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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>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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Bibliography
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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
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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>Christos Palames is an easygoing guy with an open and optimistic view on disability rights. He wishes that change would come quicker but he knows that advocates do not always get what they hope for—or even what the law requires. He seems a roll-with-the-punches kind of man. In his account of life as an accessibility advocate, he highlights the need to come to terms with the way bureaucracy works in the real world. Sometimes goals can only be reached by investing time and constant pressure. Getting political and institutional commitment to undertake accessibility improvements often takes years, and without a measure of patience one could quickly lose spirit waiting for big ticket capital investments. The ebb and flow of progress and set-backs follows political transitions, it is something that Palames has watched and navigated for years.</p>
<p>There was excitement in his voice when he talked about Maura Healey. The 2<sup>nd</sup> term Massachusetts Attorney General has been a strong supporter of disability rights. Palames trusts her values and her abilities. He believes she has the political traction and the staying power to make great strides in fulfilling the promise of the Americans With Disabilities Act. Staying power is important, Palames says, because government is ever-changing. Resources expand and contract in each budget cycle for institutions like FSU, and they are often targeted at different priorities than those identified through even the most careful planning process. Capital funds come from taxes after all, and there can be fits and starts over investing public revenues in access improvements that the average tax-payer may not personally need or understand. </p>
<p>Palames is a consultant to Massachusetts state government carrying out assessments of campuses of the state higher education system for ADA compliance. And as he works to bridge the gap between funding and disability rights law his laidback demeanor shines through. At Fitchburg State he first documented barriers and potential solutions in 2008 and then again seven years later in 2015. The report from 2008 showed that very extensive improvements were needed to improve the accessibility of the campus core facilities. The 2015 report—available through the state’s Division of Capital Asset Management—showed substantial progress, at the same time describing improvements that are still needed. Palames highlights how far the FSU campus has come and the challenges of the site with its steep slopes.</p>
<p>Every building poses a unique set of design challenges. Priorities are framed according to how the space is used, and what programs are operated within each. Disability rights law is complex even if the guiding principles – <em>equity and inclusion</em> – are clear. Public universities, like Fitchburg State, are covered by Title II of the ADA, while private universities are covered by Title III, and there are also detailed state standards, administered by the Massachusetts Architectural Access Board, for the design of accessible design elements.</p>
<p>The bottom line is that public institutions like FSU have obligations that run deeper in some areas than those of private colleges and universities. Moreover, these obligations have been around in one form or another since before the ADA was passed in 1990. Dormitories and dining halls are another piece of the puzzle. As important as they are to college life, they are funded through a budget stream separate from academic buildings and athletic facilities. It takes patience and persistence and Palames says that student’s voices are absolutely essential in promoting the rainbow of human rights including accessibility for all. There are times when the University may need to be challenged, but just as often it needs the backing of students, alumni and community.</p>
<p>The vision of full inclusion and accessibility for all rings through the words Palames spoke; it was the most important message of the interview. Even though progress may seem slow, and funding even slower, his hopefulness is uplifting. It brings an infectious feeling of open possibilities that fires the desire of those who speak with him. Promoting positive changes in the world is possible. If everyone could be so uplifting and positive while promoting their goals, human possibility might seem endless. </p>
<p><em>Christos Palames is the Executive Director of Independent Living Resources. He lives and works in Florence Massachusetts with his wife Judy Kimberly. </em></p>
<p><em>The son and grandson of Greek immigrants, Christo was born and raised in Boston. He was paralyzed in a college wrestling match in 1967 and spent a year in hospitals in Hartford and Boston. In 1974, he founded Stavros Center for Independent Living, the first CIL in the country to serve a largely rural, multi-county region. He was also active in the creation of the Vermont Center for Independent Living.</em></p>
<p><em>Christo served in Massachusetts’ state government for four years during the administration Michael Dukakis. His focus was on reform of state access regulatory systems and the development of large system accessibility and disability rights compliance planning for state agencies. </em></p>
<p><em>He is a photographer and a folk historian of the disability movement, a collector and editor of stories and essays chronicling disability rights history through the lived experience of people with disabilities. </em></p>
<p><em>Christos serves on Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey’s Advisory Committee on Disability Rights.</em></p>
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<p><span><em>Further Reading<br /></em><br />Concerning the Attorney General of Massachusetts: </span><span>https://www.mass.gov/person/maura-healey- attorney-general </span></p>
