African American

A Journey through the United Arab Emirates

Shonda McLaughlin, PhD, CRC, is an Assistant Professor of the Counselor Education and Rehabilitation Programs at Emporia State University.

Adding India to the Geography of Life Experiences

Gilman scholarship recipient, Christena Weatherspoon, who has a learning and social anxiety disability, represented multiple kinds of American diversity while studying in India.

Bon Voyage! Life Lessons from My Travels in France

A desire to study and teach abroad in France and have an international education career motivated Allegra Johnson, who has rheumatoid arthritis, to take better care of herself than she did at the start of her college career.

Exploring the Public and Social Sectors in Singapore

Ray Jefferson, from Hawaii, USA, who has a physical disability, studied public sector leadership and social entrepreneurship in Singapore as a Fulbright Student. He is Assistant Secretary of Labor for Veterans’ Employment and Training.

Featured People

Become acquainted with people with disabilities who have gone abroad and learn how the international experiences have changed their lives.

Featured Person: Dr. Shonda McLaughlin

Meet Dr. Shonda McLaughlin who has traveled to many countries including Belize and the United Arab Emirates.

Featured Person: Jason

Meet Jason Jones and read about his international experiences as a disability leader and a student who has traveled to England and Japan.

Featured Person: Perseus McDaniel

Meet Perseus, a community college student from the US who, having studied Italian and Italian sign language in Florence, became inspired to encourage other Deaf students to participate in overseas study.

Integrating Perspectives in International Development Projects (Benin)

Tina Singleton, who has a hearing impairment, volunteered with people with disabilities in Benin through the Peace Corps.

Internship with the Office of International Studies

C. Michael Archie interned with the Office of International Studies at Mississippi Valley State University. Michael has traveled to the Bahamas since acquiring a disability.

Learning with and from Deaf Students in Siena, Italy

American Joseph Hill, a Deaf Ph.D candidate of Linguistics at Gallaudet University in Washington DC, studied Italian Sign Language and Italian alongside Deaf students on a summer program in Siena, Italy. He later returned to conduct independent research using a Fulbright grant. Learn about his research interests on the Siena School website, and how he helped other Americans get the most out of their Italian language experience.

Living Independently and Interdependently in Europe

Jen Fitz-Roy, who grew up with spina bifida and uses a wheelchair, challenged herself to travel in Europe with a greater degree of independence each time. Find out how she overcame her hesitations, where she studied bioethics, and how she navigated inaccessible places abroad.

No Worries: Studying Abroad in Perth, Western Australia

Angel Miles discovered that the most difficult and the most rewarding part of studying in Australia was trusting herself and trusting others.

One Thing Turns into Another in the U.K.

Angela Winfield is a graduate of Barnard College of Columbia University Class of 2005 with a degree in political science and human rights and minor in religion. She attends Cornell University Law School.

Study Abroad Isn’t Just for Kids (Spain)

Alona Brown, a blind woman in her forties, studied Spanish at the University of Denver in Colorado before continuing her language skills in Alicante, Spain.

Tips for Overseas Travel to Costa Rica

Tracee Garner was a delegate on the Costa Rica Leadership, Diversity and Disability Rights Exchange, funded by the DeWitt Wallace/Youth Travel Enrichment Fund, established by the co-founder of the Reader’s Digest Association.

Traveling Abroad: Why You Must

Jerry McGill, who is a quadriplegic, has an impressive and extensive list of overseas adventures to which he credits his own tenacity and persistence. Here he enumerates the many reasons why international exchange is "a must."

U.S. DeafBlind Student on her Overseas Experiences

Haben is a law student. Haben writes eloquently about her first volunteer experience abroad during her sophomore year of high school when she traveled to Mali, West Africa, to help build a school.