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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/.
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Disability
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<p>The poster located in the Fitchburg State University ROTC office is a poster of a painting of a nurse with different aspects of war painted behind her. The poster also says, “I serve…” and the bottom says, “Be an Army Nurse,” attempting to promote more women to become nurses for U.S. soldiers. The poster was made during World War II. This is only one variation of the many posters made in an effort to get more women to become Army nurses.<br /><br />During World War II, there were more than 59,000 American nurses that served in the Army Nurse Corps. Nurses worked in field and evacuation hospitals, on hospital trains and ships, and on medical transport planes. During World War II, the overall mortality rate of American soldiers who received medical care in the field or who were evacuated was less than 4%. The ability and determination of the army nurses contributed greatly to this low mortality rate (Bellafaire).</p>
<p>World War II required many men to serve in the armed forces, creating many opportunities for American women. The Army recognized this need for women and in June 1944, it granted its nurses officers’ commissions and full retirement privileges, dependents’ allowances, and equal pay. The government also decided to provide a free education to nursing students between the years 1943 and 1948 (Bellafaire).</p>
<p>In more recent years, the Army Nurse Corps helped to evacuate and aid the wounded in the attacks on September 11, 2001. They were deployed during Operation Enduring Freedom in 2001, Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2003 until 2010, and when Operation New Dawn began. Army nurses have also cared for Wounded Warriors during their recoveries since June 2003. Army nurses were very influential in the formation of the Department of Defense Trauma Registry. This registry contains information on every trauma patient treated at an advanced facility. This data led to improvements in medical equipment and procedures (Moore).</p>
<p>Many veterans return from their service with disabilities. Whether these disabilities were caused by an event that happened during their service, or if they had a preexisting disability that was aggravated during their service, depends on the situation. Common injuries of veterans are missing limbs, burns, spinal cord injuries, post-traumatic stress disorder, hearing loss, traumatic brain injuries, and other impairments. Most, if not all, of these injuries are likely to have an effect on a veteran’s ability to find a job when they come home. In response to this, many federal laws have been created to provide protection for these veterans against employment discrimination.</p>
<p>These laws include Title I of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA). Title I of ADA forbids private and state local government employers with 15 or more employees from discriminating against individuals because of their disability and is enforced by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. USERRA has requirements for finding jobs for veterans with or without service-related disabilities and is enforced by the U.S. Department of Labor and the U.S. Department of Justice ("Veterans and Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA): A Guide for Employers").</p>
<p>These laws and organizations are just a few examples of the many services that help to protect veterans. Another is the American Association of People with disabilities (AAPD). AAPD advocates for full civil rights for the over 60 million Americans with disabilities. They promote equal opportunity, economic power, independent living and political participation (Fuclan).</p>
<p>Disabled American Veterans is another organization that provides many services for veterans, including help with disability assistance. The Wounded Warrior Project is a service that provides rehabilitation, activities and career counseling for the U.S.’s wounded warriors and their families. Home for Our Troops builds and donates homes for severely-injured veterans, homes that are adapted and custom-made for the veteran’s injuries (Fuclan).</p>
<p>Kathleen Smith shared her story of being a World War II Army nurse. Kathleen shared her story for the last time in 2015 before passing away at the age of 95. Kathleen was a nurse in the 65<sup>th</sup> General Hospital. The idea of this hospital was created by Dr. Wilburt C. Davison, the Dean of the School of Medicine at Duke University. The concept was created in 1940 and became real in 1942. The original crew of the Army reserve unit consisted of male and female health professionals who were connected to Duke University. The 65<sup>th</sup> General Hospital was stationed in Suffolk, England from 1944 to 1945. The staff dealt with casualties from bomber crews, diseases, and emergencies. The hospital was also a specialty center for neurosurgery, thoracic and plastic surgeries, burns, and hand surgeries. This hospital unit treated more than 17,000 patients while in England ("Introduction").</p>
