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Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Connecting the Medieval to New England
Still Image
Catalog Entry
<p>Giovanni Boccaccio wrote Day 10, Story 10, also known as the story of Griselda, as the final tale in his <em>Decameron</em>. This story takes place in a town south of Turin, Italy, and revolves around the tale of an Italian Marquis of Saluzzo named Gualtieri, who is plagued with the responsibility to produce an heir to continue his bloodline as the leader of his people, a problem that he chooses to solve by marrying a peasant woman named Griselda. <br /><br /> Certaldo, Italy - Casa del Boccaccio; Giovanni Boccaccio [1313-1375] <br /><br /> Much like Gualtieri, Italian writer and poet, Giovanni Boccaccio managed to create his own legacy through his life and works which since then have become some of the greatest historical features of his hometown of Certaldo, Italy. Found on Via Boccaccio, within the heart of Certaldo, buildings such as Boccaccio’s very own home have been turned into museums to pay homage to one of Italy’s most prominent literary figures. Casa del Boccaccio was Boccaccio’s childhood home since the early 13<sup>th</sup> century. It was restored in 1823, although the original structure of the home was damaged on January 15, 1944, due to an airstrike during World War II. Since then, the house has been rebuilt and renovated to preserve the illustrious works of the poet, including furniture and various illustrated editions of the <em>Decameron</em> that survived the war. Other objects that can be found within the small museum include a collection of late 14<sup>th</sup> to early 15<sup>th</sup>-century women’s shoes, the fresco painting of Boccaccio by painter Benvenuti housed within “the poet’s room," and various geographical, historical, and cultural exhibitions dedicated to Boccaccio’s time. Lastly, housed within Boccaccio’s home is the tombstone plate of the poet, although the actual poet’s remains reside in another tomb located in the Chiese dei Santi Jacopo e Filippo, known as the Church of St. Jacopo and Filippo, also located in Certaldo. <br /><br /> Fitchburg, MA - Fitchburg Art Museum; Eleanor Norcross [1854-1923] <br /><br /> New England, though in many ways different from Certaldo, Italy, contains many museums that house a tremendous amount of history. One such museum is the Fitchburg Art Museum, located in Fitchburg, Massachusetts. Like many other cultural heritage sites like Casa del Boccaccio, we can thank legacy for its existence. The Fitchburg Art Museum owes its creation to its founder, Ella Augusta, better known as Eleanor Norcross. Eleanor Norcross much like Boccaccio grew up in the town for which she is famous. From an early age her parents, who were also influential Fitchburg residents, supported her pursuits in the arts, painting, and art collecting. Her father, Amasa Norcross, survived both Eleanor’s mother and younger brother, resulting in a strong relationship with his only daughter. Due to his influence, Eleanor went on to study fine arts in Paris, France, through which she then became the avid painter we know today. This was not enough, however. Eleanor wanted to share her appreciation for the arts and the collections that inspired her with all her fellow Fitchburg residents. It was through this goal that the Fitchburg Art Museum was born, first as the Fitchburg Art Center (1929) and later on as the current museum. Much like Boccaccio, though Eleanor never lived to see the result of her dream realized, or the effects of her inspiration, her legacy lives on through those who have chosen to preserve her memory and work. As a result, through a translation of her vision, her collection has grown and will continue to do so, so long as cultural heritage continues to be of importance.</p>
Bibliography
Boccaccio, Giovanni. "Day 10, Story 10." <i>The Decameron. </i>Translated by Wayne A. Rebhorn. W.W. Norton and Company, 2016.<br /><br />“Casa del Boccaccioente Nazionale Giovanni Boccaccio.” <em>Giovanni Boccaccio National Organization,</em> www.casaboccaccio.it/casa-boccaccio.html#stanza. <br /><br />“Eleanor Norcross.” <em>Fitchburg Art Museum</em>, fitchburgartmuseum.org/eleanor-norcross.php. <br /><br />“Evoking Eleanor: The Art, Life, and Legacy of FAM Founder Eleanor Norcross.” <em>Fitchburg Art Museum</em>, fitchburgartmuseum.org/evoking-eleanor.php. <br /><br />Scharnagl, Donna. “Certaldo, A Tuscan Town That Gets Your Attention.” <em>Discover Tuscany, </em>discovertuscany.com/tuscany-destinations/certaldo-an-overview.html.
Catalog Entry Author(s)
Maria Pedroza-Acosta, Student, Fitchburg State University
Research Assistant(s)
Katie LeProhon, Student, Fitchburg State University
Accessible Description of Image(s)
First image: In this picture is an Italian, cobble-stoned street that reaches to a background with vague hills and farmland. Aged houses with wooden shutters line both sides of the streets along with terraces and various bushes. The houses are colored similarly as they are all different shades of brown. In the street are scattered people along with a dog.
