This artifact is a newspaper article about a girl with a disability named Katie Lynch, who passed away in 2002. Katie Lynch was a native of Wayland, Massachusetts, and was born with a very rare form of dwarfism. She was thirty-five pounds and twenty-eight inches prior to her early death at the age of twenty-seven. She had two younger brothers and worked at Children’s Hospital as a patient’s advocate, where she’d been treated her whole life. She graduated from Wayland High School and went on to graduate from Regis College with summa cum laude honors. Many of the people that knew her personally found her to be very inspirational and determined. However, nationally, most people know her for her opening the 2001 Boston Marathon by walking the first 26.2 feet.
Katie Lynch obviously had a physically-impairing disability, but that didn’t stop her from achieving her goals, being an athlete and being an inspiration for everyone especially for people with disabilities. Lynch was always determined to make feats like the one she made in 2001 at the Boston Marathon. She is proof that people with disabilities, no matter how severe, can accomplish great things. It doesn’t matter whether those things be physical feats, mental feats, academic feats, or otherwise, anyone can achieve them, with a disability or not, and that’s what Lynch was determined to prove. Most of Lynch’s achievements were considerably notable for someone with such a severe condition as hers.
Dwarfism is a type of disability that comes in many different physical forms, obviously, but there are also multiple types of genetic dwarfisms. There is achondroplasia dwarfism, pituitary dwarfism, and many more varieties. Many people stare at and look down upon those who have a form of dwarfism. Some assume that they can’t do anything for themselves and are helpless, so to speak. However, this is completely untrue and the wrong assumption to make. Many people with dwarfism can function just as well as those of us who do not have dwarfism or any sort of disability.
Katie Lynch is just one of many successful people that have dwarfism. We know of many celebrities and famous people that have dwarfism but, didn’t let it stop them from making their dreams come true. A very well-known actor Peter Dinklage is most successful and loved for his role in Game of Thrones as Tyrion Lannister, for which he won a Golden Globe. P.T. Barnum’s circus had two very successful acts, Charles Sherwood Stratton and Leopald Kahn, both of which had a form of dwarfism. Other actors that also have dwarfism and are very successful include Kenny Baker who helped with the role of R2-D2 in the Star Wars Saga and Warwick Davis who played Willow and Professor Fenwick in the Harry Potter series. These are just a few examples of people who are successful and never let their disability take away from their determination and motivation.
Like most disability groups, dwarfism has associations that help and benefit those with any variation of dwarfism. A specific organization is the Dwarf Athletic Association of America (DAAA). They aim to supply people with dwarfism and equal opportunity to show their athletic abilities without being judge and allowing their skill sets to be taken seriously. The sports they host for athletes with dwarfism are track and field, basketball, boccia, swimming, table tennis, badminton, volleyball, and soccer. Every year the DAAA hosts an annual national games for all of these events for people with dwarfism.
Disability is not something that’s to be looked down upon, no matter the situation or the difference. People with disabilities can be as successful, if not more successful than those who do not, as shown through the story of Katie Lynch and the example of other very famous people.
Sommers, Kelsey. “Former WHS Student Inspires Marathon Runners.” Wayland Student Press, 7 May 2009, waylandstudentpress.com/6369/articles/former-whs-student-inspires-marathon-runners/.
Vellante, John. “Giant Steps.” Boston.com, 14 Apr. 2001, archive.boston.com/marathon/stories/2001/giant_steps.htm.
Julie Maki, a member of the Disability Services team, is the Coordinator of the Adaptive Lab at Fitchburg State University. She attended Northern Essex Community College for her Associate's Degree in Sign Language Interpreting and Deaf Studies, and she attended Fitchburg State University, majoring in Interdisciplinary Studies. She first became interested in working with people who have disabilities because of a family friend who was Deaf and used American Sign Language to converse with others.
The Adaptive Lab at Fitchburg State allows for students with print disabilities to gain access to information that they otherwise would not be able to read. A person with a print disability have difficulty obtaining information from written text, and may include people who have learning disabilities, visual impairments, or those who have physical disabilities that prevent them from utilizing books or other written materials. The Adaptive Lab features computer programs such as Dragon, Tiger Software Suite, Capti Voice, JAWS, and ZoomText. These softwares can translate voice to text, read text out loud, translate Braille, and zoom in on text, all making text accessible for people who have print disabilities and otherwise would not be able to have access to the information.