<p>Kathleen Smith was working on a women’s ward at Duke Hospital at the time Duke was organizing the 65<sup>th</sup> General Hospital. She joined the 65th as part of the U.S. Army Nurses Corps. The hospital was the only one of its size at the time and was the only hospital capable of handling the great mass of casualties. Smith shared that she and the nurses she worked with took care of men from the Air Force who would return, daily, after their bombing runs to Germany. She also shared that she became very close with the nurses in her barrack, as there were six to a barrack, and they shared their experiences and whatever supplies they received (Dudley).</p>
<p>Smith told stories of how approximately 1,000 B-17 planes flew in formation over the hospital every morning, how the English people were appreciative of the 65<sup>th</sup> being there, and how a 14-year-old English boy had brought the nurses strawberries one day (Dudley).</p>
<p>Kathleen Smith was just an example of one of the many nurses that is represented in the Army Nurse poster. Smith left her own home, during such a scary time, and put others before herself in such a desperate time. She was willing to help and take care of all of the brave soldiers during this time, instead of staying home and protecting herself. She was the kind of woman that the U.S. Army Nurse Corps were looking for, and she is the perfect example of the nurse on the poster.</p>
Bibliography
<p>Bellafaire, J. A., "The Army Nurse Corps." <em>U.S. Army Center of Military History, </em>3 Oct. 2003, https://history.army.mil/books/wwii/72-14/72-14.HTM.</p>
<p>Dudley, A. "A WWII Nurse's Story, Told for the Last Time." <em>UNC Health Care</em>, 9 Apr. 2015, http://news.unchealthcare.org/som-vital-signs/2015/april-9/a-wwii-nurses-story-told-for-the-last-time.</p>
<p>Fuclan, R. "Ways to Give Back to Veterans." <em>Military</em>, 2020, https://www.military.com/veterans-day/ways-to-give-back-to-veterans.html.</p>
<p>"Introduction." <em>Remembering the 65th: Duke's General Hospital Unit</em>, http://digitaldukemed.mc.duke.edu/sixty-fifth/introduction.html.</p>
<p>Moore, C. "Highlights in the History of the Army Nurse Corps, 2000 to Present." <em>Army Nurse Corps Association</em>, 2020, https://e-anca.org/History/ANC-Eras/2000-Present.</p>
<p>"Veterans and Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA): A Guide for Employers." <em>U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission</em>, 1 Nov. 2016, https://www.eeoc.gov/eeoc/publications/ada_veterans_employers.cfm.</p>
<p> </p>
Catalog Entry Author(s)
Cali Laakso, 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
Student Veterans and Army Nurse Poster
disability
fitchburg state university
military
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Title
A name given to the resource
Disability
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
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Spring on the Yellow River, 13th-Century Chinese Scroll with Seeing Eye Dog
Contributor
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource
<a href="https://www.digitalcommonwealth.org/search/commonwealth:vx022057g">Image courtesy of the Perkins School for the Blind Archives</a>
animal
blindness
disability
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Disability
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<p><span>According to the booklet prepared for the </span><span>Gasthuismuseum Geel, </span>Dymphna was born in the 6th century in Ireland. Her father, King of Oriel, was still a pagan despite the fact that Ireland was almost universally Catholic. Her mother was a noble Christian and was known for her remarkable beauty. Dymphna took after her mother in beauty and grace and was considered the “jewel” of her home. She was favored all around her kingdom and supposedly even by the Heavens. When Dymphna was born, her mother died. Though she was extremely saddened by this loss, she found great comfort in her mother’s faith. Her father was also extremely affected by the loss of his beautiful wife. He was persuaded by his counsellors to marry again and the king agreed, sending out people of his court to find a woman whose beauty matched his deceased wife. It then dawned on the king; he should marry his daughter who was the spitting image of his wife. Dymphna was obviously terrified by this idea and asked if she could have forty days to think about his proposal.</p>
<p>Dymphna ran to Father Gerebran, who suggested that she run from her home immediately. This is when Dymphna finds herself in Geel, Belgium. While Dymphna was in Geel, she built a small hospital to care for the poor and sick. Sadly, by using her wealth to help those in need, Dymphna was found by her father’s men. The king demanded that Father Gerebran be put to death after he confronted the king and declared it would be best if Dymphna stayed in Geel. The king asked her and tried persuading her to come back to Ireland. Dymphna continued to decline his offer and threats. Still in a dangerous rage, the king cut off her head.</p>