<p><span>Concerning Title II and III regulations for ADA Compliance: </span><span>https://www.ada.gov/ 2010_regs.htm </span></p>
<p><span>Concerning general ADA information: </span><span>https://www.ada.gov/ </span></p>
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Catalog Entry Author(s)
Bob Williams, Student, Fitchburg State University (with additions by Palames)
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: Christos Palames, Disability Rights Advocate
disability
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>Disabilities operate on different spectrums, from physical to mental, from minor to major, and anything in between. So when it comes to a person's mental health, its importance can be understood, and if it is left to poor management that it can hamper a person’s ability to function in society. At Fitchburg State University, the Counseling Services office is the place for students to go to for help with any mental health concerns they might have. The Counseling Services’ page on the school’s website describes that its “primary purpose is to support and educate students, through the provision of prevention-oriented programming, high quality treatment services, and referral for psychological difficulties that may adversely impact students' capacity to access and fully benefit from their educational experience.” This service is free to all enrolled students and offers a wide range of ways to to enhance the educational experience. This is by no means an easy task because mental health is something that can often be overlooked, and there is not a one-fix solution for everyone. The department is well-trained and capable to help the variety of students they see through their doors.</p>
<p>While our exhibit is focusing on disability as a whole, I think it is important to include mental health in the discussion. I think that most of the time, whenever health is talked about, it is the physical condition that is referred to, but there is more to well-being than just that. There is also the mental and emotional side of things that people often tend to overlook, and after doing this rather unique style of interview, I feel as if some interesting light has been shared on the topic. He covers the importance of being supportive of others and how challenges can often be beneficial. These challenges are often not seen as positives at first, but eventually people learn to overcome them and rise up to the task. While I have been fortunate to not have to go through much drastic adversity in life, I have noticed that it is often the hardest parts of life that I look back on and appreciate due to the growth and changes that happened as a result. It is these obstacles that make being human all the more valuable because they provide opportunities to grow and become stronger, even if it leads one down a less traveled path in life. It is this idea that ties disability to us all because we all are traveling our own journeys with our own differences, so why not help others along the way? </p>
<p>The Counseling Services office has a total of ten staff listed on its website, with one person tasked with the administrative oversight of this department. This person is Dr. Robert Hynes. In order to gain some insight on the topic of mental health and how the university helps with these issues, I interviewed Dr. Hynes. The following is a series of questions I posed to him through email correspondence. <strong></strong></p>
<p>Question: Where did you go to school and what did you study? </p>
<p>Dr. Hynes: Undergraduate at Rutgers (Psychology Major) and graduate at Hofstra (Clinical and School Psychology)</p>
<p>Question: What got you interested in this field? Was it what you were expecting?</p>
<p>Dr. Hynes: I guess I was drawn to (both) the <em>science</em> of human behavior, as well as the opportunity to apply such to easing suffering in people. What I was expecting? Yeah...generally...I think...although I've learned that the science isn't <em>nearly</em> as advanced as it could be, and that easing suffering isn't as easy as it looks.</p>
<p>Question: What brought you to Fitchburg State and how long have you been here? </p>
<p>Dr. Hynes: Fitchburg State presented a nice opportunity for professional advancement for me (back in 2001, when I took the position here). I also very much liked the tenor of the campus as well as the student body. These are largely the reasons I've stayed.</p>
<p>Question: In your own words, what do you do at Fitchburg State University, and what does a typical day look like at work?</p>
<p>Dr. Hynes: My "daytime" title is Assistant Dean/Director of Counseling Services. I provide administrative oversight over the Counseling Services, Health Services, and Disability Services offices. I'm most closely connected with Counseling Services, where I also maintain a caseload of students to whom I provide treatment. A typical day would look like some provision of treatment, lots of meetings, supervision of clinical staff and trainees, and maybe some programming activities.</p>
<p>At "night," I put on a teaching hat, as I serve as an adjunct faculty member in the Graduate Counseling Program (at FSU).</p>
<p>Question: Is there anything in particular that you enjoy doing, and anything that you aren't too fond to do while at work?</p>
<p>Dr. Hynes: Things I enjoy are working with students (direct care) and being in the classroom. Things I'm less fond of are endless administrative minutiae.</p>
<p>Question: What are some of the biggest obstacles you see many students face here on campus? </p>
<p>Dr. Hynes: Well...and this is probably more true now than in the past, I think...our students work incredibly hard, and tend to take nothing for granted. And part of the reason that this is the case is that our students (as a group) tend not to have the same advantages, or privilege, that many college students do. Our students often come from environments with significant socioeconomic (and other) challenges, and these sorts of challenges have a tendency to permeate folks' opportunities in a lot of ways. One of the reasons I have so much respect and admiration for FSU students (as a whole): most have very much had to "work for it."</p>