Outside of the Adaptive Lab, Julie has many other roles at Fitchburg State. She proctors exams when necessary and helps students in the computer lab. Julie also trains Summer Orientation leaders and can be found helping out during the Summer Orientations. She also trains Resident Assistants, Upward Bound Counselors, and Expanding Horizon Program mentees. Upward Bound is a scholastic program for students in the Leominster and Fitchburg area that allows them to grow academically as well as get a taste for what college education will be like. The Expanding Horizon Program is another academic program, but it focuses on Fitchburg State students who are either first generation college students, students from low-income households, or students with disabilities that are struggling in their classes.
The purpose of Disability Services is to provide accommodations to students who have disabilities, allowing them to succeed just as well as non-disabled students. One of Julie’s jobs is to address the issues that students with disabilities disclose. While she cannot be the one to help with every single problem, she can research the problem, or find a solution by asking others around her. A specific concern Julie brought up was regarding the door to the Disability Services office. Prior to last year, students who used wheelchairs or scooters were not able to open the door and enter themselves. After doing some research regarding the accessibility codes, the door was measured and weighed by Capital Planning and Maintenance. This led to the installation of a push button outside of the office that would open the door, allowing students with mobility disabilities to enter. Students with disabilities will encounter many problems that an able-bodied person would never even think of, so it is important to address these problems and improve the access for these students.
In the Adaptive Lab, Julie primarily works with students who use the Capti Voice software. Capti Voice is a program that reads text out loud, which makes it perfect for students with print disabilities. The only problem is that not every book that students need for classes are available. Julie prides herself on being very good at finding electronic versions of the books the students need. She often communicates with the publishers of the textbooks, but will still occasionally have to upload books herself. This entails scanning a book, page by page, until the entire book is available on the computer. Each semester, Julie processes, edits, and uploads approximately 130 to 150 books.
In the twenty years that Julie has worked at Fitchburg State, she has seen a huge shift in the way disability is perceived. In the past, disabilities were seen through a medical perspective, and the person with the disability was put second. Nowadays, as Julie says, “Students are seen as students first.” People-first language is a method of talking about people who have disabilities in a way that makes sure they are not characterized by their disability, making it something they experience, rather than are. Julie also credits the principles of the Universal Design for Learning curriculum. The term “Universal Design” was first used by Ronald Mace to describe architecture that is built to be used by all people. Universal Design for Learning was created based off of this concept. Just like the architecture, Universal Design for Learning changes the environment the student learns in, rather than the student themselves. These principles ensure that all students' specific needs are met, including those who have disabilities.
Although it is a large part of her job, Julie hopes to see a day where special accommodations are no longer necessary for students who have disabilities. As time goes on, the world will only become more and more accessible and accommodating to everyone. In terms of Fitchburg State, massive renovations have taken place since the early 2000s. In the past, the campus was dominated by staircases, steep hills, and wheelchair lifts that often failed. As of now, the school website says that around 96% of the campus is accessible. We are also lucky that we are moving towards becoming a paperless society, as ebooks and computer programs can greatly help those with certain disabilities, and they still work with those who are able-bodied. Julie hopes that the students who use Disability Services “feel that they have been supported and advocated for,” and that they will be better prepared to advocate for themselves in the future.
"Disability Services." Fitchburg State University, www.fitchburgstate.edu/offices-services-directory/disability-services/.
Rose, D.H., and Meyer, A. Teaching Every Student in the Digital Age: Universal Design for Learning, ASCD, 2002.
"UDL: The UDL Guidelines." UDL Guidelines, 31 Aug. 2018, udlguidelines.cast.org/?utm_medium=web&utm_campaign=none&utm_source=cast-about-udl.
Disabilities are universal, meaning you see them everywhere you go, however, how they are dealt with is different in every place. Students at Fitchburg State College in 1999 got to experience this when they did an exchange program with students in England. All the students that participated in the exchange were disabled, putting a focus on disability awareness. The English students that came to Fitchburg were able to participate in many activities that the school had set up for them as well as experience what life is like as a student with disabilities.
Study abroad can be beneficial to anyone’s education. It helps broaden your learning by gaining knowledge through experience. You get to see education through a different perspective and experience what learning is like in a place far different than your own. These types of opportunities are very special and can open anyone’s eyes to a whole new way of life. Fitchburg State being able to provide students with disabilities this same opportunity allows them to get the same experience that other study abroad students get while also showing them a world similar to their own.