<p>Records have said that the priest and Dymphna’s bodies laid on the ground of the village for some time after their deaths until the villagers of Geel moved them into a cave. After several years, the villagers remembered their holy deaths and decided to have a proper burial for them. When the workmen removed the boulder covering the cave, they had found that there were two, beautiful white tombs that were carved from stone that seemed as if angels had carved them. When the workmen opened the tomb, there was a red tile labeled “Dymphna." The villagers thought the tile was placed there to protect Dymphna after death. In honor of her, they built the Church of St. Dymphna, which is located where their bodies were first discovered.</p>
<p>In 1480, Geel built a hospital close to the church to accommodate the pilgrims and to care for the poor and sick. This small hospice building became so popular that a lot of families would leave their sick family members there. Currently, Geel still provides shelter for those who are mentally ill. The hospital is still open, and Geel has been helping those in need for over 700 years. The homes that take in the guests are not meant to be seen as a treatment or therapy: “‘To them, treating the insane, meant to simply live with them, share their work, their distractions,’ Jacques-Joseph Moreau wrote in 1845” (Chen). Because of this, these people are not considered patients, but called guests or boarders. The importance of mental health truly resides in Geel. Most of those who live in Geel, or those who are taken in, say that all their troubles seem to just disappear. In the 19th century, some issues began to arise. This century is when mental asylums became popular and were considered to be places with high advanced scientific methods. Geel was seen as leaving those in need of mental help without treatment and therapy and were given no chance to recover.</p>
<p>I believe that Geel developed a smart way of approaching those who have a mental illness. In the U.S., we seem to almost shame those who are diagnosed with depression, ADHD, anxiety, etc., instead of treating them like regular people. Those who have mental illnesses are treated like their disability isn’t important because it is not physical. The idea that the members of Geel simply just live with those who are diagnosed with mental health issues seems very smart. Being treated like an equal and not getting glared at, or considered "crazy," can really improve someone’s mental health by making them feel accepted for who they are. I believe that trying to understand and even get involved with someone’s way of living can give someone who does not have a mental illness a good perspective of how and why they act the way they do. A lot of people could learn from those who live in Geel. Instead of shunning away those who have mental illnesses, take them in and show them kindness. Embrace instead of oppress.</p>
Bibliography
<span>Chen, Angus. </span><span>“For Centuries, A Small Town Has Embraced Strangers With Mental Illness.” </span><span><em>NPR</em></span><span>, 1 July 2016, </span><span><a href="https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2016/07/01/484083305/for-centuries-a-small-town-has-embraced-strangers-with-mental-illness">https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2016/07/01/484083305/for-centuries-a-small-town-has-embraced-strangers-with-mental-illness</a></span><span>.</span><br /><br />“Dymphna - Saints & Angels.” <em>Catholic Online</em>, <span><a href="https://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=222">https://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=222</a></span><span>.<br /></span>
Artifact Owner
Kisha G. Tracy (acquired in Geel, Belgium at the Gasthuismuseum Geel)
Catalog Entry Author(s)
Yahssyniah Pitts, Student, Fitchburg State University
Editor(s)
Joshua Frazier, 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
Saint Dymphna, the Patron Saint of Mental Health
belgium
disability
mental disability
saint
women
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c208e962440e03c59ab34a9b4f916e20
Dublin Core
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A name given to the resource
Disability
Still Image
Catalog Entry
<p>Reverend John Payson was the first minister hired by the town of Fitchburg. He was originally from Walpole, MA, located in eastern Massachusetts right below Boston. He was married to Anna Perkins Payson, and the two of them had a daughter and a son. Reverend John Payson was 59 when he took his own life. His death occurred in Leominster at his brother-in-law's house, while there on a visit. <br /><br />Reverend Payson suffered from depression which then led to a mental breakdown. Yet he continued to push through and preached for several years. One person said in the artifact that he would often apologize for not being in condition to preach. His mental illness worsened as time went on. He resigned from ministry after twenty-six years. <br /><br />It was a shock to the whole