Description by: Tyler Ansin, Student, Fitchburg State University
Photographer(s)
Kisha G. Tracy
Robert D. Gosselin, Alum, Fitchburg State University
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Certaldo, Italy - Casa del Boccaccio; Fitchburg, MA - Fitchburg Art Museum
alum
author
boccaccio
british literature I fall 2017
FAMExhibition
fitchburg
italy
massachusetts
middle ages fall 2017
museum
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Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Connecting the Medieval to New England
Still Image
Catalog Entry
Old Sturbridge Village is a living museum of colonial times that seeks to educate people on our not-so-distant past. Demonstrations, such as Redcoats and Rebels, include the firing of period rifles. Massachusetts is well-known for its rich colonial history, so it’s no wonder people flock to this quaint village. We tend to romanticize the past, and perhaps the reason we participate in reenactments is the same as why we patronize them – to feel closer to those events. Whether it’s the fashion or the weapons, history has a way of enchanting us, especially if you live in New England. It’s hard to ignore the events that brought us to today. It’s a point of pride that we live so close to so many prominent historical sites. <br /><br />In the one and only Sherwood Forest you can find battle demonstrations at the Robin Hood Festival. This show of swordsmanship can bring you right back to the time of the tales. It’s hard not to be obsessed with the character’s archetype – the do-good rebel with a bow is still around in today’s media in the forms of DC Comics Oliver Queen, <em>The Hunger Games'</em> Katniss Everdeen, Marvel’s Hawkeye, etc. It’s a character almost everyone can connect to – it calls to the hero we all wanted to be growing up. And that’s one of the reasons we celebrate his story through reenactments as adults. <br /><br />King Richard’s Faire in Carver, Massachusetts draws thousands of people each year to its many shows. One such show is the joust. This past 2017 season saw Sir Wolfric, Lord of Middleton, clashing with Sirs Joseph, Gregory, and Don Mitri for the hand of Princess Elizabeth. As one of the most popular attractions at King Richard’s Faire, these knights are cheered on by hordes of patrons and some of the Faire’s Village Cast. The cast is made up of a diverse group of actors of all ages. Jouster and Villager Fight Director Dan Reed talks about his love of WWE as one of his inspirations for getting into stage combat. When asked what brought them to work for the faire, most of the cast will cite fond childhood memories there as a patron. As for the draw to medieval and Renaissance themed events, it’s easy to see the "White Knight complex" in most of the people on site, and it’s no surprise that you’ll find many regular D&D players there. Whether it’s an obsession with their own Norse heritage, or that they just want to wear chain mail and carry a sword, the pull is strong. There is a certain romance involved in dressing up in garb, playing a character from another time, and hitting each other with fight-grade steel. People want to feel like they’re part of something bigger than themselves. They want to feel connected to the past or the heroes of their childhood, and participating in these events is definitely one way to do it.
Bibliography
<p>“Old Sturbridge Village.” <em>Home | Old Sturbridge Village</em>, 7 Apr. 1970, www.osv.org/.</p>
<p>Nottinghamshire County Council. “Robin Hood Festival 2018.” <em>Nottinghamshire County Council</em>, 2018, www.nottinghamshire.gov.uk/planning-and-environment/country-parks/sherwood-forest/robin-hood-festival.</p>
Reed, Dan. Personal interview. 2017.
Photographer(s)
Kisha G. Tracy
Catalog Entry Author(s)
Jackilyn Teague, Alum, Fitchburg State University
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Sherwood Forest, England - Robin Hood Festival; Carver, MA - King Richard’s Faire; Sturbridge, MA - Redcoats and Rebels
alum
colonial america
england
entertainment
FAMExhibition
hammondexhibition
massachusetts
reenactments
robin hood
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Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Connecting the Classical to New England
Still Image
Catalog Entry
<p>Saint Mark’s Horses in Venice have a long, well-traveled history, especially for horses that are not actually living creatures. Cast of copper and various other elements, they are an outstanding example of human ingenuity (Alunno-Rossetti and Marabelli 161). The cause of their creation is unknown; however, their design is exemplary and their path throughout Europe is well-known. Their original location atop the Hippodrome in Istanbul could mean they were a tribute to their venue at the track, located in a long dismantled empire. Then they arrived in Italy at St. Mark’s Basilica, moving to the top of Arc de Triomphe in France with Napoleon Bonaparte, and finally back to St. Mark’s (Dowson). They will most likely never return to Istanbul, where they originated, as they are too fragile and they have already undergone major tests their structural integrity in Italy. The preservation of these horses has become as important as their heritage. The horses have been damaged by air pollution, salt, and sun. They have also been damaged during their many travels (Alunno-Rossetti and Marabelli 162). <br /><br /> Walden Pond in Concord, Massachusetts, is an important part of cultural heritage in New England. Thoreau, the mid-nineteenth century author and a founder of American conservation, lived a quiet life on Walden Pond, and he documented it in his book <em>Walden</em>. He also wrote about his many travels in Maine, a trip to Canada, and of course about civil disobedience. He found great happiness in the simplest things and in the many journeys of life. He probably would have made a quest for the conservation of St Mark’s Horses because they have a high cultural and artistic value. He may not have been into fancy attire or factory lines; what he valued were classical traditions and classic literature, and these horses were created in classical times. Thoreau would have valued the preservation of St. Mark’s Horses as he was for maintaining the arts, and he would have been devastated by the environmental causes of their disintegration (Walden Woods Project). <br /><br /> If Thoreau were to discuss St. Mark’s Horses, it would be through journeys of conquest and classical tradition in Homeric literature. Thoreau celebrated Odysseus and his many conquests and voyages, for Thoreau felt it was important for man to journey to find the best in life. The peace you discover in the world as an explorer was more powerful than any belonging you could have. Odysseus himself is similar to St. Mark’s Horses and their various travels. Perhaps Thoreau would have celebrated the journeys of St. Mark’s Horses as well, a symbol moved from place to place thriving and setting example as to just how amazing man is. Just as Thoreau’s voyages and journeys took him through Massachusetts, Maine, and even into Canada, Odysseus journeyed to find his greatest gifts and to evade a restless sedentary life. Thoreau’s epic journey, Odysseus’s epic journey, and St. Mark’s Horses are all connected with a story of travel and a wish for one last journey home.</p>