The students that went on this trip, in particular, were excited to see the way disabilities were handled in a school similar to Fitchburg State but in a different country. At this time, there were schools specifically where blind people would attend rather than trying to integrate them into the “normal” school systems. One visually impaired student, Larry Haile, said this is odd and believes it happens because not everyone knows how to deal with disabilities. Something he tries to emphasize is that people with disabilities can function just as well in society as people without disabilities: they just have to do it a little differently. This is something that even in today's society, over twenty years later, we are still learning.
Another exchange program is through PAICE, Partnership for Access to International Cultural Exchange. This program especially focuses on educating people about disabilities. Whether they are hidden or visible, these students have disabilities and would like to educate and show people that they can do all the “normal'' things people without disabilities can do. Megan Mathieu is a great example of this. She was a high school senior when her life was changed forever. A dump truck on the road hit her, leaving her in a coma for over two weeks. This accident left Megan with an invisible disability, where she struggled with speaking and learning. Going from a straight-A student to her new reality was a challenge for Megan. Something she learned was that people like her with invisible disabilities are often looked over, and people tend to be unsympathetic towards it. Megan was able to go on a study abroad trip through PAICE to Austria. Throughout her journey, she was able to see how people with especially physical disabilities were treated whether it was in school or even in everyday places such as airports. This experience was eye-opening for Megan, especially since before the accident she hadn’t experienced what it was like to have a disability.
PAICE is a program that gives students a once in a lifetime opportunity. Tracy Alario was a student at Fitchburg State who was fortunate to have this experience. She tagged along with students from other Massachusetts state colleges and the University of New Orleans to embark on her journey in Austria. The main goal is to provide education on “disability laws, leadership and self-advocacy skills, as well as cultural and recreational opportunities.” Tracy, although not having disabilities of her own, was able to be part of a community that allowed her to do something great in the world and make positive changes. Through the program she was able to see first-hand some changes that could be made to make the world more accessible as well as being able to volunteer and meet some of the disabled students at the University of Innsbruck in Austria as well as connect with other disabled students from Massachusetts.
Another student from Fitchburg that benefited from this program is Larry Haile, who at the time was very well-liked at the Center for Leadership and Career Education at Fitchburg State. He was a blind student who brought light to everyone’s life through his very likable personality. Something that Larry focused on a lot was the accessibility for college students with disabilities. He had many adaptations and ways that made learning easier for him so that his disability wouldn’t impede on his education. Larry was able to travel to England to see how students with disabilities were accommodated in the classroom. One thing that Larry noticed was that some parts of England did not have as many disability laws as the United States, making it more difficult for these students to succeed. It also sets an environment where people with disabilities are treated much differently and aren’t able to get the help they need in day to day life. People would often disregard Larry and others with him and would treat disabilities with far less respect than we do in America.
One big takeaway from studying abroad is the ability to experience other cultures. When most students study abroad, something such as people with disabilities in society is often an overlooked part of the culture. With organizations such as PAICE, these parts of society are examined more thoroughly. It is important that these programs exist because it allows people with disabilities such as the ones at Fitchburg to get the same opportunities as the other students to study abroad, but also look deeply into what life would be like for them if they were to live in these countries. Here in the United States, we are fortunate to have such laws put forth for people with disabilities that create cultural standards and respect. By studying abroad, one can see how these can sometimes be taken for granted, and with the students who come to America, they can see their disability in a new light and take what they’ve learned back to their home country.
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) 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.
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.
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 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.
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.
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 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.
Another interesting event that occured at Fitchburg State was a movie screening of Kiss My Wheels, 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.
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 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.
“The Band.” Phish, phish.com/band/.
Miller, Norman. “College Brings Disability Awareness to the Basketball Court.” Sentinel and Enterprise, 7 Apr. 1994.
Shakespeare, Tom. Disability: the Basics. Routledge, 2018.
I had the opportunity to meet with Joann Nichols, an Associate Professor of Education, at the McKay Complex building. While I was there, I interviewed Joann Nichols on her partner-in-crime, Beauty the Therapy Dog. Although Beauty wasn’t with her owner at the time, Joann Nichols provided interesting facts about her third golden retriever. Beauty, according to Nichols, is a very intuitive dog, and she’s the most communicative pet in her owner’s household. Like all therapy dogs, Beauty is very popular among younger audiences, and she projects an amazing aura. Whether she’s on duty or off duty, Beauty will always lift your spirits with her presence.