community when Payson took his own life. There is a lot of stigma behind mental illness, especially for men. The gender roles assigned to men contribute to the way they deal with mental illness. Men are taught at a very young age to be tough, independent, and not to express their feelings. This contributes to why many men who are struggling with some type of mental disability do everything they can to hide it from the world out of fear of being perceived as weak or failing at being a “man.” An article in <em>Psychology Today, </em>"Men's Mental Health: A Silent Crisis," by Dr. Rob Whitley, states that “men make up over 75 percent of suicide victims in the United States, with one man killing himself every 20 minutes. Men living in small towns and rural areas have particularly high rates of suicide.” <br /><br />Mental illness is an insidious disability because, more often than not, it can be invisible and the people around you will never know. That is why it is so dangerous; the happiest person on the outside could be struggling everyday internally. Reverend Payson tried to inspire people for a living and make them hopeful. Sometimes the same type of people who are trying their hardest to make others happy are the ones who are saddest. Many people were taken off guard by the death of Payson, which refers to my point of mental illness being invisible to those around you who even see you everyday. <br /><br />He suffered from depression, which is one of the most common mental illnesses. Depression is a mood disorder that causes a persistent feeling of sadness and loss of interest. People of all ages, genders, races, religious views can suffer from depression or any mental illness. Most people think of the stereotypical people who get categorized as being “crazy.” This is also why many people are afraid to open up and seek help about their mental illness. Looking back on the years, mental illness is more accepted and there is a lot of more resources in 2019 then there was even 20 years ago. Mental illness was taboo to talk about which is why many people tried fighting their battle on their own. Payson was a well-respected man; if he had come out about his depression, there would be the fear of losing many followers of the church. Also his credibility could also decrease, if people are ignorant and do not want to listen to what a person with a mental illness has to say. The fear of losing members of the church and ruining his reputation is what most likely kept Payson from seeking help, which is very sad, that he felt alone and could not get the support everyone deserves, no matter who you are or what you do. Personally, I believe that, if Reverend Payson did speak out about his mental struggles, it could be very powerful and inspirational to not only the people within his communities but his story could spread to other communities around Fitchburg. It could have helped other leaders and mentors who feel like they need to hold up this front of being strong, speak out. This is why I personally believe speaking out and voicing stories of disability is the strongest thing a person can do.<br /><br />Here in Fitchburg, there are local support groups along with private practices for counseling. Students who attend Fitchburg State University are offered free counseling services. This is an extremely important system to have set up because it is at the students' convenience on campus with no charge. College can be very stressful for many different reasons. Being away from home for the first time can cause anxiety to raise in students or the stress of classes. Having a strong support is crucial to have students succeed. If society starts to normalize going to therapy, people will not have to bottle up their feelings to the point where they are at a breaking point.</p>
<p>Overall, mental illness is a very severe disability that impacts many people’s lives. It is a very controversial disability being that some people do not classify it as one because it is invisible. It is one of the most serious ones in my opinion because a lot of times there sometimes is no cure or solution. Reverend John Payson was not alone, and these issues are still occurring today. But if society comes together and educates themselves on mental disability then we can have better opportunities to help people like Payson, so no one has to feel alone.</p>
Bibliography
<p><span>Bourbeau, Bill. "Rev John Payson." <em>Find a Grave, </em>28 Jun. 2012, <a href="https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/92716309/john-payson">https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/92716309/john-payson</a>.</span></p>
<p>Whitley, Rob. "Men's Mental Health: A Silent Crisis. <em>Psychology</em> Today, 6 Feb. 2017, <a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/talking-about-men/201702/mens-mental-health-silent-crisis">https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/talking-about-men/201702/mens-mental-health-silent-crisis</a>.</p>
Artifact Owner
Fitchburg Historical Society
Artifact Condition
The artifact is in acceptable condition, all in one piece.