<p>Question: What do you think the relationship is between disability and mental health?</p>
<p>Dr. Hynes: If I'm speaking generally, I don't know that disability <em>causes</em> mental health difficulties...that's much too simple an equation. I think there are lots of things that correlate with disability (e.g., socioeconomic status) that *do* contribute to mental health difficulties. I think disability creates challenge...and for some, that challenge is so daunting that it can create mental health difficulties (though, noteworthy, is that for some, rising up to a challenge is actually a <em>protective</em> factor against mental health difficulties).</p>
<p>Question: Can you elaborate on what you meant by “rising up to a challenge is actually a <em>protective</em> factor against mental health difficulties”? Is this idea related to having a purpose in life to focus on and work towards?</p>
<p>Dr. Hynes: Yeah...I think that's reasonable. My understanding of the research in this area is that there's something incredibly healthy about identifying challenges in one's life, and, using one's unique gifts and resources, identifying ways to confront those challenges. In fact, a life without challenge would be a fairly "depressing" state of affairs, in my opinion. But, as you say, purpose, and focus, and working towards something are all healthy things.</p>
<p>Question: Is there any aspect of mental health or counseling that you feel is misrepresented or not talked about? If so, what is it?</p>
<p>Dr. Hynes: That's a tough question. I guess one concern I have is that consumers of mental health services often come in believing that, much like the "medical model," you present your concerns to a professional, you get a diagnosis, and you get "treatment." It's sometimes a wake-up call for consumers of services when they realize that psychological "treatment" typically looks quite different from medical "treatment."</p>
<p>Question: What can people do to help someone that might be struggling with mental health issues?</p>
<p>Dr. Hynes: They can listen. They can not judge. They can work to facilitate an appropriate referral for care. And they can make sure that they know and respect their own limitations, and take care of their own needs, too.</p>
<p>Question: What is some advice that you would give people when it comes to mental health?</p>
<p>Dr. Hynes: Suffering is not abnormal...in fact, it's a very real part of the human condition. It's what we do in the face of suffering that matters.</p>
<p>Question: And finally, what are your go-to tips to help maintain a positive mindset when facing difficulties?</p>
<p>Dr. Hynes: That's a tough one. Because it's different for everyone. But for most, it comes back to self-care. But self-care looks different for everyone. People need to find what keeps them balanced and positive, and DO IT, even when it's hard. Exercise, family, connection, reading, art, music, whatever it takes.</p>
<p><i>Robert Hynes received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Rutgers University, and a Ph.D. (in Clinical and School Psychology) from Hofstra University. He has served as a college mental health professional, and faculty member, for 25 years.</i> </p>
Bibliography
<p>“Counseling Services.” <em>Fitchburg State University</em>, www.fitchburgstate.edu/offices-services-directory/counseling-services/.</p>
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Catalog Entry Author(s)
Cameron Davis, 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
Interview: Dr. Robert Hynes, Director of Counseling Services and Assistant Dean of Student Affairs
counseling services
disability
fitchburg state university
mental disability
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
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<p><span>One of the most common, and yet least understood disabilities that can form in humans is Deafness. The World Health Organization (WHO) has found that “over 5% of the world’s population – or 466 million people – has disabling hearing loss," and estimates that by 2050 that number will increase to 900 million, or 10% (“Deafness and Hearing Loss”). Yet despite this incredibly large number of affected people, many who do not personally know someone who is Deaf know very little about how they live their lives. In an effort to change this, Tara Cranston, an alumni of Fitchburg State University, shares her story and her experiences with Deafness and its accompanying stigmas. She does this through the help of her friend Francine Mendez-Aponte, who works in the Disabilities Services Office at FSU, and translated Tara’s answers to a series of questions.<br /><br />I found my interview with Tara and Francine to be a really interesting and different approach to talking about disability. More often than not, when you read or see something about someone who has a disability, it’s from an outside perspective observing the person with a disability. This viewpoint often creates a victim image in the mind of the viewer. It makes you see people with disabilities as “lesser” or “unfortunate.” I think creating this mindset is detrimental to the people they are trying to help. By making people with disabilities seem unable to take care of themselves, it reduces their humanity, and I would argue that it is this that causes the eventual decay of every attempt to help people with disabilities throughout history. It’s not an intentional change, and I admit that I had a similar mindset at some points in my life, as that was the only kind of thinking I had seen. However, after sitting and talking to Tara and hearing her responses to some of my questions, I realized that I had made assumptions about people with disabilities and what I thought their needs were. Some of the answers Tara gave were options and ideas that I had never even considered. I wouldn’t have considered the possibility that a person with Deafness could become a college professor. I learned that many Deaf people, including Tara, don’t consider their Deafness to be a disability, just a difference. The idea of working from home, that I was sure beforehand would be a perfect solution, definitely would not work for everyone with Deafness or another disability. This is the main reason I decided to transcribe and include the interview instead of paraphrasing and discussing what was said to a third party. I want readers to be able to read Tara’s thoughts directly. While it’s not as good as actually talking in person, I believe it is more important for people to hear her thoughts about Deafness rather than mine. This is the biggest problem in discussing disability in today’s world. We all want to help and are giving our thoughts about how best to do so, while the people we are supposed to be helping go largely unheard. </span></p>
