Excerpted in part from Building Bridges: A Manual on Including People with Disabilities in International Exchange Programs

More than once the National Clearinghouse on Disability and Exchange (NCDE) has received the plea across the telephone line, "We have a participant with a disability arriving in the U.S. soon and we don’t have a homestay for him." This is not a good situation to be in whether the international participant has a disability or not. However, the difference lies in that the exchange organization often has been able to place all of their nondisabled participants. This leaves us questioning, "Why does this one participant not have a homestay?"

After conversations with exchange coordinators, it seems that the worries often boil down to assumptions about:

• The needs and abilities of people with disabilities
• What an accessible home looks like.

If homestays are an integral part of an exchange program operated by an entity that is required to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act or other applicable federal or state law, then these U.S. organizations must try to do everything they can to provide the same opportunity for participants with disabilities, or offer an equivalent alternative that achieves the same benefit or result.

Success stories: The homestay experience

Serendipity: Hosting an International Student

by Eileen Bradley (published in A World Awaits You Journal, Mobility International USA)

Before I received the call from AYUSA, my husband and I had no intention of hosting a student that year. We had hosted a young man from Scotland many years earlier when our two kids were in high school, and that was a delightful experience. When Gudrun Parker, our local community representative at AYUSA, called this time, the kids were out of the house and we assumed that a young student from another country would prefer not to be an only child. Gudrun, however, had her ducks in a row. She had a particular student's profile in her hand as she made her pitch. His name was Dmitri Albert from St. Petersburg, Russia.

We have always been fascinated by Russian culture. When Gudrun told me that Dmitri loved rock and roll, plays the drums, enjoys art and photography, and considers drawing as one of his hobbies, I became even more intrigued. It just so happened that our son used to be part of a rock band, so we had a borrowed set of drums in our basement. Also, our daughter loves art, and her vacated room had a drawing table in it.

As Gudrun read through the profile, it became apparent that Dima (as we learned to call him) was the philosophical sort – a kid who not only loved to ponder the deep issues of life, but was also willing to do it out loud. One of the most intriguing tidbits in the profile was that Dima is visually impaired, and had attended a school for "weak see" children in Russia. As I considered his hobbies-- drawing and photography -- this blew my mind since I am totally blind.  I decided that it would be a snap to host a kid who has been labeled "visually impaired” but who could also draw and use a camera.

It took only five minutes of fast talking to persuade my husband, Steve, that hosting Dmitri would be a great experience for us. We went for it, and we were not one whit disappointed. Dima came to us in August, and it was a great pleasure to have him as a member of our family. He is very enthusiastic about life, was willing to try most anything and took an interest in everything he surveyed. Both the drum set and the art table were put to very good use. His English improved day by day, and he was willing to use what vocabulary he had to communicate what was on his mind, whether positive or negative. Steve and I appreciated this because we did not have to spend time trying to assess what was going on behind a sullen face or a closed bedroom door.

Dima was good at entertaining himself, but he also interacted animatedly with anyone who was interested in talking with him. I enjoyed fascinating discussions with him, and we all enjoyed sharing each other's music. Steve and I are a part of a gospel singing group, and Dima sometimes joined us, adding spice by playing the tambourine. We also took great pleasure in listening to various tapes he had brought with him from Russia. Dima has a great sense of humor, and my husband, Steve, is somewhat of a comedian. Between the two of them, we all laughed a lot. Dima was also always willing and eager to help with whatever needed to be done: laundering clothes, collecting trash, accompanying me to the local grocery store, or working in the kitchen. He not only fried potatoes, but created dishes that were delicious, and artistically presented.