Artifact Material
This artifact is presented in a paper book. It is the original document. The artifact also includes a handwritten portion from the priest.
Catalog Entry Author(s)
Dania Politi, 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
Reverend John Payson: Fitchburg’s First Minister
disability
fitchburg historical society
mental disability
-
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>Special Education Proposal Preparation of Teachers of the Visually Impaired was a proposal written for Fitchburg State to change ways of teaching to accommodate those who are blind. Specifically, they have listed different materials that could be useful in the classroom and around the school for people that are visually impaired and to easily convert text into braille. It also contains a variety of text books and resources to help find ways to teach those who are blind. The proposal has letters written to support the need for changing teaching techniques, pushing for teaching to include people with disabilities and many other things regarding the topic of disabilities.</p>
<p>Some courses that the proposers wante taught at Fitchburg State were eye and vision courses to learn about blindness and how people see, a communication skills course, to be able to talk and communicate to the blind things they cannot see and reading and writing literary Braille, learning Braille to make it easier to read and write in Braille for the blind and those who are not visually impaired. Another course was Orientation and Mobility, to learn about how the blind can get around. The texts books and resources include but are not limited to: <em>Readings in Visually Handicapped Education, Teaching the Visually Handicapped, On Blindness and Blind People, Aids for the 80s What They Are and What They Do, </em>and<em> Guidelines and Games for Teaching Efficient Braille Reading</em>. Some of the equipment that is in the proposal was a tele0reader, a thermoform brailon duplicator, a Perkins standard brailler with dust covers, a Chang Tactical diagram kit, a teachers training film packet, cranmer abacus and large abacus, a large print labeler and vinyl tape, a Braille labeler, a paperless Braille machine, and a low -ision assessment kit.</p>
<p>What some of these materials do for the blind: the thermoform brailon duplicator takes a document and converts it to braille. It then imprints the braille onto a plastic sheet. The Perkins standard brailler with dust covers was developed at Perkins School for the Blind in 1951. This allows you to write in braille. The Chang Tactical diagram kit is used for the partially visually impaired. It includes bright yellow felt pieces that are put on a dark felt board to make it easier for people to see. The cranmer abacus and large abacus are used to create a word or phrase in braille, easily. The print labeler and braille labeler uses vinyl tape to make labels in braille for the blind to easily read where things are located. The paperless braille machine is used nearly the same way as the the Perkins standard brailler without typing out braille on a paper but rather putting it into a “computer.” This could make it easier for it to be translated.</p>
<p>A lot of people think that it is pointless to teach people with disabilities because they are “different.” People think that because they are different that they can not learn and/or live the same way in society. But the stereotype that people with disabilites are limited are not true. Beethoven, for example, was able to write and play music even after he became deaf. This shows that teaching in different styles so everyone can learn can contribute greatly to an individual with a disability’s success. By changing the way we teach in classrooms and getting materials that can accommodate different needs, it can benefit everyone’s learning experience.</p>
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Bibliography
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<p><span>“(Back) (Contents).” </span><span></span><em>Technical Devices and Special Equipment for the Blind</em><span>, https://www.nfb.org/sites/www.nfb.org/files/images/nfb/publications/fr/fr5/issue1/f050113.html</span><span></span><span>. <br /><br />“Cranmer Abacus.” </span><span></span><em>National Museum of American History</em><span></span><span>, https://americanhistory.si.edu/collections/search/object/nmah_690534</span><span></span><span>. </span></p>
<p><span>“EZ Thermoform Machine (110V).” </span><span></span><em>American Thermoform</em><span></span><span>, http://www.americanthermoform.com/product/e-z-form-thermoform-machine/</span><span></span><span>.<br /><br />McCarty, Michael. “Chang Tactual Diagram Kit.” </span><span></span><em>Chang Tactual Diagram Kit</em><span>, Blogger, 1 Apr. 2014, http://www.fredshead.info/2006/01/chang-tactual-diagram-kit-replacement.html. </span></p>
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Artifact Owner
Fitchburg State University Amelia V. Gallucci-Cirio Library Archives & Special Collections
Artifact Condition
Good condition
Artifact Material
Paper
Catalog Entry Author(s)
Ariana Roche, Student, Fitchburg State University
