Health Impairments

There are several electronic options to consider. Online discussions can facilitate communication between students. Consider having students post their work on the web and allow peer review and discussion of papers, assignments, and lab results. A few ground rules and participation requirements can be set to keep the discussion relevant and active. In addition, email exchanges with professionals, students on other campuses, and community members can extend learning beyond your campus.

The Internet hosts a large quantity of websites and electronic discussion lists that contain information of interest to individuals with health impairments and their family members, friends, mentors, advocates, educators, employers, and coworkers. A collection of websites and discussion lists related to health impairments can be found at Disability-Related Resources on the Internet: Health Impairments.

Background

My name is Elena. I am working toward my associate's degree in computer graphics at the community college. I have Lupus, a chronic autoimmune disease causing inflammation of the tissues, which can be painful. Recently I developed repetitive strain injuries (RSI) as a result of my muscle pain and weakness and extensive computer use. I take medications that partially control the Lupus symptoms. I do not have a visible disability, so sometimes people think I am faking or unnecessarily avoiding work.

Background

My name is Hien and I am a fourth-year medical student preparing for rotations. I have a heart condition that requires a pacemaker and I cannot be within 20 feet of microwaves, but my rotation sites may put me in proximity to medical microwaves.

Access Issue

Completing the rotation may expose me to unsafe levels of microwaves. I want to be safe, but I also want to be able to keep my disability confidential while maintaining the widest possible selection of rotation sites.

Background

My name is Debra. I am a college student who is deaf. Over the summer, I participated in a Research Experience for Undergraduates summer program where I helped develop an open-source 3D-printed wrist orthosis for individuals who have had a spinal cord injury. I attended and presented the results of this research at a national conference focused on prosthetics and orthotics.

Background

Kavita is a graduate student in computer science. Because of her disability she cannot travel to professional conferences in her field.

Access Issue

Kavita has been able to attend some sessions at conferences via video calls, but this mode of access limits the ways she is able to engage in conference activities. For example, when she calls into a conference session, she is unable to network with other attendees in sessions and in exhibit areas through informal conversation.