MIUSA Program Stories

The following are stories by youth and adults with disabilities who participated in Mobility International USA Exchange Programs.

Shaping Disability Rights Through International Exchange (Japan)

Alicia Hays traveled to Japan as a participant on the Mobility International USA US/Japan Disability Professional Exchange Program, sponsored by the Japan Foundation Center for Global Partnership.

Growing Up with a Disability: Costa Rica Cross Cultural/Cross Disability Leadership Exchange

Read about the adventures of David Gayes and the other delegates who spent several weeks this summer learning what it means to have a disability in Costa Rica.

Discovering More than the Arts in England

Reveca Torres, an American who lives in Chicago and comes from a Mexican background, comments on accessibility in England as a MIUSA exchange delegate.

Never Looking at Japan the Same Again

Melissa Malzkuhn, a graduate of Gallaudet University, participated on the Mobility International USA Japan Cross-Cultural Leadership and Disability Exchange program.

The Tokyo Volunteering Abroad Experience

Volunteer Jerry McGill beautified a park in Japan as a MIUSA exchange delegate.

Treasure Every Meeting, For It May Never Occur Again (Japan)

Angel Love Miles, who is African-American, participated on a CIEE program to Australia, and later as a delegate with Mobility International USA to Tokyo, Japan. Angel is originally from Philadelphia and is now studying disability rights as a graduate student.

The Five Stages of the Exchange Group (Costa Rica)

Jessica Lorenz was a 21-year-old woman studying at San Francisco State University, when she participated in the Mobility International USA (MIUSA) Costa Rica Leadership, Diversity and Disability Rights Exchange. This program was generously funded by the DeWitt Wallace/Youth Travel Enrichment Fund, established in New York Community Funds.

We Are the World (Japan)

Larry Johnson reports on the success of a U.S.-Japan exchange program.

Women with a Capital W: Building Leadership/Building Partnership Conference (Uzbekistan/U.S.)

Mobility International USA (MIUSA) facilitated the first national conference for women with disabilities in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. The three-day conference, titled “Building Leadership/Building Partnership,” was made possible by the support of the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs of the U.S. Department of State.

Challenging Myself to Change My Country (U.S./Japan Exchange)

Meet a young woman from a rural town in Japan who came to Eugene as a participant of the MIUSA US/Japan exchange.

Multi-Cultural Exchange to Costa Rica

Part of what made Andrea Siow's cross-cultural experience so memorable was the hospitality and energy of her host family.

Friendships in Costa Rica

Debbie Buhler is a Deaf woman who learned about disability rights and culture in Costa Rica on a MIUSA Exchange Program.

Creating Change at Home and Abroad (Russia, Malaysia)

Heather Harker participated in a Russian exchange program through MIUSA and later fulfilled a fellowship in Malaysia while working with other people from the Deaf community.

I’ve Been to Russia — I Can Go Anywhere

A MIUSA leadership exchange program in Russia introduced Silvia Gutierrez, a wheelchair user, to what she once thought was "the end of the earth."

The Fire of Shared Struggle in Mexico

Krista Erickson, who is visually impaired and from Illinois, was a delegate on Mobility International USA's Mexico Leadership, Minority and Disability Rights Exchange, funded by the DeWitt Wallace/Youth Travel Enrichment Fund, established at the New York Community Trust by the founder of The Reader's Digest Association, Inc.

Pathways for Success in Mexico

Tracy Schramm, from South Dakota, was a delegate on the Mobility International USA Mexico Leadership, Minority and Disability Rights Exchange, funded by the DeWitt Wallace/Youth Travel Enrichment Fund, established at the New York Community Trust by the founder of The Reader’s Digest Association, Inc.

Open Eyes, Open Hearts in Mexico

Kathleen Stewart, who has cerebral palsy, is a graduate of the University of New Mexico. She was a delegate on the Mobility International USA Mexico Leadership, Minority and Disability Rights Exchange, funded by the DeWitt Wallace/Youth Travel Enrichment Fund, established at the New York Community Trust by the founder of The Reader’s Digest Association, Inc.

Costa Rica Trip Proves Unforgettable

Sarah Snyder participated as a delegate on the Mobility International USA US/Costa Rica exchange funded by DeWitt-Wallace Youth Travel Enrichment Fund.

The Importance of the US/Japan Exchange

Keiko Seikai, Footloose Founder and Program Leader, is a MIUSA Alumna and has hosted numerous exchange programs to Tokyo, Japan for both young adults and professionals with disabilities.

Finding My Rhythm in Costa Rica

Costa Rica became the dance floor that allowed Anna Hewitt, a MIUSA disability exchange participant who has cerebral palsy, to free herself of her inhibitions.