<p><span><em>Note: All quotes from Tara are Francine’s interpretations<br /></em><br />Question: So, what’s your story?<br /><br /></span><span>Tara: I’m from Leominster; that’s where I grew up. I went to a school for the Deaf out of town, Framingham, and basically did all of my schooling there. I skipped a grade in high school, so I </span>graduated at seventeen. Then I went to Rochester Institute of Technology for a summer program, came back, went to Mount Wachusett Community College. I had some issues with trying to get interpreters there, so it took me a while longer to graduate than expected. Sometimes with interpreters, sometimes without interpreters, so occasionally I’d only be taking one or two classes, depending on if there were interpreters available. I finally graduated with my associates and transferred to Fitchburg State, so I have a Bachelor's degree. I finished that in just two years. I worked in human services for a while. I’m married, and I have four kids, and now I’m a stay-at-home mom.</p>
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<p><span>Question: What kind of challenges do you face in everyday life? How do you overcome them? </span></p>
<p><span>Tara: Communication, for sure, is a challenge. It’s definitely a barrier. Lots of people aren’t willing to even write down in English what they want to communicate to me. It’s very hard to lip read, you know, and people will be like, "Oh, I don’t have any paper, I don’t have any pen, forget it." People aren’t always willing to sort of just go, not even an extra mile, but even a little bit more. So one example of that is that if we’re going out to eat with the kids, I’m not expecting my kids to order everything for us, and so I’ll write down what it is that we want to order. For some people, you know, they kind of get frustrated with that, but I don’t think it’s my kids’ responsibility to interpret for me when we’re out at restaurants. People should be willing to write something down, or if I’m writing it down, be able to read it and understand it. I own my own home, and we don’t have a doorbell with a light because it’s kind of expensive. There are certain things that </span><span></span><span>[Deaf people] </span><span>n</span><span></span><span>eed in your house, like a fire alarm that’s visual as opposed to auditory, and they can be really expensive. The doorbell is like $300 to have a visual doorbell, so </span>I tend to leave my door unlocked. People who know me will come in and kind of wave to me to say, "Hey, I’m here." If the door is locked, then people know that we’re busy, or not available, and if it’s strangers, they’ll knock at the door because they don’t know our system, and the kids will just ignore it; they won’t answer it because they know. We do have a dog, and the dog will run to the door, and see who’s there, so then if that happens I walk over and check to see who’s there.</p>
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<p><span>Question: What challenges did you face in your education [at FSU]? </span></p>
<p><span>Tara: Academically, math was definitely a struggle for me, so I had a tutor for that class. Sometimes interpreters were available, sometimes not. I think back then, we had one interpreter for three students, so sometimes we would have to take notes to write back and forth to each other in a tutoring situation, and if I didn’t get it, I would typically ask a professor. I have very good English skills, but for some folks, to write back and forth with each other they might not be as comfortable, so it could become a little bit complicated that way. Previously here, there weren’t certified interpreters initially when I started here. There was one person who had done an interpreter training program, but they were not certified. So you’d have someone who learned some sign language, but has not actually trained and did not pass the tests that are required to be an interpreter, so I made sure that I would read through everything. Sometimes there were gaps in that information, where the person who was signing in that class was not necessarily getting all the information because they weren’t trained to do that.</span></p>
<p><span>Question: How do people normally react to your disability? </span></p>
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<p><span>Tara (l</span>aughs<span>): </span><span>It really varies. Some people who are easy to lip read, I can lip read them, and can usually get to be friendly with them if they’re someone I see on a regular basis. Some people are just like, "What do you mean you’re Deaf, you’re Deaf?" and if they talk very softly, or if they’re hard to lip read, then that’s going to be very difficult. Sometimes, they’ll just kind of leave. I don’t take that personally. But some people are really willing to try, to gesture. I find that, when people who gesture a lot with their hands, they’re sort of willing to try a little bit more.” </span></p>
<p><span>Question: If you could change or make something to help people who are Deaf, what would it be?<br /><br /></span><span>Tara: Similar to the idea of closed captioning, I’m talking about in a classroom situation, if the teacher could speak, and then it would be almost like speech recognition software that I could look at on a screen and be able to understand what it was they were saying. I think that something like that would be helpful, but would also have to be for a person that has good English skills as well as for a Deaf person, because for most Deaf people English isn’t their first language. Ideally, having interpreters, and making sure that that person is a certified interpreter, that they are qualified to do the job. It’s tough when there’s information missing out of a conversation.</span></p>
