PHIL-UA 39; Twentieth-Century Continental Philosophy

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By our metrics, NYU is one of the more accessible and disability-friendly campuses in the US although there is much room for improvement. A student at NYU School of Law tells us, "NYU Law is very accommodating to requests for common neurodivergence diagnoses like ADHD, but is minimally and sometimes not at all accommodating to requests that stem from less common neurodivergence diagnoses. If they haven't heard of it, they don't believe it exists."It was surprising to learn that NYU does not have a football team, which is unusual for a school of its size and prestige, but makes sense given the limited space in Lower Manhattan. We consider this positive, given the <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/03/sports/football/nfl-says-saints-had-bounty-program-to-injure-opponents.html">violence</a> and <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://med.nyu.edu/departments-institutes/population-health/divisions-sections-centers/medical-ethics/education/high-school-bioethics-project/learning-scenarios/the-nfl-brain-injury">ethical problems</a> associated with football.NYU's Student Health Center (SHC) issues pretty solid <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.nyu.edu/students/health-and-wellness/wellness-exchange/helping-someone-in-trouble.html">guidance on helping students in distress</a>, without resorting to the ableist, fearmongering language often seen on so many other university websites. That said, because New York City is one of the most heavily policed cities in the country, marginalized students thinking of living here should be aware of potentially frequent interactions with police and how that might negatively impact their safety and well-being. NYU is also home to the controversial Policing Project program, which has been heavily criticized by community groups <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1qHWVP2gPqirTFQDXhd4schKiJU9EAYiKsQqOkmC1Vns/edit">as well as NYU School of Law students</a> for being funded by police agencies and for promoting technological solutions that "sanitize police violence and surveillance."A student also tells people to check out <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.nyu.edu/students/communities-and-groups/student-accessibility/nyu-connections-asd-program.html">NYU Connections ASD</a>, which is "a free and optional program for autistic NYU students dedicated to promoting student success by promoting a culture of acceptance and belonging. The program focuses on recognizing and building on each student's unique strengths and providing opportunities to connect with other neurodiverse NYU students&nbsp;through group meetings and projects."

A student writes, "Unless the professor happens to be nice, you often have to work with [Moses Center for Student Accessibility] to get videos."

The Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development offers a Minor in Disability Studies. A Center for Disability Studies was established at NYU in 2017.

A student tells us, "At a position I previously held on campus (I will not identify the department or supervisor), due to my different methods of processing information, I was blamed for not doing my job correctly and told, 'don't make me regret hiring you.'"

New York University

Mutual Aid: <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://opencollective.com/gsocnyu#category-ABOUT">https://opencollective.com/gsocnyu#category-ABOUT</a>&nbsp;

In 2022, <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://nyunews.com/news/2022/11/30/nyu-to-expand-housing-accessibility/">the Washington Square News reported that</a>, "NYU will begin a five-year effort to make its housing facilities more accessible after reaching an agreement with the U.S. Department of Justice. Some of the university’s housing facilities had previously been found to be in violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act."

NYU's Policing Project program has been criticized by community groups as well as <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1qHWVP2gPqirTFQDXhd4schKiJU9EAYiKsQqOkmC1Vns/edit">NYU School of Law students</a> for being funded by police agencies and for promoting technological solutions that "sanitize police violence and surveillance."

The University does have an online form to submit a <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://nyu-advocate.symplicity.com/public_report/">Student Misconduct Report</a> (Public Incident Report) that uses the Symplicity database, but it is mainly for reporting violations of the University Student Conduct Policy.

NYU's president, Andrew Hamilton, issued statements after the murders of George Floyd in 2020 and Tyre Nichols in 2023, but he didn't explicitly support Black Lives Matter.

No courses on Critical Theory, but they offer SOC 1872O Critical Race Theory.