Editor(s)
Cali Laakso, 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
Proposal: Preparation of Teachers of the Visually Impaired
disability
education
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>“Every child has a different learning style and pace. Each child is unique, not only capable of learning but also capable of succeeding.” - Robert John Meehan</p>
<p>This artifact, written in the early 1980's, shows the steps the teachers in the Special Education department at Fitchburg State University went through to teach children with severe special needs. Due to each child's uniqueness, every teacher is to be certified in helping children with severe disabilities. This artifact is a proposal that gives a helping hand to students who are severely handicapped through the teachers’ doing. In the 1980’s, public school systems were causing the choice of integrating the Special Education program to increase, creating a high demand for highly trained teachers. The Special Education department at Fitchburg State University provides helpful information and guidance to teachers working with children with severe disabilities. Rather than seeing a learning disability as an impairment, these teachers see it as an opportunity to help their students. They want to create a curriculum that helps individuals and groups based on assessment goals and observational data.</p>
<p>This proposal creates a program that helps teachers recognize some ways to teach children with severe learning disabilities. It gives specific objectives to teach and produces teachers who are capable of having a good student-teacher bond. These teaching programs include competencies that become goals for many students with the intention of teacher-training programs. Some of the abilities are learning to be responsible, being able to make decisions and being able to solve problems Additionally, the particular goal for those becoming certified teachers “has been arranged into four phases” that students will be introduced to (Program Proposal). Therefore, it assists future teachers in expanding their knowledge of teaching children with severe disabilities.</p>
<p>The faculty handbook states that even though a learning disability is not visible, it is not the same as a physical impairment. A learning disability is an impairment that influences one individual’s ability to process information including how they take it in, understand it and express it. Children with learning disabilities may develop a “language based and/or perceptual problems that affect reading, spelling, and written language” (Faculty Handbook). This displays how their difficulty is more mental than physical. In a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention article, the author claims that “mental disorders among children are described as serious changes in the way children typically learn, behave, or handle their emotions” (Children's Mental Disorders). This shows how a mental impairment greatly differs from a physical impairment. Furthermore, this artifact focuses on creating a curriculum program for teachers to understand strategies during pre-practicum requirements of the training program.</p>
<p>Along with the training for teachers, this allows students to develop community living skills and ways to communicate with others. Future teachers will learn how to collect data from the programs to help children with severe special needs. It benefits the children by giving them the opportunity to develop in areas such as educational, social, emotional and vocational needs. In fact, these programs are fit for any age, as “all children and adults can benefit from educational programs” (Program Proposal). The goal for this proposal is to have everyone in the classroom, including teachers, to appreciate the skills that the students will develop during the course of this training program. Those abilities include developing means of communication, independent living, and some occupational skills.</p>
<p>Through the roles of these faculty members, the ability to encourage those who have severe disabilities has increased significantly. The Special Education Department Fitchburg State University gives its own share of their views on disability. Working with a child with a severe disability may require effective consulting skills and guidelines from the program. These helpful tips will definitely come in handy for future teachers in this field. This artifact also provides methods for those with severe learning disabilities to adapt to their surroundings. Through this proposal, they are training these college students to become knowledgeable teachers through many training sessions.</p>
<p>Overall, future teachers of students with learning disabilities will help them exceed their potential in all aspects of life, not just in academics. Certified teachers should understand by the end of this proposal that students with disabilities just need a little extra help to succeed in areas they lack in. It is completely possible to help them reach a considerable academic goal just like students in general education do. These pre-practicum hours that the program provides will allow future teachers an opportunity to practice strategies and classroom management by learning in an academic setting. Overall, this program proposal for teaching students with severe special needs will ensure a successful outcome from both the teacher and the student.</p>