Bibliography
<p>Alunno-Rossetti, V., and M. Marabelli. “Analyses of the Patinas of a Gilded Horse of St Mark's Basilica in Venice: Corrosion Mechanisms and Conservation Problems.” <em>Studies in Conservation</em>, vol. 21, no. 4, 1976, pp. 161–170. <em>JSTOR</em>, http://www.jstor.org/stable/1505640</p>
<p>Dowson, Thomas. “The Horses of St. Mark’s Basilica in Venice.” <em>Archaeology Travel</em>. 2 May 2018, https://archaeology-travel.com/friday-find/the-horses-of-st-marks-basilica-in-venice/. Accessed 2 May 2018.</p>
<p>“Henry David Thoreau.” <em>The Walden Woods Project</em>, https://www.walden.org/thoreau/. Accessed 4 May 2018.</p>
<p>Thoreau, Henry David. <em>Walden, and On the Duty of Civil Disobedience</em>. 1995. <em>Project Gutenberg</em>, www.gutenberg.org/files/205/205-h/205-h.htm.</p>
Photographer(s)
Kisha G. Tracy
Robert D. Gosselin, Alum, Fitchburg State University
Catalog Entry Author(s)
Bob Williams, Student, Fitchburg State University
Research Assistant(s)
Alex Voyiatzis, Student, Fitchburg State University
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Venice, Italy - St. Mark’s Horses; Concord, MA - Thoreau's Walden Pond
alum
animal
author
british literature I spring 2018
classical tradition spring 2018
environment
FAMExhibition
italy
massachusetts
statue
thoreau
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Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Disability
Still Image
Catalog Entry
<p>The artifact includes a biography and short essay written by Tracy Alario, who at the time in 2000 was a Junior majoring in English Studies at Fitchburg State College. The contents of the biography written by Alario explain that as a student without a disability, she was honored to be a part of the study abroad trip to Austria that was organized for students with disabilities to attend. Fitchburg State College and the Center for Leadership and Career Education worked together to send students with disabilities to study abroad in Austria. This allowed for students to have an equal opportunity to international experience travel the same way non-disabled college students do because they have been given the access to the accommodations they may need. Although Alario did not have a disability herself, she attended the trip in hopes to study the way the culture in Austria treats those who have disabilities, and to see if they offer as much accessibility in Austria as they do in America. This trip was also a way for students who were interested in Disability Studies to become more aware of the cultural differences in viewing disability.</p>
<p>Tracy Alario shares in her biography that “I have never been able to be a part of something to make positive changes in the world-- until now.” Alario attended the trip in hopes to gain more of a perspective on how different cultures treat people with disabilities. In her experiences as a non-disabled person she was able to apply her research as a college student to an outside of the classroom setting, and evaluate from her perspective how the typical able bodied person looks upon someone who is disabled. The study abroad exchange program was called <em>Partners for Access to International Culture Exchange </em>and was meant to include students with disabilities as well as students who held interest in the emerging field of Disability Studies. By traveling abroad students were able to build stronger self-advocacy skills, specifically students with disabilities who are often unable to partake in abroad programs because there are a lack of accessabilities available for people with disabilities who seek out international travel. </p>
<p>This artifact allows for us to see a piece of the emergence of Disability Studies at Fitchburg State University, and it also opens our eyes to the progress that has been, or has not been made since this bulletin was created in 2000. The issue of not providing accessabilities for people with disabilities who are traveling is still faced by many in 2019, almost 20 years later since Tracy noted this problem during her exchange program studies. Traveling with a disability as a college student is important because when the students come back to their home university after their time abroad they are able to bring a new perspective for their peers and their professors to learn and grow from as well. Educating one another on the international social view of disability is incredibly important for the future of studying disability as well as the future of improving our culture’s view of disability as a whole.</p>
<p>This artifact connects to our own culture at Fitchburg State University and the progress we’ve made in supporting students with disabilities and offering them access to what they need. Seeing a study abroad program like this in our current day at Fitchburg State would be wonderful as many students would be able to travel when they might have been stopped before due complications of disability. The growing field of Disability Studies has continued to change and connect with interdisciplinary studies as a whole, the artifact captures the roots of a program that offered access to those who had most likely been denied in their past. It is important to understand across cultures how people differ in their views of disability and by emerging yourself as a student into a different culture, the way that student understands and learns when they return home will be greater due to a more open perspective on the issue of disability.</p>
<p>Tracy Alario’s artifact shows that a student who seeks to make a change can absolutely do so by spreading awareness about a cause that they care about greatly. When one student begins the conversation more students will ultimately join and therefore change can be made. By completing an Educational program on leadership and International culture students are able to be articulate when they consider these issues back home, allowing for students to act as leaders for those who are not as aware of the stigma and the issues surrounding the way they see disability. Placing this artifact into our modern day program of studying disability would be eye opening for many students who take interest and find a passion in the issues of advocacy for people with disabilities. A group of students who find interest in making a change can not only start the conversation about stigma, accessibility but it can help refute the stereotypes that dominate our culture when we are studying the concept of viewing those who have disabilities.</p>
Artifact Owner
Fitchburg State University Disability Services
Artifact Condition
The artifact is in good condition and there are no extra notes or marks on the page.
Artifact Material
Page 3 in the Issue, the artifact is printed in a magazine style book and includes black and white photographs.
