People with disabilities ask for respect
Students at Utah State University come from different backgrounds and cultures.
Some have dyed hair, short and long hair, earrings, nose rings, tattoos, dark skin, light skin … the list goes on.
Among all this diversity students may forget those with disabilities, who are as much a part of USU as any other student.
Natalie Sterling-Galloro, Disability Resource assistant director, said people often forget or purposely avoid students with disabilities on campus. They are not sure what to say or how to react.
“I believe first and foremost we need to remember to treat persons with disabilities as you would anyone else. People need to relax. Oftentimes people will avoid an individual with a disability or a situation because he or she is unfamiliar with differences or the unknown. This limits opportunities for everyone involved.”
According to a handout from the DRC, there are several courtesies people should keep in mind when associating with individuals who have disabilities:
• Ask before offering help. If someone accepts the offer, listen for any directions he may give. Allow him to decline the offer.
• Don’t make assumptions. The way to find out if a person can or cannot do a task is to ask.
• It’s not customary to lean on people, so don’t lean on wheelchairs. Don’t pat a wheelchair user on the shoulder or head. What is intended as a friendly gesture often appears condescending.
• Assist those with vision impairment by offering an arm. Walk slightly ahead of the person, alerting him of approaching steps and changes in grade, surface and direction. Allow the person to become oriented to a new location before leaving him.
• When greeting a person with vision impairment, give identification. Speak in a normal tone of voice, indicate movement from one place to another or departure.
• If a person with a disability is using a service animal, do not distract the animal by talking or petting it while it is working. Such distractions could impair its ability to work properly.
Diane Hardman, director of the DRC, said people don’t need to talk loudly or mouth their words widely and slowly to a person who is hard of hearing.
Janelle Milano, a junior studying both elementary education and deaf education who is hard of hearing, said, “Occasionally, I will run into someone who will shout or speak loudly, while enunciating words.
“The deaf or hard-of-hearing students would find this offensive to them because they don’t want to be treated any differently than anyone else,” she said.
Brandi Burdett, a sophomore majoring in social work, has Retinaitis Pigmentosa (RP) and uses a guide dog around campus. Lately, students have been coming up to her dog and petting her, which can be extremely harmful.
“People have been petting her a lot, and sometimes I don’t even know they are petting her,” she said.
Because of all the petting, Burdett’s dog is taking a relaxed approach to her job.
“When we are walking, she will stick her nose in people’s hands and get them to pet her, and so she is not paying attention to where she is leading me,” she said.
Burdett said she would like people to stop playing with her dog.
“I am not trying to be mean, but one day she or I is going to get hurt and so it is a really serious thing. The biggest thing with service animals is they are there to be working and not to be playing.”
If her dog doesn’t get up to par, it will have to be taken away for extra training.
Ulvia Guadarrama, a freshman sociology major, said, “People should get to know the person, not the disability.”
Milano said, “The bottom line is that students with disabilities want to have the same opportunities as other students, which includes assistive technology as well as an equal social environment.”
Sterling-Galloro said, “Our attitudes and beliefs towards people who may have disabilities start at a young age. We learn them from a variety of sources – the media, our family, friends and school. It is very important that we teach our children not to be scared, avoid or patronize individuals with disabilities.”
-stacipete@cc.usu.edu
Disability Resource Center objectives: • Provide equal access and accommodations to students, faculty and staff. • Identify students with disabilities. • Provide supportive services, including academic assistance, adaptive equipment, counseling and advocacy to ensure equal access to education and university programs. • Promote independence through academic, personal and career counseling, with an emphasis on adaptive and independent living skills. • Review architectural and program accessibility and make recommendations for the removal of barriers. • Promote disability awareness through workshops, in-service training and contact with departments and faculty members. • Evaluate requests for accommodation from university employees working closely with the Personnel Services Office, Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity, the State Office of Risk Management and the University ADA Coordinator to ensure adherence to the guidelines of Title I of the Americans with Disabilities Act.