with a mobility disability, Sefakor is using her fellowship to continue her advocacy work.

Featured Person: Sarah Funes

Meet Sarah, one of several young Americans and Syrians who collaborated on an effort to create the first disabled Muslim super hero.

Youth from the US and Syria Join Forces to Unveil a Superhero with a Disability

At the first international youth ability summit in Damascus in August 2010, attendees with disabilities collaborated to create a superhero who reflects what they have always wanted to see in a comic-book. Read the full article by Claire McCormack for Time.

Reflections on an International Career Teaching English

Roy Burkholder, a Teacher of English as a Foreign Language, has taken 19 trips to Asia in the course of his career. He has been living with Multiple Sclerosis (MS) for many years and shares his experiences and strategies for enjoying the journey abroad.

U.S. Embassy Supports Study Trip on Disability Issues for Members of a Mongolian DPO

A four day program in Washington DC provided an overview of the rights of people with disabilities and the roles of government and civil society organizations in advocating the rights of people with physical disabilities.

Keeping House in Nepal: The Right to Equal Discrimination

As a disabled person, Megan Smith loved being expected to do the same work as the Nepalese women in her village. As a feminist, she wished that didn’t mean laundry. Reprinted with permission from New Mobility, February 2011.

Featured Person: Lindsey Newland

Meet Lindsey, whose work with disabled children in Romania supplemented her progress towards a Master's in Family and Community Social Work. Lindsey has a physical disability.

Featured Person: Zachary Grove

Meet Zachary. As someone who represents diversity through disability, socioeconomic background and academic focus, Zachary was awarded a Gilman Scholarship to fund his studies in Cyprus.