Catalog Entry Author(s)
Autumn Battista, Student, Fitchburg State University
Photographer(s)
Kisha G. Tracy
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Campus Bulletin: Tracy Alario, Biography and Essay
alum
disability
fitchburg state university
FSU disability services
study abroad
-
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Disability
Still Image
Catalog Entry
<p>Children are known to be quick learners. They pick up new-found skills quickly and build on them. Some of them are better at this than others. If you are above average you are known as a prodigy, and they are commended (as they should be) for these amazing skills. However, what about those who are below average? Those who do not learn as quickly as others tend to have what is called a learning disability. Disabilities tend to have a large negative connotation to it, that they are helpless, and they NEED special classes in order to survive the public education system. But in today’s world, there are plenty of adaptations especially with the use of technology. Combining technology to help those in need with everyday life tasks, in which adapts to a person who has a disability such as a learning disability in order to ensure they are fully adapted and accommodated. AI can and has made a number of pathways to help those who currently feel like they cannot do it, feel more “normal”, in a society where anything BUT normal is accepted. But before we can talk about how technology can help learning disabilities, we must know what they are.</p>
<p>Learning disabilities are described as a person or people having a difficult time acquiring/understanding knowledge. Disabilities come in all shapes and sizes, however are most often placed into simpler categories such as“perceiving thinking, remembering or learning” (Tucker 12). Those who have one or more of these disabilities tend to have a harder time processing the information that is given to them compared to the “average” person, who often looks over this common, daily activities and processes. For most children, disability or not, they are sent to public schools from kindergarten to 12th grade. With public schools comes all different types of kids, who learn and develop in a number of different ways. School is a place designed to teach students how to receive and retain a vast amount of information. For these same reasons, those who need a more directed learning approach and who need more help learning than the “average” student, to them it is one of the worst places. Disabled students have a hard time keeping up with their peers, which makes passing their classes and other daily tasks more difficult. In society, those with physical disabilities are looked to with respect and care. But cognitive disabilities are harder to see unless the person who has one flat out tells you. This can lead to them being looked over, not treated properly, and other things such as lack of accomodation in schools for those who need it.</p>
<p>One example of a cognitive disorder is the one of the most common, however not necessarily talked about:dyslexia. Dyslexia can be defined as a person who has a “lack of proficiency in reading, spelling, and writing” ("Dyslexia"). The founder of this impairment goes by the name of Rudolf Berlin, a german ophthalmologist, who coined the term "Dyslexia. The main signs to look out for that indicate that somebody is afflicted by dyslexia can range from: reading at a slow or broken pace, not showing interest in reading, having a limited vocabulary, and a noticeable stutter or lisp. It may be hard to detect these hardships due to the fact that this impairment is not physical, it cannot be seen just by looking at a person. However, tests such as doing a neuropsychological evaluations which measures to see how long they take to respond and process information. Most often these tests are done using done by doing read alouds, writing, and small brain games to observe the patient to find the results.</p>
<p>Students with dyslexia often struggle and fall behind specifically in reading and writing classes for not understanding or being interested in the texts compared to everyone else in the classroom. They often have trouble with mixing up letters such as b and d; As well as most struggle with following sentences becomes tough when their eyes begin to wonder, and read sentences quickly while their brain is still struggling to process information that had been given to them beforehand Students who have these symptoms will read letters that look different in shape and can have a hard time fully understanding the phenomenon since their visual preference of letters is different than others.</p>
<p>This form of dyslexia is known as “visual dyslexia”, where the brain does not properly interpret visual signals.” (Perlstein). A good example of this phenominon using a real life scenario can be seen as: two students in a classroom have the same book, have to read the same two chapters and have the same task which is to write a 500-word essay in a time span of an hour. The only difference between the students is one has dyslexia while the other one does not. An hour lapses, and the time is up. The average student would have been finished while the student who has dyslexia, would have picked up the pencil and started the essay, finally comprehending what the words on the page went. This conflict for me is very realistic. I am that student: the student with dyslexia.</p>
<p>For me, I was one of the kids that had to ask a lot of questions about the topic we were learning, had to go to a separate room, or take the longest during tests, and had teachers help me out greatly just to understand the content. Before highschool, it was not as bad as some kids have it. I was able to do a lot of stuff on my own, but after having to go through surgery for an injury, I was forced to deal with a long recovery process, that is when everything flipped around. I was scared at first. I was always self conscious, thinking I was that annoying kid who stayed after almost every day and always came up with a lot of questions causing teachers to think about how I was not paying attention. But as years went on and teachers gained a better understanding of why I ask all of these questions, and adjusted the way they taught so students like me feel less like an outcast compared to the rest of the class. After a while the nerves of asking a million questions faded away because at the end of the day, I needed to pass. My mindset went from scared, timid, and insecure to, if you wanna pass, don’t be afraid of help. I understood that because some people do not understand 100 percent, I still need to focus on how I learn best regardless if it’s annoying. In the long run, it made a huge impact on my learning. As a college student looking back, I realized that it was a bumpy road for a while but turned around and worked out in the end for the best.</p>
<p>Whether a student needs it or not, schools incorporate special education classes, separate from the rest of the school to help accommodate students needs. These classes give students the following: extra time on tests and quizzes if needed, small notes to be used on tests if they have trouble remembering certain content, and group testing where they have the assisting teacher read with them and help them understand the content more carefully. The class where I struggled most during high school was English class. Whenever I had a reading assignment where I had to annotate and quote I would take longer than everybody else and would need help from a teacher to help me understand what was going on with the story.</p>