Beauty’s job as a therapy dog is to provide comfort and bliss to those who are coping with emotional and mental distress. Beauty first started her career when she was only a year old, which is surprising since most therapy dogs don’t begin their training until they turn two years of age. Since Beauty is a well-disciplined dog, she isn’t quick to latch onto whomever she comes across. Instead, Beauty approaches people, both young and old, in a subtle, careful way. Nichols shared a story with me about a girl who was very sensitive around dogs. The girl was unfortunately mauled by a dog at a very young age, and that dreadful encounter prevented her from having an enjoyable experience with Beauty. Interestingly, Beauty understood the girl’s hesitant feelings. So naturally, Beauty turned over on her back and placed her paws up to the girl’s knees. Beauty’s actions encouraged the girl to feel around the dog’s fur, and the two ended up getting along. This scenario shows that Beauty is an expressive, affable, and gregarious dog who knows how to engage with kids on her own.
Joann Nichols believes that there’s a spiritual quality to dogs when it comes to their presence around people. Beauty has, and continues to have, a beneficial impact on children, regardless if they speak English or not. This has proven to be true when Joann Nichols and Beauty encountered a young boy with an uncommon Asian dialect. Not only did the boy communicate with only sign language, but he also didn’t have any books to use for studying. Despite being in a poor position, the boy had taken a liking to Beauty; he sat down with the therapy dog and found himself reading his very first book to her. In a separate interview with Savannah Hippert, an editor for the Research Live newsletter, Nicholssaid: “He has really brightened up to [Beauty], and will come and sit with her, and brush her with one hand, and flip through a book, and mouth words with the other hand. So he’s kind of using her as a comfort mechanism to get into what has to be frightening in his situation. So we’re seeing great things like that."
Even to this day, Beauty remains a mystery to Joann Nichols. She can’t figure out how her dog is able to transform the lives of so many children. Kids, who originally were having a difficult time reading, are now doing it with ease. In fact, children don’t want to read unless Beauty is by their side. To see if Beauty was the sole reason why kids were improving in their literacy skills, Joann Nichols conducted an experiment at Pawtucketville Memorial Elementary School with seventy-five second-grade students. She had a group of children read aloud to Beauty, and Dr. Nichols told me that the results on both the tests and pre-tests were positive. Students were more effective readers reading to Beauty than reading by themselves. Teachers at Pawtucketville Memorial Elementary School were so impressed with the results that they requested more therapy dogs to visit the classrooms. However, this has been difficult to achieve because some children have serious allergic reactions around dogs.
Beauty’s presence as a “listener” helps children improve in their self-confidence and public-speaking skills. Reading to dogs takes the pressure off of a child when they stumble. Francine Alexander, the chief academic officer at Scholastic Corporation, said: “Kids have to practice, practice, practice to be good readers. And yet, when you’re practicing, if you make a mistake, it can feel risky and uncomfortable. But if you’re practicing with a dog, you don’t mind making a mistake” (Claiborne an Brundige).
What I found interesting during my interview with Joann Nichols was that instead of using the word "disability," she described the children in her stories as “culturally disadvantaged.” According to Dr. Nichols, children who are culturally disadvantaged come from various demographics where there is no real emphasis on reading at home. For the children who were at a "disadvantage," or at a different reading level than others, Beauty served as an advantage for them. She helped children overcome their difficulties, and she never criticized them; she just sits back and listens.
Joann Nichols had overwhelming praise for her golden retriever. During the interview, Joann said: “She is...I want to say the word 'ambassador,' let’s call it, just a model. She is...she is an animal...animal model of what humans should be.” I was truly honored to meet with Joann Nichols in person. Even though I didn’t have the opportunity to meet with Beauty, Dr. Nichols painted a clear picture of what her dog was like: exuberant, loyal, and vivacious. Children of all ages love Beauty, not just for her soft fur, but for her bubbly and energetic personality. Students, like myself, value Joann Nichols not just for her wisdom, but for her commitment to helping kids succeed. The two are a force to be reckoned with, and the Fitchburg community will forever be grateful for their contributions.
Claiborne, Ron, and Wendy Brundige. "Study: Reading To Dogs Helps Children Learn To Read." ABC News, 2010, https://abcnews.go.com/WN/study-dogs-children-learn-read/story?id=11428770.