<p><span><em>Note: These next questions were posed to both Tara and Francine.</em><br /><br />Question: How accommodating is Fitchburg State for people with disabilities?<br /><br /></span><span>Tara: It’s definitely better now than it was before, for sure. There are more staff here, there is more training happening for the staff that are here.</span></p>
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<p><span>Francine: I’ve been here twenty years, almost twenty years </span><span></span><span>(<em>Tara laughs</em>)</span><span></span><span>, that’s when Tara first got here. Our campus' physical accessibility has improved dramatically. You can get into pretty much every building, if you need physical access. One of the exceptions is still Thompson...on the third floor there are two stairs that go up, and then across, and there are classrooms on either side, then a couple of stairs that go down. So you can’t access the rooms on the other end from the elevator. Sometimes still, the sidewalks are not great, we </span><span></span><span>[Francine and Tara]</span><span> </span><span>walked today from the Civic Center to here, and you know if you’ve walked it that the end closest to Mckay is not good... And I know that that is an ongoing issue with the university and the city because it’s technically in city property. I would say that we could definitely improve on the Rec Center with equipment that’s more accessible to people with physical disabilities.</span></p>
<p><span>Question: What do you think could be done better? </span></p>
<p><span>Francine: I think now we’re in a good place of providing accommodations for students. We also now have two Deaf professors, one in the theater program and another in a Deaf Studies minor we have now. In the Deaf Studies minor, they have ASL classes as well as an introduction to Deaf culture of course, too. I think those are great ways for people to be more familiar with Deaf people and more comfortable with Deaf people.</span></p>
<p><span>Tara: Previously Mount Wachusett Community College was the only place close to here that had American Sign Language classes, so it’s nice that they are offered here now too.<br /><br /></span><span>Question: How does that work with the professors? How do the students understand?<br /></span><span><br />Tara: They use interpreters so they’re using them in the way most people are not familiar with. Usually it’s a Deaf student who we think the accommodation is for, when really the </span>accommodation is for both. Typically in American Sign Language classes, you’d have an interpreter for the first class because after that you really want to become fluent in the language.</p>
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<p><span>Question: What’s something you wish more people knew about disabilities? </span></p>
<p><span>Tara: Deaf people are normal. We live very full lives like everybody else. We get married. We have children. We have jobs. We drive. We cook. We do everything that people who can hear do, and the only thing is that we don’t hear. We can typically feel the rhythm or the vibration of music. We may not know the words, but the only limitation that Deaf people have is that they don’t hear. My guess is that other people with disabilities might feel similarly, and I think that, like anybody else, people with disabilities want people to not be critical of them and try to understand them. Understand who they are, that we’re people just like everybody else.” </span></p>
<p><span>Question: What can strangers do to help? </span></p>
<p><span>Tara: Hire people that are Deaf or have disabilities. I’ve been for job interviews previously, and when I walk in they’re like, "Oh, you’re Deaf." I could have a great amount of experience, a degree, and they say, "Oh, yeah, you know, it’s just too much to have to write back and forth with you." I think people get concerned about communication, and sometimes companies are just not flexible. I think by saying, "You’re overqualified," that’s how they get away with it, because legally they cannot say, "Oh, we can’t hire you because you’re Deaf."</span></p>
<p><span>Question: Would you say that working from home and the internet would help with that? </span></p>
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<p><span>Tara: I would say no, actually. Some of the work from home options that are out there might require you to put some money in up front if it's a business venture or something. You also have to be very focused if you’re going to work from home. For me I need to get outside. For me at home it would be too distracting being home and trying to work all day. It would be better to be out and about and doing things.</span></p>
<p><em>Tara Cranston, lifelong resident of Leominster, graduated from both MWCC and FSC (now FSU).</em></p>
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Bibliography
<p>“Deafness and Hearing Loss.” <em>World Health Organization</em>, 1 Mar. 2020, www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/deafness-and-hearing-loss.</p>
<p>“Hearing Problems and Deafness | Hearing Loss.” <em>MedlinePlus</em>, U.S. National Library of Medicine, 2 Oct. 2019, medlineplus.gov/hearingdisordersanddeafness.html.</p>
Catalog Entry Author(s)
Joshua Frazier, Student, Fitchburg State University
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Interview: Tara Cranston, Alum, and Francine Menendez-Aponte, FSU Staff Interpreter Coordinator
alum
deafness
disability
disability services
fitchburg state university
profile
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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
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Title
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Student Veterans and Army Nurse Poster