<p>Fortunately for us, we live in a world where we have special accommodations outside the classrooms, and science is always producing more and more findings. The focus on a solution for those who have mild to severe disabilities in recent years, has gone from what they can do in the classroom, to how technology can serve us. This tends to occur through a very controversial topic: artificial intelligence. Before breaking down its role of AI in disability, the dictionary definition of artificial intelligence is “the ability of an artificial mechanism to exhibit intelligent behavior by modifying its actions through reasoning and learning from experience.” It may seem hard to process just how AI really can help with learning disabilities and special education courses. However, we tend to use these things everyday. Software and websites used such as BudenBender which teaches those with a learning disability that adapts to the student the more the student uses it to ensure a positive learning experience and environment.<br /><br />The benefits of a disability are far more than people give credit. Going through a lot of struggles and hardships both in and out of class to understand any type of new material, we learn new tricks to make understanding and learning easier while in class and in our personal day to day lives. Seeing those who have overcome these “hardships” such as famous actor and media icon, Keanu Reeves who is a member of the dyslexic community. Keanu Reeves is known for being a hard working and famous actor who has starred in many world-renowned franchises, although he had a hard time starting off he managed to take a career that mainly consists of reading and memorization, two things most people with dyslexia mainly struggle with. After dealing with issues such as reading and writing as well as consistently being discouraged and lazy, which caused him to get expelled in high school. He eventually took up acting discovering it was an activity he enjoyed. He began to take classes and also discovered “his love for Shakespeare'' ("Keanu Reeves"). He put in a lot of hard work and effort into that goal and became the amazing, kind and inspiring person he is known as today. Keanu is a role model for me and other people who also have dyslexia. No matter how bad dyslexia can affect the person, there is always a way to work around it to get better. One of the things to note about having disabilities though is that you are not alone. In my class, everyone had their own personal disability and we would all work together to help one another. As we helped each other we would learn new ways and methods to see how we can get through the work at a faster pace and more effective way.</p>
Bibliography
<p>“Dyslexia.” <em>Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research</em>, 22 July 2017, www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/dyslexia/symptoms-causes/syc-20353552.<br /><br />“Keanu Reeves.” <em>Dyslexia Help at the University of Michigan</em>, dyslexiahelp.umich.edu/success-stories/keanu-reeves.<br /><br />Perlstein, David. "Dyslexia Symptoms, Signs, Types, Tests, & Treatment." <em>MedicineNet</em>, https://www.medicinenet.com/dyslexia/article.htm#what_are_the_different_types_of_dyslexia.<br /><br />Tucker, Elijah, <em>Artificial Intelligence and Disability: An Academic Study of AI Use In The Classroom For Students With Disabilities</em>, Fitchburg State University, 2016.</p>
<p></p>
Artifact Owner
Fitchburg State University Amelia V. Gallucci-Cirio Library Archives & Special Collections
Artifact Condition
Close to perfect condition
Artifact Material
Bound book
Catalog Entry Author(s)
Armando Libier, Student, Fitchburg State University
Miranda Gustin, Student, Fitchburg State University
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Thesis: Artificial Intelligence and Disability
alum
disability
fitchburg state university
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Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Disability
Still Image
Catalog Entry
<p><span>This entry is on Francesca, an alum of Fitchburg State, and her daily struggles with her own mind, and how she gets through her days with the help of her lovely sidekick Willow. Willow, a black lab and mastiff mix, serves as not only Francesca’s service animal, but also as her best friend. Francesca bought Willow from a breeder in Canada when Willow was a puppy. Willow passed her “K9 Good Citizens Test” at the mere age of 6 months. It might’ve helped Willow’s case that her father was an emotional support animal and her father’s father was a search and rescue dog for hikers who get trapped and/or lost on mountains. </span></p>
<p><span>However, Willow isn’t Francesca’s only furry friend. Francesca lives on a farm with her parents. The animals that accompany them on the farm are 3 outdoor cats, 1 indoor cat and 2 horses. Willow tends to run around with the horses a lot, and even though it scares Francesca half to death sometimes, Willow loves it. Willow is 3 and a half years old and 120 pounds, but she’s just a big baby. Francesca owned a dog, Toby, before Willow, Toby was half mastiff and half German Shepard. Things began going downhill a bit faster after he passed.</span></p>
<p><span>Francesca and her family aren’t originally from this country, so when her sister got arrested for possession of drugs, the authorities deported her.. Toby was Francesca’s sense of support and stability, but once he passed in 2016 she fell into a spiraling mindset. Francesca developed severe agoraphobia, an anxiety disorder that causes people to fear and/or avoid situations that may lead them to panic, when she lost Toby, but that’s not all of what she went through. Francesca suffered and still is suffering, but with help from Willow, triggers are more tolerable sometimes. </span></p>
<p><span>Francesca developed fibromyalgia, a disorder causing widespread pain, along with fatigue, memory, sleep, and mood issues, in 8th grade due to nerve damage from shingles, along with being diagnosed with anxiety and depression. It wasn’t until her junior year in high school when she was diagnosed with bipolar disorder. She was put in a 3 day psychiatric hold for self harm, and at that age she didn’t find therapy progressive. It wasn’t until she was 20 when she began to find therapy helpful, and she’s been going for 8 years now, the last few with Willow. Willow is quite literally Francesca’s crutch. When Francesca developed fibromyalgia it made it hard for her to walk, so she uses Willow as her momentum to pull her along and make it to their destination. </span></p>
<p><span>It wasn’t until recently that Francesca was put on medication that allows her to feel stable, because depending on what you’re prescribed, the side effects can be pretty harmful. Francesca said the things that got her through the hardships were and still are her animals. Francesca got the idea of getting a therapy dog from one of her professors who had one. Willow is a therapy dog; they have more “rights” than an emotional support animal as therapy dogs are allowed anywhere while emotional support animals have restrictions. Unsurprisingly, Francesca had encounters where people would walk up to her and have the audacity to say, “you don’t look disabled." A handicap placard isn’t enough to get ignorant people to leave you alone. Francesca even had an encounter with a former employer, and she was asked why Willow was a necessity to have in the workplace. Francesca also finds comfort in her boyfriend, Jared, a guy she’s known for years and used to go to school with. Jared makes sure he takes time to talk Francesca through situations that she might not completely understand due to whatever is majorly affecting her at the time. He helps her relax when she is having anxiety, helps her see things for what they are when she is having a bipolar episode and is always there to comfort her through anything she’s going through. Willow is obviously a loyal friend, but sometimes you need someone to talk to who can respond with words of comfort. Willow might not be able to talk, but she can still show love in her actions of affection.</span></p>
Catalog Entry Author(s)
Gabriella Rico, Student, Fitchburg State University
Editor(s)
Anne Robinson, Student, Fitchburg State University
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Profile: Francesca Lewis, Alum, and Willow the Service Dog
alum
animal
disability
fitchburg state university
profile
service dog
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Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Disability
Still Image
Catalog Entry