Hippert, Savannah. "Better Reading Through the Beauty of Listening." Research Live, Feb 2020, <http://www.fitchburgstate.edu/uploads/files/Research%20Live%20Feb%202020%20FINAL%2 0EFILE.pdf>.
These artifacts are very significant to the Fitchburg State University family. They are the remaining artifacts that the University owns from Willa Peterson who is a former faculty member of the university. One of the artifacts is Peterson’s FSC staff name tag, and another is a letter she had written to her students shortly before the final exam period had begun. The letter reads: “Dear Students: Good luck on finals! Congratulations to Paul for Who's Who; Tim for the MSCA Award; and Courtney for this year’s Garrett Conrad Award. Love, Willa.” This artifact is not just a letter to her students but a memory of the kind of person Willa was and the impact she made on the lives of those she encountered in and out of work.
Willa Peterson was the director of Disability Services at Fitchburg State from 2001 to 2005. After working with the University, she suddenly passed away from cancer. Willa was always described as kind, caring, and gentle; she made a huge impact on the lives of students and faculty members throughout the university. Many would say that she would always find a way to make her students feel like they were as equal as other students on campus. Because of Peterson, the campus has made many accommodations to those with physical disabilities. Thanks to her, the campus has become a better place for all students and faculty members.
Disability Services at Fitchburg State first started in the 1980’s; it was founded by Deborah Horton who had accommodated a little over thirty students who had disabilities. As the center progressed academically over the next few years, there still was a lot of work that needed to be done to the infrastructure of the campus to really accommodate those who do have disabilities. In the fall of 1993, two students, Jodie Silva and Christina Reed, volunteered to raise $15,000 to get a wheelchair lift in one of the buildings at the University. These two students were determined to get the wheelchair lift because they were interested in seeing how it would benefit the campus and they both had a form of disability that made them want to help out others with similar experiences. As the lack of accessibility affected more and more students, the effort in accommodating those with disabilities rose. Over the next nine years or so, those accommodations that once satisfied the twenty-five students who could benefit needed something more.
In the early 2000’s Willa Peterson took over as director of Disability Services, and numbers started to double with a total of 186 students enrolled by 2005. Around the same time, eleven students that were a part of disability services had gotten the chance to travel to England. Thanks to Peterson, these students got the chance to experience the same opportunities that those without disabilities do. She always made sure her students felt satisfied and equal.
Kellner, Lynne A., and Lisa Freden. “'If They Could See Me Now!': College Students Reflect on Their Experiences as Special Education Students in the K-12 System.” Review of Disability Studies, vol. 2, no. 1, 2006, pp. 58-76.
Maki, Julie. "Disability Services - A Historical Perspective." Honors English II , 30 Jan. 2020, Fitchburg State University. Class Presentation.
Semon S, Craig. “FSC community honors cherished administrator,” Telegram & Gazette, 20 May 2005.
This artifact is a pad of parking tickets used previously in Fitchburg for illegally parking either in a handicap parking spot or from blocking an access aisle or ramp used by people with disabilities. The tickets were given out by volunteers with the permission of the Massachusetts Office on Disability, the state advocacy agency that serves people with disabilities of all ages. In 1981 the agency was created with the main goal “to ensure the full and equal participation of all people with disabilities in all aspects of life by working to advance legal rights, maximum opportunities, supportive services, accommodations and accessibility” (“Massachusetts Office on Disability”).
Handicap parking passes allow a person to park their vehicle in designated parking spaces that are close to the building or venue they are attending. They also ensure that there is enough space for the person with a disability to enter and exit the vehicle comfortably and with ease. They can save time and energy for people with major disabilities and minor ones as well. These passes can be obtained through the state’s Registry of Motor vehicles. Each state has their own requirements and criteria for handicap parking permits (Ambardekar). Many of these requirements are alike and some common conditions that qualify one for handicap parking include:
A person may feel like their disability is too minor but even minor disabilities can make one eligible for handicap parking.