Bibliography
<p><span>“Children's Mental Disorders.” <em>Centers for Disease Control and Prevention</em>, </span><span>24 June 2019, <a href="http://www.cdc.gov/childrensmentalhealth/symptoms.html">www.cdc.gov/childrensmentalhealth/symptoms.html</a> </span></p>
<p><span>“Physical Disability Programs and Information.” <em>Wisconsin Department of Health Services</em>, 30 Sept. 2019, <a href="http://www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/disabilities/physical/index.htm">www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/disabilities/physical/index.htm</a>.</span></p>
Artifact Owner
Fitchburg State University Amelia V. Gallucci-Cirio Library Archives & Special Collections
Artifact Condition
Great condition. No blemishes or marks.
Artifact Material
Paper, typed
Catalog Entry Author(s)
Jessica Kuffour, Student, Fitchburg State University
Editor(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
Program Proposal: Teacher of Children With Severe Special Needs Teacher Preparation Program
disability
education
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>Julie Maki, a member of the Disability Services team, is the Coordinator of the Adaptive </span><span>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. </span></p>
<p><span>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. </span></p>
<p><span>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 </span>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.</p>
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<p><span>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. </span></p>
<p><span>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 </span>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.</p>
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<p><span>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. </span></p>
<p><span>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 </span>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.</p>
<div><em>Julie Maki has worked in the Disability Services Office at Fitchburg State for 21 years. Her co-workers have nicknamed her MacGyver, because she can find a solution to any problem a student may have involving assistive technology. She loves to travel, is an avid reader, and lives on a farm with a plethora of animals. </em></div>
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Bibliography
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<p><span>"Disability Services." </span><span></span><em>Fitchburg State University</em><span></span><span>, </span><span>www.fitchburgstate.edu/offices-services-directory/disability-services/</span><span></span><span>. </span></p>
<p><span>Rose, D.H., and Meyer, A. <em>Teaching Every Student in the Digital Age: Universal Design for Learning</em>, ASCD, 2002.<br /><br />"UDL: The UDL Guidelines." <em>UDL Guidelines</em>, 31 Aug. 2018, udlguidelines.cast.org/?utm_medium=web&utm_campaign=none&utm_source=cast-about-udl.<br /></span></p>
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Catalog Entry Author(s)
Reggie Warren, 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: Julie Maki, Coordinator of Adaptive
Lab, Disability Services
disability
disability services
fitchburg state university
profile
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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
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<p><span>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. </span></p>
<p><span>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</span>. 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.</p>
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<p><span>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 <em>Research Live</em> 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."</span></p>
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<p><span>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. </span></p>
<p><span>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). <br /><br /></span><span>What I found interesting during my interview with Joann Nichols was that instead of using the word "</span><span></span><span>disability</span><span>,"</span><span> </span><span>she described the children in her stories as “culturally disadvantaged.” </span>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. <br /><br />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.</p>
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<div><em>Dr. Joann B. Nichols has been teaching teachers in the Education Department of Fitchburg State University for nine years. </em></div>
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<p><span>Claiborne, Ron, and Wendy Brundige. </span><span>"</span><span>Study: Reading To Dogs Helps Children Learn To Read</span><span></span><span>." <em>ABC News</em>, 2010, https://abcnews.go.com/WN/study-dogs-children-learn-read/story?id=11428770.</span></p>