<p>We live in a society where, if you are different then somebody else, there is a belief that you can’t get the job done because you don’t look or behave like the next person. We are constantly surrounded by close-minded people who can be unwilling to open their eyes to new possibilities. In this artifact, Tim Vernon shows us how his disability doesn’t hinder him from getting the job done. Tim Vernon, a blind college student majoring in communications at Fitchburg State College, was working at a 16-week internship in the Marketing and Public Relations Department as one of the members in the press. In his job, he would introduce people to the new staff and ask people questions in a poll. Throughout his day, he would utilize technology to make his job a little bit easier.</p>
<p>One piece of equipment was called Braille N Speak, which enabled Vernon to know what telephone lines were in use or on hold throughout the whole day. The Braille N Speak also had a compact personal note-taker, which has Braille embossing output capabilities. Another software program, known as JAWS, has a speech synthesizer, which allowed him to use computer programs including email. This shows that if society can overlook something that a person cannot control and accept them for who they are the outcome can become great. With these programs, Vernon was able to not only work, but also bridge the gap between him and people who don’t have vision disabilities, and show that they are not different from each other. Because of technology, Vernon came to work and was able to do important tasks easily and efficiently.</p>
<p>Vernon was also a motivational speaker. He wanted to make people feel confident with their blindness. There was a quotation that he said that stuck with me and it is ’’not to use your blindness as crutch but rather as an opportunity.’’ I really like this because it can give a person motivation to go out and live their dreams whether they have a disability or not. It also shows you can work around anything; nowadays we live in a society where there is constantly new technology and we have the opportunity to use it. </p>
<p>People don’t realize how grateful they are until something is taken away from them, In this case, a lady by the name of Anna Miller was a just any regular human being until one day she got sick from a virus that attacked her nervous system, because of this she went from having perfect vision to being blind in a matter of days. It was a difficult experience to go through because she had to learn to do things over and over again. She had to learn how to smell, taste, and walk. Through many years of learning the basic needs in a human life, Miller came to the conclusion that what happened to her made her a stronger person and for that she is grateful and happy.</p>
<p>Miller is now a mathematics teacher in the Perkins School for the Blind. She is now able to relate to other kids because she has been through this experience: “The most rewarding thing about being a teacher is the ability I have to connect with students and their disability" (<span>“Perkins Stories").</span> I believe working with somebody that has some similarity as you can make learning fun. </p>
<p>Vernon and Miller have a lot of similarities because they both do something they love by working with their disability. Both of them prove having motivation and being determined can get you anywhere. They both show that having a positive attitude can get you positive results. This lesson can become very beneficial to life because it shows us that society needs to be more grateful because there so many things we have and we take it for granted. Vernon and Miller are true role models because they both prove that a disability can’t limit their dreams.</p>
<p>Disability comes in all shapes and sizes, and your life can change in a matter of seconds. Disability shouldn’t be an obstacle in life. Just like Vernon, being blind didn’t stop him from working in the internship and helping people out. Learning from Vernon I realized that life can be a little easier if you have the right attitude. </p>
Bibliography
<p><span>Guerin, Lisa, and J.d. “Disability Discrimination in the Workplace: An Overview of the ADA.” <em>NOLO, </em>1 May 2013, www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/disability-discrimination-workplace-overview-of-30123.html.</span></p>
<p><span>“Perkins Stories.” <em>Perkins School for the Blind</em>, 7 Nov. 2019, www.perkins.org/stories.<br /><br />“Search ADA.gov.” <em>Introduction to the ADA</em>, www.ada.gov/ada_intro.htm.<br /></span></p>
Artifact Owner
Fitchburg State University Disability Studies
Artifact Condition
Good condition
Artifact Material
Paper
Catalog Entry Author(s)
Stephanie Agyapomaah, Student, Fitchburg State University
Editor(s)
Brooke Williams, Student, Fitchburg State University
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
News Article: "Nothing stops Vernon from doing his job"
alum
disability
fitchburg state university
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Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Disability
Still Image
Catalog Entry
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<p><span>Timothy Vernon, a graduate from Fitchburg State College, was honored by Perkins for his essay “Braille: A special gift" in their writing contest. They held a ceremony for Timothy at the Massachusett State House. Timothy, 25 at the time, was one of three students who received an 100 dollars award from Perkins. The essay was written on how braille made an impact of Timothy's entire life. Vernon was blind since birth so learning to use braille put him on a “even playing field” as everyone else. He also made the dean's list each semester at Fitchburg State, where he received a degree in communications. <br /></span></p>
<p><span>Tim was three years old when he started to read braille. “I think braille allows for independence,” Vernon says. In the essay he writes how braille positively impacted his life. Later at Fitchburg State University, he mastered braille codes for mathematical and scientific notation. <br /><br />The Perkins the School for the Blind is located in Watertown, Massachusetts and was founded in 1829. The Perkins School made their own braille considering it's only kids who are blind that attend the school. The man who created this was French educator Louis Braille, who was born in 1809. The system to this day is uncharged and is used worldwide. Braille, blind in both eyes due to an accident that happened when he was younger, began to master his disability at a</span>young age. He ended up mastering most of his education, as he got a scholarship to a French school called the Royal Institute For The Blind Youth. He started to develop a code that could allow blind people to read and write quickly and efficiently. The first time he shared his inventions it was with his peers at the school in 1824. In his adulthood, Braille was a professor at an institution as a musician, but in his spare time he still worked to advance the braille system.</p>
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<p><span>The first school to ever use braille was the Institution Nationale des Jeunes Aveugles in 1824, which is located in Paris France. Braille is a raised letter system. It includes raised dots that create the alphabet. It also contains equivalents for punctuation marks and provides symbols to show letter groupings. To read braille you move your fingers left to right along each line, it normally involves both hands. Average reading speeds are 125 words per minute but 200 words per minute is possible. Before Louis Braille there was a man named Charles Barbier he created a unique system called night writing. It was originally known to help soldiers communicate at night in the dark. The reason he made this version of code was because he saw too many soldiers use lamps at night and get shot or killed. He thought he could create a better system.</span></p>
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Bibliography
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<p>"History of Braille." <em>Braille Works</em>, brailleworks.com/braille-resources/history-of-braille/. <br /><br />Perkins School for the Blind. www.perkins.org. <br /><br />"Timothy Vernon : Braille & Talking Book Library Essay Contest Winner." <em>Zoominfo, </em>https://www.zoominfo.com/p/Timothy-Vernon/1342380581. </p>
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Artifact Owner
Fitchburg State University Disability Services
Artifact Condition
The section of the newspaper is old, but in very good condition. It has no rips or blemishes.