disability
fitchburg state university
military
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Title
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Disability
Still Image
Catalog Entry
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<p><span>Growing up, Brian Vinik was criticized for being a “nerd,” diagnosed with a sensory processing disorder (SPD), which for him made him sensitive to auditory simulation. This posed challenges for Vinik; the bell sounds signaling the start or end of the class made him very uncomfortable, as well as other loud noises, which happen frequently in a high school setting. Vinik was able to push through these challenges and create modifications for himself to make the school day comfortable for him, giving him the ability to continue to be successful in school despite his challenges. </span></p>
<p><span>Sensory Processing Disorder "is the inability to use information received through the senses in order to function smoothly in daily life” (Stock Kranowitz). </span><span></span><span>Just like any disability, sensory processing disorders have a range of effects on those who have one. </span><span></span><span>Reactivities for people with sensory processing disorders include tactile, auditory, or visual simulation. One in twenty people in the general population are affected by an SPD (“Facts about SPD"</span><span>). Vinik was specifically affected by auditory simulation, so for an example the school bell signaling the end or beginning of a class caused Vinik severe discomfort. </span></p>
<p><span>In high school Vinik was assigned a music video project for Doherty TV, a “television” program his high school created. Little did he know this video would become recognized by </span>more than just his family and classmates. The Holocaust Education and Resource Center of Rhode Island awarded Vinik for his work with the “Video Documentary of the Year” award. Having seen the possibility of where his work could go, Vinik chose to enroll at Fitchburg State University to study film and video, after graduating high school. Years later, Vinik was one of 40 applicants who were selected for an internship in Hollywood out of close to 1,000 others from across the U.S. Vinik’s seemingly small project he completed for his high school, was the spark that ignited his further success in film and video production. </p>
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<p><span>High-schooler Vinik wore headphones to escape the sound of the bell ringing, the signal that alerted the start or end of a class period. In between classes he could also be seen wearing these headphones; it became a staple to his look. However, once starting at Fitchburg State University, Vinik grew out of his headphone-wearing days, and only wore them for video projects. Attending college at FSU helped push Vinik out of his shell, and he was awarded opportunities for success. A device he used to get through the day was no longer needed. An object he used to escape the uncomfortable was now associated with a passion of his own. </span></p>
<p><span>Since graduating Fitchburg State University, Vinik has worked on many notable projects, including video editing for the New York Philharmonic group, </span><span>n</span><span>ight assistant editor for TLC's "Say Yes To The Dress," "Say Yes To The Dress UK," "Say Yes: Wedding SOS" "Say Yes to the Prom," and "Little Mom," and most recently he has worked for Engel Entertainment as the assistant editor for season four of Animal Planet’s “Lone Star Law” (“Brian Vinik"). Vinik was able to pursue his passion for working with media, despite his auditory challenges as a high school student. </span></p>
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<p><span>Brian Vinik did not let his disability define nor limit him. He pushed through what was difficult for him and pursued something he enjoyed. Given the continuing support in high school and in higher education, Vinik has been able to be very successful. Many people make assumptions about a person diagnosed with a disability, such as they can’t attend college. Vinik is an example of why such assumptions are not only unkind but also untrue. A person diagnosed with a disability with the right support is capable of much more than society gives them credit for. Brian Vinik’s story is not only inspiring but a great representation of what success despite adversity looks like. </span></p>
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Bibliography
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<p><span>“Brian Vinik.” </span><em>Linkedin</em><span></span><span>, www.linkedin.com/in/brian-vinik-7064b6a0.<br /><br />Doyle, Bill. “FSU Student Beats Odds to Find Path in Life.” </span><span></span><em>Telegram</em><span></span><span>, 30 June 2014, </span><span>www.telegram.com/article/20140630/NEWS/306309883</span><span></span><span>. </span></p>
<p><span>“Facts About SPD.” </span><span></span><em>Sensory Processing Disorder</em><span></span><span>, sinetwork.org/facts/. </span></p>
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<p><span>Stock Kranowitz, Carol. “Sensory Processing Disorder Overview.” </span><span></span><em>Smart Kids with Learning Disabilities</em><span>,</span><span> </span><span>www.smartkidswithld.org/first-steps/what-are-learning-disabilities/sensory-processing-disorder- overview/. </span></p>
<p><span>Vinik, Brian. “The Train of No Return.” </span><span></span><em>Sandra Bornstein Holocaust Education Center</em><span>, 23 Aug. 2017, bornsteinholocaustcenter.org/holocaust-timeline/. </span></p>
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Catalog Entry Author(s)
Colleen Couture, Student, Fitchburg State University
Dublin Core
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Title
A name given to the resource
News Article: "FSU Student Beats Odds to Find Path in Life"
disability
fitchburg state university