Is Dima “handicapped”? We were told to make sure his teachers knew that he needed to sit close to the front of the classroom to see the blackboard. He said that he cannot see certain objects at long distances, and admitted that he has some trouble recognizing faces. I heard that when examining objects, he must get quite close to them, and when he looks at a person, one eye wanders a bit. This might have been a little disconcerting to someone who was meeting him for the first time, but as soon as the person got to know him, the trait was completely forgotten.  I know this to be true because every friend I've ever had has demonstrated that she or he has forgotten that I am blind. Dima's life is not compromised at all by his visual impairment; it has not “handicapped” him. Yet because of it, he has been separated somewhat from non-disabled kids. I believe that this exclusion has caused him to be a person who is not superficial, but instead one who has the ability to look deep into life's mysteries.

If a family is considering hosting a foreign student but has dismissed the idea of taking on a student with a disability because the problems might be compounded, I would strongly encourage the family to think again. Potential host families shouldn’t be put off by words like “handicapped,” “disabled,” "impaired” or "challenged." Most of these students have already learned well how to compensate for whatever they are lacking physically. Because they have worked hard to do this, they will have a good perspective and will tend to be more mature and less frivolous than students who have not had to fight any battles of self-preservation. Hosting one of these students has the potential of being one of the highlights of a family’s life together and shouldn't be missed. We will always rejoice that Dima crossed our path.

NCDE would like to thank AYUSA International for contributing this article. AYUSA is a high school exchange program with partners in countries around the world. Contact AYUSA for information on its programs.

Other success stories:

A World Awaits You journal

Friendships in Costa Rica

Spain a Turning Point

The Homestay Experience in the U.S.

Working in the Inter cultural Field in Japan

Steps to Inclusion

How to Build Inclusion into the Homestay Process

Where to Find Homestays that are Accessible

Homestay Home Visit Checklist

Building Inclusion into the Homestay Process

Mobility International USA (MIUSA) has been conducting international exchange programs that include homestays for people with and without disabilities both in the US and abroad for over 25 years. Here is what we’ve found to work:

• Any family qualified to be a homestay in your program is a potential match for participants with disabilities. Preparing homestay families in advance to be open to accepting those with disabilities creates potential for successful homestay placements. If recruiters and advisors are excited and comfortable about this option, homestay families will most likely be receptive. It may help to explain that not all participants with disabilities use wheelchairs - accessibility includes accommodating those with hearing, vision or other disabilities too.
  

• Try not to overemphasize the participant’s disability. Remember that you are dealing with a person with unique talents, personality and hopes. As with other participants, families will need to know who the participant is as a whole person.

• Advisors can reassure hosts by identifying the specific accommodations the guest will need and discussing whether necessary adaptations can be made. Most people who have disabilities are quite independent in their daily lives. The kinds of adaptations needed by one person might not be necessary for another. With a few initial adaptations and adjustments, a disabled exchange participant may need no more assistance than someone who is not disabled.

• It is reassuring for potential homestay providers to have a representative of the exchange program visit the home to check for accessibility. This can be done as part of the regular homestay process. It may be helpful to make the visit with someone who has a disability similar to the exchange participant's prior to his/her arrival.

• Advisors should involve the disabled participant as much as possible in making homestay accommodations. Some people with disabilities will need assistance with dressing, bathing, chores, etc. Homestay families should not be expected to provide personal care for their guest. If a participant will need extensive assistance, the organization should arrange for a personal assistant to aid the participant. Organizations can work as a team with disabled participants to approach accessibility issues with imagination and good humor.

The key to successfully including people with disabilities in the homestay experience is to plan to include someone with a disability as a normal part of the process rather than as a crisis situation. It may initially take more time to locate an appropriate homestay placement for a participant with a disability, but once contacts are formed with disability organizations and families willing to host people with disabilities, the process becomes more streamlined.

Return to Steps to Inclusion

Where do you find homestays that are accessible?

A source of homestays may be those in the community who have family members with disabilities. They may be very interested in learning about a person with a disability from another country and may already have an understanding of disability-related accommodations that may be needed.

Helpful organizations for recruiting homestay families include independent living centers and disability advocacy groups, rehabilitation centers, Deaf clubs or churches, adaptive sports clubs, special education departments, organizations related to specific disabilities and even businesses that sell adaptive equipment. These contacts are a great way to expand your base of homestay contacts and to represent the diversity within the United States for both disabled and non-disabled exchange students.