Artifact Material
Paper
Catalog Entry Author(s)
Madelyn Campano, Student, Fitchburg State University
Editor(s)
Colleen Couture, Student, Fitchburg State University
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
News Article: "FSC grad honored by Perkins School for the Blind"
alum
disability
fitchburg state university
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Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Disability
Still Image
Catalog Entry
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<p><span>One challenge that has always been a popular debate is the inclusion of people with disabilities, whether it be in classes or extracurricular activities. Many colleges and universities have been constantly improving accessibility and inclusivity for staff and students with disabilities (Shakespeare). One of these institutions is Fitchburg State University (previously College) </span>located in Fitchburg, Massachusetts. There have been various events put on by Fitchburg State University allowing people with disabilities to play sports, just as able-bodied people do. The idea of wheelchair basketball games is thanks to Paul Mushrush, the founder of wheelchair basketball games. <br /><br />Mushrush lived an average able-bodied life until he was involved in an accident where he became wheelchair bound. Since then, he has been an inspiration to many, and is the inspiration of this large, wheelchair basketball-themed quilt made in 2004. The back of the quilt has a bright and colorful tie-dye fabric, representing Mushrush’s hippie-like lifestyle. The front of this quilt has a few different images of events relating to wheelchair basketball. In the upper left corner of the quilt, there is the initials “F.S.C.” because at the time Fitchburg State University was Fitchburg State College. There is also a soccer patch on this piece of fabric because Musrush had a successful soccer career before he was involved in the accident. Another piece of fabric containing words is on the bottom of the quilt. This white square says “Phish Phamily” in pink and orange letters. This was in reference to the band Phish who was a favorite of Mushrush. This band started back in 1983 and continued to play on tours through 2002. Phish took some time off from touring in the beginning 1999 to work on various projects. Their performances were quite unique, and no two concerts were the same, unlike many other artists at the time ("The Band"). Mushrush enjoyed this more free-spirited music, which is why he felt the need to include this band on the quilt.</p>
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<p><span>The rest of the quilt is full of vibrant, artistic pieces of fabric. These patches include buttons, stickers, drawings of nature, handprints, and even signatures of those working on the quilt. The patch of fabric with signatures is also full of hearts, smiley faces, and the words “FSC </span>2004,” when this quilt was put together. Overall, this quilt represents the happiness and joy that wheelchair basketball brings and provides hope to people with disabilities that have an interest in playing sports.</p>
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<p><span>Mushrush, a college student, was an influential activist for inclusivity in sports. Being in a wheelchair himself, Mushrush advocated for all people with disabilities by creating this idea of a regular sport that could be played by people of all abilities and strengths. In 2004, Mushrush attended an event hosted by the Fitchburg State College library in the Hammond building. This function gathered various clubs both on and off campus that publicized their organizations to try to gain members. There are some images of Mushrush from this event standing at his table. His poster, titled “Celebrating Everyone’s Differences,” stands tall over the wheelchair basketball quilt that is being used as a tablecloth. One of the wheelchair basketball games is even being advertised on a t-shirt from the event, draped over Mushrush’s wheelchair. His presence along with the colorful display of his set-up offered a warm welcome to those at the club fair and invited them to learn a little more about disabilities. </span></p>
<p><span>Furthermore, on Disability Awareness Day, Project Enable and the Cogito Ergo Sum (C.E.S.) Society, both advocates for educating the public, worked together to inform Fitchburg State College students about disabilities. They thought a basketball game would be the perfect way to spread awareness about the topic, since more and more individuals with disabilities are attending college. Some able-bodied students were challenged to "acquire" a disability for the day with a simulation of what daily life might be like for wheelchair users, people with visual or hearing impairments, or more. Due to this event, $700 was raised for the Garret Conrad Scholarship. This yearly scholarship is in memory of Garret Conrad, who </span>unfortunately passed away in 1993. The scholarship fund is awarded to a student attending Fitchburg State with a disability because Conrad lost all four limbs in an accident in 1986. This organization also provided information on job hunting and leadership positions for people with a disability (Miller). Overall, this event was a life-changing experience for everyone involved and was a very beneficial gathering.</p>
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<p><span>Another interesting event that occured at Fitchburg State was a movie screening of </span><span></span><em>Kiss My Wheels</em><span>,</span><span> </span><span>followed by a panel discussion. This took place in a lecture hall in the Hammond building and was open to all students. The film is about the hard work and dedication put forth by a junior wheelchair basketball team that was ranked nationally. Though young in age, these adolescents worked as a team to play well during practices and games as they simultaneously learned the importance of friendship and partnership. The movie then led the audience to a panel discussion put on by the director of the Recreation Center, Fitchburg State Athletes, and a moderator who was also a professor from the English department. This film provided students with and without disabilities to truly see the challenges that were overcome by the young, inspiring athletes throughout the movie. </span></p>
<p><span>Overall, the awareness of inclusivity in sports has greatly increased over the past few decades. A lot of this can be credited to Mushrush who really kicked off this whole idea of wheelchair basketball and inclusive sports in general. He also taught people with a disability to express what makes them diverse rather than to be ashamed of it. Due to this wheelchair basketball quilt, people are able to learn the history of wheelchair basketball and why it was, and still is, such an influential sport. Fitchburg State also had a lot to do with spreading awareness of disabilities. Without many of these events, college students would not </span>have been exposed to what living with a disability might be like. It is important to know the history behind why we study disability, what influenced the spread of awareness, and what we can do in the future to be more mindful of people with disabilities.</p>
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Bibliography
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<p><span>“The Band.” </span><span></span><em>Phish</em><span>,</span><span> </span><span>phish.com/band/.<br /><br />Miller, Norman. “College Brings Disability Awareness to the Basketball Court.” </span><em>Sentinel and Enterprise</em><span>,</span><span> </span><span>7 Apr. 1994.<br /><br />Shakespeare, Tom. </span><span></span><em>Disability: the Basics</em><span><em>.</em> Routledge, </span><span>2018. </span></p>