<p><span>Hippert, Savannah. "Better Reading Through the Beauty of Listening." </span><span></span><span><em>Research Live,</em> Feb 2020,</span><span> <http://www.fitchburgstate.edu/uploads/files/Research%20Live%20Feb%202020%20FINAL%2 0EFILE.pdf></span><span></span><span>. </span></p>
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Catalog Entry Author(s)
Tariq Thomas, Student, Fitchburg State University
Photographer(s)
Joann Nichols
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Title
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Profile: Dr. Joann Nichols, Faculty, and Beauty the Therapy Dog
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
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<p><span>With a crisp tone, Corbett O’Toole discussed with me what it means to be a disabilities activist, and what growth has occurred in the years since she was born in Boston, MA. Corbett knows exactly what steps to take and excels at letting the world know that being disabled should never be seen as a problem. The continued fight for disability rights and the fight for survival ring in her voice. Disability is just one more facet of human existence, and the goal should be to highlight individuals and lift them up for exactly who and what they are. This is of upmost importance. <br /><br />With ties to Fitchburg State University via her educational experience, and her interests in disability history, talking with her about changes that have occurred and changes that still need to happen was an amazing look into growth and development over time. She also highlights areas with much need for improvement. The importance of disability history and maintaining a running goal of accessibility for all were highlights of our discussion. <br /><br />Corbett was born in Boston, MA and has been a disabilities activist for much of her life. She graduated from Fitchburg State in 1973 with a degree in Special Education K-12, and impressed upon me the differences between tolerance of individuals with disabilities when she was on campus and tolerance of that population now. She went on to study at Antioch College West in San Francisco for disabilities and counseling. She uses her education to speak out against the differences in treatment between individuals considered disabled and the able-bodied community. She is a writer and artist as well, and the topics of disability history and personal experiences shine a light on discrepancies in human treatments. The importance of remembering people with disabilities and how they have been treated over their lifetimes, so that we continue to improve upon quality of life, is of grave importance. <br /><br />The losses of people with disabilities through inhumane acts and natural disasters are displayed in her artwork. Although an issue, mercy killings are not widely discussed in mainstream society. Therefore, the forgotten loss of people with disabilities in natural disasters, plagues, and mercy killings are important to recognize. For instance, with COVID-19 the losses of elderly and people with disabilities in nursing homes should not be ignored, otherwise, in the future we will need to recognize that we as a society were inept at providing for the rights of this group of citizens. That issue is one of great importance to O’Toole; defending the rights of these types of individuals is a priority. Right now, defending people with disabilities who have been lost and looking back at her own history concerning these rights is a pivotal part of what her activism encompasses. <br /><br /></span><span>Of specific importance to the history of disabilities topic are her art displays. <a href="https://www.corbettotoole.com/art/quilts/quilts-witness/">“Witnessing” is a quilt project</a> emphasizing forgotten acts against individuals with disabilities and highlighting the importance of not forgetting those who have died because not enough care was shown them as members of society. These artworks remind us that, although we have come a long way, there are still individuals and children forgotten because disabilities are misunderstood by mainstream society. </span></p>
<p><span>The harsh realities expressed in her artwork ignite a passion that overcomes us with a need to be active and compels us to fight against these continued contradictions in treatment of human beings. We need to remain vigilant to the inadequacies of our current system and demand changes be made. Although time may be a necessity, and bureaucracy unavoidable, letting down our guard as activists for disability rights can cause unneeded suffering and even loss of life for some of the most vulnerable members of our society. </span></p>
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<p><span>O’Toole, Corbett Joan. </span><em>Corbett Joan O’Toole: Queer Disabled Elder</em><span>. https://www.corbettotoole.com/.</span></p>
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Catalog Entry Author(s)
Bob 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
Profile: Corbett O’Toole, Alum, Activist, Author, and Artist
alum
disability
fitchburg state university
profile