As with all other participants, some exchange participants with disabilities will succeed, others will succeed with some assistance and others may not be successful at all. All participants should have the opportunity to participate in any exchange program for which they are qualified. It is the responsibility of exchange professionals to help provide equal opportunities for all applicants.

NCDE has also produced a video for homestay families on this topic, Home is in the Heart, which can be provided on request by contacting clearinghouse@miusa.org. It contains valuable information for potential homestay families regarding accommodating people with disabilities in homestay arrangements, and includes tips for practical, low-cost modifications. Contact NCDE for further information about this and other NCDE resources.

Return to Steps to Inclusion

Host Family Home Visit Checklist

Family Name:

Address:

Telephone:

E-mail:

Bring any host family forms, organizational brochures and a measuring tape

As you are approaching the home, take note of these items:

• The location of the house:                Urban   Suburb    Rural

• Distance to school or center participant will attend regularly: ___________________________
  

• Access to local public transportation (bus or train):             6 blocks or less               7 or more blocks

• Accessibility of local public transportation (wheelchair lifts, verbal stop announcements by drivers, etc):  Yes       No

• Presence of sidewalks to and from bus/train stop?                 Yes       No

• Presence of curb cut ramps on corners of sidewalks?              Yes        No

Meet the Family

Sit down with them in the spot of their choice. Thank them very much for their interest in being a host family for your organization. Introduce yourself and your role to the family and inform them of the information you will gather during the visit and encourage them to ask questions. Tell them that you will be taking notes while they speak.

• Family and pet member names: Age Hobbies/Interests

•  Household – typical daily activities/schedule

• Why do they want to be a host family? Any past international experience, diversity experience?

• Circle languages spoken by family members:

Spanish      French         Russian          Sign Language       Other: ____________________

Discuss organizational expectations of host family:

• Orientation/meetings
• Room and board
• Transportation support
• Cultural support
• Diversity
• Food
• Emergency procedures
• Medical Insurance
• Other support/assistance
• Household adaptations based on participant’s needs
• Background checks

House Assessment

Walk around the inside of the house with the family as they show you the spaces the participant will use.

Bedroom

• Location:            On main floor         Upstairs            Downstairs

• Bedroom set up:          Private         Shared with same-sex family member

• Approx. open floor space in room (ft x ft): _________________________
  

• Size of bed:           Twin       Double            Queen

• Bed style:           Futon style (low to ground)    Full size bed (2-3 feet off ground)

Bathroom

• Is bathroom on same floor as bedroom:              Yes       No
• Bathroom door width is  _____________________________
• Approx. open floor space in room (ft x ft): ___________________________
• Features:    Bathtub           Shower

Inside House Layout

• Note areas with carpet and thickness: ___________________________________

• Note placement and number of steps inside house: _________________________________________________

• Presence of handrails:              Yes         No

• Measure the width of the main access and other internal doorways: bedroom, bathroom, kitchen, etc. (doorway width needed for an average wheelchair is 32 inches)

• Is there a computer in the house that the participant will be able to use for email or program work - or space for one to be set up?           Yes    No            Location: ______________________________________________

Other indoor notes:_____________________________________________

Outside the house

• Note location and number of steps to the front or main access door: ___________________________________
• Note location and number of steps to other entrances (back, side, garage): ______________________________
• Note the slope (up or down) of driveway or walk way to front door from street: __________________________

•  Driveway/walkway/pathway surface: ______________________________________

• Other outdoor notes:_____________________________________________

Talk about possible adaptations that could be done to prepare for hosting:

• Designate a smoking area
• Participant dietary needs/preferences
• Have shower bench available
• Install a wheelchair ramp
• Remove a door
• Install a handheld shower
• Guide dog presence
• Closed captions on TV
• Borrow a TTY

Other: ________________________________

Other Comments:

Return to Steps to Inclusion