Accessibility Abroad

There is no question that accessibility in many parts of the Muslim World is not as widespread as it is in the United States. Public buildings may be inaccessible to people with physical disabilities, and uneven pavement and congested sidewalks may make mobility difficult for people with visual impairments and for people who use wheelchairs, crutches and other mobility aides. On the other hand, many countries in these regions are making progress improving physical accessibility and services for people with a wide range of disabilities. One strategy for finding out more about access in a given country is to contact national or local disability organizations operating in the country. Disability organizations may be able to offer referral to local disability-related resources, assistance locating sign language interpreters and orientation guides, and more. For Mohammed Loutfy, a professional with a disability from Lebanon who worked as a Junior Fellow with the World Bank, local organizations of blind individuals in Lebanon proved invaluable in helping him procure the services he needed as an undergraduate student in Lebanon. “Disability organizations helped me a lot. They provided books on tape, readers and some transportation. [U.S. students traveling to Lebanon] may find some help from disability organizations promoting inclusion in Lebanon. My advice would be to contact these organizations to find out what kinds of services they could find.”

To search for disability organizations by country, visit the National Clearinghouse on Disability and Exchange's Muslim World Initiative webpage. To search for national non-discrimination laws, by country, visit the Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund (DREDF) website at www.dredf.org/international/lawindex.html. The DREDF website als includes an extensivd list of links to resources on international disability rights laws and issues. Additionally, the Independent Living Institute website includes reports by NGO's about compliance with the United Nations Standard Rules on the Equalization of Opportunities for Persons with Disabilities, by country, at www.independentliving.org/standardrules.

Advance preparation is another way to plan for situations that are not ideally accessible. As Shonda McLaughlin, a professor who uses a wheelchair, prepared to travel to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) as a Center for International Rehabilitation Research Information and Exchange (CIRRIE) fellow, she knew that the infrastructure would not be as accessible as it is in the United States. “Still,” she says, “I knew that I could adapt. I played out every scenario in my head before I left. What if I can’t get off the plane? How will I get around? How will I be perceived? Will I be able to use the restroom?” Although accessibility was a challenge during her month-long stay in the UAE, Shonda had the support of a colleague in negotiating inaccessible locations. She adds, “It was a learning experience for my friend as well. He was used to my independence in the U.S. and realized how inaccessible the environment was when traveling with me in the UAE.”

_{Photo Caption: CIRRIE Fellow, Shonda McLaughlin in the United Arab Emirates}

You may also find that the skills you use at home will come in handy abroad, and that accessibility may be better in some areas than you expected. Sarah Presley found both to be true during the two years she spent as a Peace Corps volunteer in Morocco. “I found that the same method I used in unfamiliar settings in the United States – that is, becoming very familiar with the areas around my house and job and then branching out – worked just as well in Morocco. In some ways, getting from one place to another was easier for me in Rabat than it is in most cities in the United States. Since fewer people have cars, there is more public transportation. Shopping was easier for me in Rabat because shops were small and plentiful; and all customers, sighted and blind, had to ask the clerks for what they needed.”

During and since [my exchange experiences], I have learned to enjoy the journey, including the challenges. In fact, it is often the challenges which become the more memorable moments of my international experiences.” Heather Harker, an Echoing Green Fellow in Malaysia.

As in any program abroad, a sense of adventure and flexibility are key to a successful international experience. “While I was living in Malaysia, a friend came to visit me. We traveled for five weeks in Thailand and Malaysia; we hopped trains and ferries, rented jeeps on islands, saw the sights in Bangkok, and met wonderful people along the way. My friend is paraplegic; I am Deaf. In our travels, we met challenges such as the three steps up each time we boarded the train in Thailand and the heavily accented English that she interpreted for me. But what I remember is laughing in the sleeper car of the train, enjoying the peace of a quiet river as we drifted on a bamboo raft, lying on a beach, riding waverunners on Ko Samui, and ocean kayaking in Malaysia. During and since [my exchange experiences], I have learned to enjoy the journey, including the challenges. In fact, it is often the challenges which become the more memorable moments of my international experiences,” says Heather Harker, an Echoing Green fellow in Malaysia. Consultant and wheelchair user, Alicia Hays, agrees. "As a wheelchair user, I relied more on taxis to get from place to place than I would in the U.S. because of the condition of the sidewalks and geography of the city. That was okay with me, because that's what it took if I wanted to experience traveling as a person with a disability in Jordan."

Finally, for those traveling on U.S.-sponsored groups or programs, the American with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act may be useful. Whether the ADA or Section 504 laws apply to exchange programs, or whether programs must provide disability-related services to U.S. participants when abroad, are questions that have not been clearly resolved. This leaves room for you to make a case for equal access on any program, although it may require research and advocacy on your part. The ADA and Section 504 are clear that a U.S.-based program cannot deny your participation based on disability. Don’t downplay your access needs, or agree to go without services you may need, in order to be accepted. For more information regarding the ADA and how it and other disability civil rights laws protect those participating in international exchange, please see Rights and Responsibilities: A Guide to National and International Disability-Related Laws for International Exchange Organizations and Participants, available free of charge from the National Clearinghouse on Disability and Exchange.