If you feel you have a disability that may qualify you for a handicap parking permit, ask your doctor about your eligibility for a handicap parking permit. You can then get an application from your state’s Registry of Motor vehicles, fill it out with a signature from your health-care provider that certifies your disability and submit your application via email or in person (Ambardekar). These permits are not limited to only people with permanent disabilities, as people with temporary disabilities can obtain temporary handicap parking permits. For example, if a person were to have surgery that will temporarily impair their ability to walk for a few weeks, then they would be eligible for a temporary permit. These passes are only to be used on the vehicle where the driver or passenger in the vehicle has a disability. If used improperly you will receive a ticket for violating the handicap parking criteria.
These parking spots are misused by people who do not have a disability. Before illegally parking in a handicap space because you don’t want the longer walk to your destination, think about the consequences. Not the consequence of you getting a ticket, but the effect it could have on a person with a disability who needs that spot a lot more than you. Even if you are only staying for a few minutes, that spot could be needed the next minute by someone in a wheelchair or with crutches. By parking in that spot you could force them to find a spot that is a lot further or that has limited space, making it more difficult than it already is to get to their destination, while you, who are completely able, are taking advantage. For this reason it is very inconsiderate to park in handicap spots.
In addition to the pad of handicap parking tickets, there is also a parking lot complaint form used by the Architectural Barriers Board. They changed the name of the board in the 1980's to the Architectural Access Board, but they still carry the same purpose: to develop and enforce regulations designed to make public buildings accessible to, functional for, and safe for use by people with disabilities. These regulations first originated in the Architectural Barriers Act of 1968 and have been updated since. The regulations are listed as Section 521 of the Code of Massachusetts Regulations and apply to all buildings and facilities in the Commonwealth that are open to members of the public ("AAB Rules and Regulations"). On this form there is a small list of some handicap parking requirements and regulations that a facility must follow when owning a public parking lot. These requirements include:
On the form there is a formula to calculate how many handicap spaces are required in a parking lot based on the amount of spaces that are in that lot. If a parking lot does not meet the required number of handicap parking spaces or the spaces themselves do not meet the criteria, then a complaint form can be filled out detailing the requirement that the parking lot fails to meet, so the issue can be addressed and fixed for the better. These simple improvements can better the everyday life of people with disabilities.
“AAB Rules and Regulations.” Mass.gov, www.mass.gov/aab-rules-and-regulations.
Ambardekar, Nayana. “Handicap Parking Permits: Who Is Eligible and How to Get a Handicapped Parking Permit.” WebMD, 21 Jan. 2020, www.webmd.com/pain-management/handicap-parking.
“Massachusetts Office on Disability.” Mass Legal Services, www.masslegalservices.org/content/massachusetts-office-disability.
Harry Doehla, a son of poor German immigrants, was born in Fitchburg, Massachusetts on February 11, 1900. At age seventeen, just as he was preparing to start studying chemistry in college, he was diagnosed with rheumatic fever and arthritis. This would lead him to spend the rest of his life in a wheelchair. In an article in Guideposts, Doehla said he “was crippled. Useless,” as all his plans and what he considered any future hope to secure a successful job and a living wage all went away. Later that year, Doehla decided to do whatever it took to help his family and experimented with trying to sell Christmas cards. With $4,400 given to him by his family and friends, Doehla was able to sell 19,000 boxes of Christmas cards, 7,000 more boxes than his original order of 12,000. Two more years of successful sales went by and, eventually, Doehla began making his own card designs as Doehla Greeting Cards Inc. was born.
As time went on, Doehla Greeting Cards Inc. continued to help Harry Doehla and his family make a lot of profit. By the 1950s, the company had moved from being managed in the Doehla household on Frankfort Street to having over 600 employees working at four factory buildings in the city of Fitchburg. However, due to the demand for more space that was not available, Doehla Greeting Cards Inc. set up a new headquarters in Nashua, New Hampshire in 1951, where the newly invested property would be, as noted in a history at the Fitchburg Historical Society, "large enough to handle all of its manufacturing operations under one roof and still allow the company to expand.” Doehla would continue to manage a part of the company until he passed away in New York City on October 8th, 1977. In 2012, one building of the old Fitchburg Factory was converted into Simmonds Hall, a residential living space for students attending Fitchburg State University.