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<p><span>Have you ever wondered what it would be like to walk through the busy streets of a city, but have a visual impairment? Have you ever wondered how it would feel to learn with a learning disability? Have you ever wondered what it would feel like to get around in a wheelchair all day? Well, a few years ago many who wondered about these questions were able to attempt to find out what it felt like to face everyday life with a disability. Many years ago Fitchburg State University created a Disability Awareness Day in which students and community members were able to sign up to participate in multiple disability simulations. When signing up adults did not know which disability they were going to receive unless they had specifically asked for a certain one. The way the day worked was that participants were given a piece of paper stating what their disability for the day was and how they must act. If they had a disability that could not visually be seen like a learning disability, they must tell no one. Disabilities ranged from having to tap your pencil three times every five minutes, to wrapping an arm up so you could not use it, to navigating one’s way around campus practically blind or in a wheelchair (Maki). </span></p>
<p><span>The artifact is two newspaper articles from April 6th, 1995, telling the stories of individuals encountering one of Fitchburg State University’s Disability Awareness Days. The newspaper articles themselves are in great shape and currently kept in a portfolio book with other </span>artifacts about Fitchburg State University’s Disability Services history. </p>
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<p><span>The newspaper articles tell about the first-ever Disability Simulations executed by students and staff members of the university on the university’s Disability Awareness Day. On April 6th, 1995, the first disability simulations at Fitchburg State University took place on the 3rd annual Disability Awareness Day. That day twenty-five people, both staff and students, volunteered to be assigned a disability to experience for the day. Those who were not a part of the twenty-five people were able to experience different disabilities in Hammond Hall where tables were set up with different small activities. </span></p>
<p><span>The first story told is of Laura Gurley-Mozie whose daughter suffers from a spinal muscular atrophy and will use a wheelchair for the rest of her life. This was one reason why she had decided to participate. Gurley-Mozie worked in the Management Information Systems Office in charge of User Services, and her office was housed on the third floor of Edgerly Hall. On a normal day she parks her car, walks across the quad, and climbs three flights of stairs, but today would be different. Gurley-Mozie was assigned to navigate campus in a wheelchair for the day, so she could experience what her daughter must go through everyday. To enter Edgerly Hall she would have to enter from a side door and ride a wheelchair lift “which [she is] scared to death of” to the third floor. Most of the time when using the lift in Edgerly it would take a long time and she would oftentimes have to ask people for help. As the day went on Gurley-Mozie truly felt the challenges those with a disability have to encounter everyday. </span></p>
<p><span>Another story within these articles was from David Marsh. He was an employee for the athletic department. His diagnosed disability for the day unlike Gurley-Mozie’s was not a </span>physical disability. Marsh was assigned to portray having Obsessive Compulsive Order for the day. Immediately, he found this task of having this disability frustrating. Every time Marsh went through a doorway he was required to tap his foot six times. He was also told to avert his gaze from anybody he spoke to or who spoke to him. All day as he worked Marsh found himself avoiding talking to his boss who was three doors down, as he would have to tap his foot eighteen times to get to his boss’s office and then eighteen more times to return to his own office. The entire day Marsh stated his behavior was on his mind which took away a surprising amount of his energy.</p>
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<p><span>Within Hammond Hall there were multiple disabilities for students to experience. The Massachusetts Association for the Blind’s Leominster office sponsored a vision impairment information table. At this table they had a variety of products on display such as eyeglasses you could put on that would invert your vision or even cut off your peripheral vision. This would help students understand what living with a vision impairment might be like. There also were activities such as trying to solve a maze that was being reflected in a mirror, or trying to read a paragraph that had words jumbled and letters flipped to demonstrate a disability such as dyslexia. Rod Malcom, an employee in the admissions office, who spent the day experiencing vision impairment stated, “Until you try it, you really won’t get a good feel for it." He was shocked by what students with disabilities have to go through on a daily basis. </span></p>
<p><span>Not all participants thought these simulations were a great idea, however. Stephen Welles who was a sophomore student at the time from Ayer felt as though a half-day experiment was not enough time to fully understand what students with disabilities go through. He himself has </span>epilepsy and expressed the idea that people with disabilities deal with them twenty-four hours every day, not just for one experiment. Welles wasn’t the only one who voiced concerns about the disability simulations and in 2006 the last disability simulations took place (Maki).</p>
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<p><span>Although the disability simulations themselves may be cancelled, Fitchburg State University still has a Disability Awareness Day every year. Not only this, but Disability Services works alongside students with disabilities to ensure that their experiences on campus are accommodated. As time advances so does Fitchburg State University’s plans in making campus as welcoming as possible to all students. </span></p>
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Bibliography