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Catalog Entry Author(s)
Erin Maida, Student, Fitchburg State University
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Wheelchair Basketball Quilt
alum
athletics
disability
fitchburg state university
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446f6313ec02ee37efdf3a414599d75f
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Disability
Still Image
Catalog Entry
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<p><span>Have you ever wondered what it would be like to walk through the busy streets of a city, but have a visual impairment? Have you ever wondered how it would feel to learn with a learning disability? Have you ever wondered what it would feel like to get around in a wheelchair all day? Well, a few years ago many who wondered about these questions were able to attempt to find out what it felt like to face everyday life with a disability. Many years ago Fitchburg State University created a Disability Awareness Day in which students and community members were able to sign up to participate in multiple disability simulations. When signing up adults did not know which disability they were going to receive unless they had specifically asked for a certain one. The way the day worked was that participants were given a piece of paper stating what their disability for the day was and how they must act. If they had a disability that could not visually be seen like a learning disability, they must tell no one. Disabilities ranged from having to tap your pencil three times every five minutes, to wrapping an arm up so you could not use it, to navigating one’s way around campus practically blind or in a wheelchair (Maki). </span></p>
<p><span>The artifact is two newspaper articles from April 6th, 1995, telling the stories of individuals encountering one of Fitchburg State University’s Disability Awareness Days. The newspaper articles themselves are in great shape and currently kept in a portfolio book with other </span>artifacts about Fitchburg State University’s Disability Services history. </p>
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<p><span>The newspaper articles tell about the first-ever Disability Simulations executed by students and staff members of the university on the university’s Disability Awareness Day. On April 6th, 1995, the first disability simulations at Fitchburg State University took place on the 3rd annual Disability Awareness Day. That day twenty-five people, both staff and students, volunteered to be assigned a disability to experience for the day. Those who were not a part of the twenty-five people were able to experience different disabilities in Hammond Hall where tables were set up with different small activities. </span></p>
<p><span>The first story told is of Laura Gurley-Mozie whose daughter suffers from a spinal muscular atrophy and will use a wheelchair for the rest of her life. This was one reason why she had decided to participate. Gurley-Mozie worked in the Management Information Systems Office in charge of User Services, and her office was housed on the third floor of Edgerly Hall. On a normal day she parks her car, walks across the quad, and climbs three flights of stairs, but today would be different. Gurley-Mozie was assigned to navigate campus in a wheelchair for the day, so she could experience what her daughter must go through everyday. To enter Edgerly Hall she would have to enter from a side door and ride a wheelchair lift “which [she is] scared to death of” to the third floor. Most of the time when using the lift in Edgerly it would take a long time and she would oftentimes have to ask people for help. As the day went on Gurley-Mozie truly felt the challenges those with a disability have to encounter everyday. </span></p>
<p><span>Another story within these articles was from David Marsh. He was an employee for the athletic department. His diagnosed disability for the day unlike Gurley-Mozie’s was not a </span>physical disability. Marsh was assigned to portray having Obsessive Compulsive Order for the day. Immediately, he found this task of having this disability frustrating. Every time Marsh went through a doorway he was required to tap his foot six times. He was also told to avert his gaze from anybody he spoke to or who spoke to him. All day as he worked Marsh found himself avoiding talking to his boss who was three doors down, as he would have to tap his foot eighteen times to get to his boss’s office and then eighteen more times to return to his own office. The entire day Marsh stated his behavior was on his mind which took away a surprising amount of his energy.</p>
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<p><span>Within Hammond Hall there were multiple disabilities for students to experience. The Massachusetts Association for the Blind’s Leominster office sponsored a vision impairment information table. At this table they had a variety of products on display such as eyeglasses you could put on that would invert your vision or even cut off your peripheral vision. This would help students understand what living with a vision impairment might be like. There also were activities such as trying to solve a maze that was being reflected in a mirror, or trying to read a paragraph that had words jumbled and letters flipped to demonstrate a disability such as dyslexia. Rod Malcom, an employee in the admissions office, who spent the day experiencing vision impairment stated, “Until you try it, you really won’t get a good feel for it." He was shocked by what students with disabilities have to go through on a daily basis. </span></p>
<p><span>Not all participants thought these simulations were a great idea, however. Stephen Welles who was a sophomore student at the time from Ayer felt as though a half-day experiment was not enough time to fully understand what students with disabilities go through. He himself has </span>epilepsy and expressed the idea that people with disabilities deal with them twenty-four hours every day, not just for one experiment. Welles wasn’t the only one who voiced concerns about the disability simulations and in 2006 the last disability simulations took place (Maki).</p>
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<p><span>Although the disability simulations themselves may be cancelled, Fitchburg State University still has a Disability Awareness Day every year. Not only this, but Disability Services works alongside students with disabilities to ensure that their experiences on campus are accommodated. As time advances so does Fitchburg State University’s plans in making campus as welcoming as possible to all students. </span></p>
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Bibliography
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<p><span>Clark, Andrienne. "Living With Disability." </span><span></span><em>Fitchburg Sentinel+Enterprise</em><span>,</span><span> </span><span>6 Apr. 1995,</span><span> pp. A1-A2.<br /><br />Guilfoy, Christine. "Disabled feel the frustrations." </span><span></span><em>Raising Awareness in Fitchburg</em><span>,</span><span> </span><span>6 Apr. </span><span>1995, pp. B1-B5.<br /><br />Maki, Julie. Interview. 3 Mar. 2020. </span></p>
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Artifact Owner
Fitchburg State University Disability Services
Catalog Entry Author(s)
Kayla Mathews, Student, Fitchburg State University
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Disability Simulations
alum
disability
fitchburg state university
simulations