As manager of the company, Doehla was seen as “kindhearted and caring. He hired the handicapped and provided good working conditions for his employees” (Fitchburg Historical Society 58). These good working conditions included enrolling “all his employees in a Blue Cross-Blue Shield plan,” providing a first aid room with a full-time nurse, and partnering the company “with a local physician who would spend one day a week at the plant conducting consultations and making diagnoses ‘free of charge to all personnel” (Shalhoup). This idea of a healthy and safe work environment for Doehla’s employees easily fits the World Health Organization’s 2010 idea for a healthy workplace as “one in which workers and managers collaborate to use a continual improvement process to protect and promote the health, safety and well-being of all workers and the sustainability of the workplace.” However, Doehla introduced all of these ideas at once when the company moved to the Nashua location, as opposed to gradually introducing things as time went on. This contradicts a 2015 study conducted by the International Journal of Health Services, where a company that “introduced a pre-existing program from its parent company… was met with some skepticism and resistance” by its workers (Wyatt 173). Regardless of the fact, Doehla’s ideas for a safe and healthy workplace were ahead of their time and proved to be one way that Doehla cared for his workers.
Another way Doehla was able to show his forward-thinking was with the recruiting of people with disabilities. While businesses will recruit people with disabilities in today’s culture, it does not mean that they are always welcomed with open arms. In a 2005 study focusing on discrimination against people with disabilities in the workplace, it was found that “Allegations of workplace discrimination were found to center mainly on hiring, discharge, harassment, and reasonable accommodation issues” (Chan). Along with this, discrimination showed to have a higher occurance to those with uncontrollable but stable disabilities, including visual imparment, cardiovascular disease, and spinal cord injuries. A 2007 study identified that “Job applicants with [a] disability were rated more negatively than applicants without disability in poor-fit conditions” including those that required contact with other individuals (Louvett). The idea of Harry Doehla breaking boundaries for those with physical disabilities, allowing them to have a safe environment in the factories of Doehla Greeting Cards Inc, shows how he perceived the need to counter such discrimination.
While Harry Doehla may not be with us today, his ability to defy his own perception of himself as “useless” and create a company revolving around a healthy and welcoming environment for all workers, whether they have disabilities or not, was a big step in the work industry. Doehla’s work environment was so welcoming that his company, an 1951 article in The Christian Advocate, was “noted throughout New England for its liberal wage policies and excellent working conditions.” His ability to consider the health and safety of his workers as well as not discriminate against those who are often seen as less abled should be recognized. Even outside of the workplace, Doehla was able to help unrecognized artists by having them submit their work so he could use them as designs in his cards and, as such, helped people “get started in the difficult and highly competitive field of commercial art." In the end, Doehla’s ability to be a successful millionaire by starting a greeting card company after his hopes and dreams were challenged by rheumatic fever shows how great of a story his life is. As said in the dedication of a Hydro-Therapy Pavilion in Doehla’s honor, albeit with language we no longer use due to its derogatory nature, “His life story should serve as a beacon of light and hope to crippled children everywhere."
The artifacts shown here include: Harry Doehla’s short autobiography in Guideposts, an article about Doehla in the December 13, 1951 issue of The Christian Advocate, a history of Doehla Greeting Cards Inc., a picture of the Fitchburg factory, a Christmas Card from the Doehla factory, and a short pamphlet about The Harry Doehla Hydro-Therapy Pavilion, established in 1969.
Chan, F., McMahon, B.T., Cheing, G., Rosenthal, D.A., and Bezyak, J. "Drivers of workplace discrimination against people with disabilities: The utility of attribution theory." Journal of Prevention, Assessment and Rehabilitation, vol. 25, 2005, pp. 77–88.
Fitchburg Historical Society. Legendary Locals of Fitchburg, Massachusetts. Arcadia Publishing, 2014.
Louvet, E. "Social judgment toward job applicants with disabilities: Perception of personal qualities and competences." Rehabilitation Psychology, vol. 52, no. 3, 2007, pp. 297–303. https://doi.org/10.1037/0090-5550.52.3.297
Shalhoup, Dean. “From Teen to Greeting-Card Millionaire.” The Nashua Telegraph, 19 Dec. 2015, www.nashuatelegraph.com/life/health-lifestyle/2015/12/19/from-teen-to-greeting-card-millionaire/.
World Health Organization. "Healthy Workplaces: A Global Framework and Model: Review of Literature and Practices." Geneva, 2010. www.who.int/occupational_health/ healthy_workplaces/en/index.html
Wyatt, Katrina M. “Understanding How Healthy Workplaces Are Created: Implications for Developing a National Health Service Healthy Workplace Program.” International Journal of Health Services, vol. 45, 1 Jan. 2015, pp. 161–185.