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<p><span>Clark, Andrienne. "Living With Disability." </span><span></span><em>Fitchburg Sentinel+Enterprise</em><span>,</span><span> </span><span>6 Apr. 1995,</span><span> pp. A1-A2.<br /><br />Guilfoy, Christine. "Disabled feel the frustrations." </span><span></span><em>Raising Awareness in Fitchburg</em><span>,</span><span> </span><span>6 Apr. </span><span>1995, pp. B1-B5.<br /><br />Maki, Julie. Interview. 3 Mar. 2020. </span></p>
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Artifact Owner
Fitchburg State University Disability Services
Catalog Entry Author(s)
Kayla Mathews, Student, Fitchburg State University
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Disability Simulations
alum
disability
fitchburg state university
simulations
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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>Actor Chris Burke from the television show “Life Goes On” visited Fitchburg State University, giving a free speech to students and faculty about his life experiences. He shared information with those who went, of the daily life he lived and what his goals were. He was able to share a “unique perspective of living with a challenging disability,” which happens to be the title of another article written about Chris Burke. He served as a positive role model, conquering obstacles, and making friends, all of course while having fun fulfilling his own dream.</p>
<p>Chris Burke is a known actor, Down Syndrome activist, and anybody and everybody's friend. Burke has Down Syndrome, and as a child his parents were told they should institutionalize him. Instead, his parents raised and supported him at home with the rest of his siblings. He grew up watching TV shows and movies with his family, dreaming of becoming an actor himself. Growing up in the 1970’s, not many schools offered programs that could integrate those with disabilities. Therefore, in 1973 Chris was boarding at the <em>Cardinal Cushing School and Training Center</em> in Hanover, Massachusetts, until 1978, when he transferred to <em>Don Guanella, </em>in Springfield, Pennsylvania. After graduating, Chris Burke volunteered to help with certain disability programs in school systems in New York, helping people with disabilities to get better access to public schools. While he was in school and after graduating, he focused on his dream by going to night classes, theater productions, reading books on his favorite actors, and even writing his own scripts.</p>
<p>Chris Burke received his first professional acting job as a part of an ABC movie “Desperate” that was only aired on TV. Although it was a small role, network executives and producers were so impressed by his performance, they gave him the role of Corky in the show “Life Goes On.” Corky is a boy with Down Syndrome, which made this the first time a character with Down Syndrome was a part of a network TV show. Chris says he and this character, Corky, share one common message: accept people for who they really are. This message shows who Chris Burke is as a person, as he did not want fame from acting but acceptance and to be a form of inspiration for others. He serves as an inspiration not only for people with disabilities, but everyone as he got himself to where he was by setting and sticking to his goals. He credits his success to holding to those goals and not letting any obstacles get in the way. </p>
<p>Chris Burke has earned a Golden Globe, an award given for excellence in film or on television, for his work as Corky, along with the award “Youth Inspiration” for being such an influential figure that everyone could follow. Both of these awards came in 1990, a year after the show had started (1989). <em>Life Goes On</em> played until 1993 before being cancelled, ending Chris’s television series role. Yet, Chris Burke didn’t stop with his work there; he started to become a speaker and talked at places like Fitchburg State, to inspire and let everyone know that they are capable.</p>
Bibliography
<p>Kaufman, Michael T. “Being Busy and Happy Is an Actor's Syndrome.” <em>The New York Times</em>, 13 Nov. 1993, www.nytimes.com/1993/11/13/nyregion/about-new-york-being-busy-and-happy-is-an-actor-s-syndrome.html.</p>
<p>Span, Paula. “The New 'Life' of Chris Burke." <em>The Washington Post</em>, 3 Oct. 1989, www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/1989/10/03/the-new-life-of-chris-burke/3d70506a-a448-4cdd-a41a-2fd9bce92fad/<span>.</span></p>
Catalog Entry Author(s)
Matt Rowland, 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
Chris Burke Visit to FSU
disability
fitchburg state university
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04987a3dedc4b8155a2c40ddc98e9bda
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>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.</p>
<p>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.</p>
<p>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.</p>
<p>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 <em>Game of Thrones </em>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 <em>Star Wars Saga</em> and Warwick Davis who played Willow and Professor Fenwick in the Harry Potter series<em>. </em>These are just a few examples of people who are successful and never let their disability take away from their determination and motivation.</p>
<p>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.</p>
<p>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.</p>
Bibliography
<p>Sommers, Kelsey. “Former WHS Student Inspires Marathon Runners.” <em>Wayland Student Press</em>, 7 May 2009, waylandstudentpress.com/6369/articles/former-whs-student-inspires-marathon-runners/. </p>
<p>Vellante, John. “Giant Steps.” <em>Boston.com</em>, 14 Apr. 2001, archive.boston.com/marathon/stories/2001/giant_steps.htm.</p>
Catalog Entry Author(s)
Maddie Mantegani, 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
Katie Lynch Visit to FSU
disability
fitchburg state university
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Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Disability
Still Image
Catalog Entry
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<p><span>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