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As one of the first institutions of higher education established in the United States, Brown University's storied campus dates back to 1764. This also creates accessibility problems, however, as many of the historical buildings on its campus have yet to be renovated or retrofitted with elevators and ramps, which "requires a long-term commitment and significant investments in capital projects,” <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.browndailyherald.com/article/2021/12/students-face-campus-accessibility-challenges">reports The Daily Herald</a>, Brown University's student newspaper.A faculty member at Brown <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.browndailyherald.com/article/2021/12/students-face-campus-accessibility-challenges">observed to the reporter</a> that campus-wide inaccessibility sends a clear message about "who Brown wants coming to this University — because right now, it is not physically disabled people." Providence, Rhode Island, was also "recently ranked as one of the worst cities for people with disabilities," <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.browndailyherald.com/article/2021/03/students-faculty-with-disabilities-face-accessibility-challenges-on-campus">according to reporting in The Daily Herald</a>.In 2021, <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.browndailyherald.com/article/2021/09/i-just-felt-like-i-had-to-sign-the-papers-brown-community-reflects-on-u-mental-health-leave-taking-settlement-after-doj-settlement">Brown University reached a settlement</a> with the U.S. Department of Justice for "denying readmission to certain students who had taken medical leaves of absence due to mental health concerns from fall 2012 to spring 2017," which violated the 1990 Americans with Disabilities Act.Although Brown, like many other universities, has experienced a surge in student demand for counseling services along with wait times of several weeks for initial appointments, in the past few years, Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) has been able to <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.brown.edu/news/2020-08-12/caps">reduce wait times to 3 days</a>. CAPS also lifted an annual limit on the number of sessions that students could schedule, allowing students to settle into long-term care without having to seek an off-campus provider.Overall, Brown University leads the pack on remote accessibility and campus mental health supports (Pillar I), as well as some metrics on safety (Pillar III), largely thanks to its collaborative work with <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://projectlets.org/">Project LETS</a>, which was started at Brown, as well as with other student-led disability-focused groups on campus. Priorities moving forward should be improving campus accessibility for physically disabled students, increasing disability-related cultural and educational programming, creating disabled community spaces at Brown, and reducing or eliminating police presence on campus.

https://dld.brown.edu/remote-accessible-teaching

The Cogut Institute for the Humanities at Brown includes a <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://humanities.brown.edu/events/disabilitystudies">Disability Studies Working Group</a> that hosts events, including lectures, but there is no formal Disability Studies curriculum at Brown.

A student tells us, "Our DIAP (diversity and inclusivity action plan) explicitly mentions people with disabilities as being included in the umbrella of underrepresented groups, but it doesn't go beyond that."

An op-ed this year in The Brown Daily Herald cited a U.S. Secret Service and DOE report <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.browndailyherald.com/article/2023/04/aizenberg-26-the-most-overlooked-part-of-the-gun-control-debate">to suggest that suicidal people are likely to be mass shooters</a>, when in fact the vast majority of suicidal people are nonviolent. This kind of rhetoric is dangerous, as it not only discourages suicidal people from seeking help, but also justifies law enforcement viewing all suicidal people as threats and using deadly force against people in crisis.

Brown University

Peer Support: <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.letsatbrown.org/">https://www.letsatbrown.org/</a>&nbsp;

<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.browndailyherald.com/article/2021/12/students-face-campus-accessibility-challenges">The Brown Daily Herald reports</a>, "The residential experience is a central part of life for undergraduates who are required to live on campus for six semesters due to the University’s belief that the 'residential experience is integral to undergraduate students’ academic, social, intellectual and personal growth.' ...But despite the requirement for students to live on campus, not all University dorms are fully accessible to students with disabilities. For example, according to the campus accessibility map, multiple residential buildings adjacent to the Ruth J. Simmons Quadrangle — which house sophomores and juniors — contain barriers that “would prevent a wheelchair user from entering the facility."

https://caps.brown.edu/our-services/crisis-services

SOC-STD 98PV: The Critical Theory of the Frankfurt School

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A student tells us, "The university, with all of its wonderful resources and incredible community, is severely lacking in its mental health support execution." This thought is echoed by other Harvard students in The Harvard Crimson, Harvard University's student-run newspaper, <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2023/2/27/vinny-harvard-mental-health-failure/">which reports that</a>, "For the past 10 years, students have called for [Counseling and Mental Health Services (CAMHS)] to reform its care timeline, which provides only short-term counseling with sessions spaced out every two to three weeks." Wait times for appointments at CAMHS can be <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2022/3/1/camhs-appointments-wait-time/">a month or longer</a>, though in 2022, <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2022/10/harvard-moves-to-implement-recommendations-for-student-mental-health/">Harvard partnered with an outside vendor</a>, TimelyCare, to offer a telehealth counseling option for Harvard students in an attempt to reduce wait times. &nbsp;As is the case with the rest of the Ivy League universities, Harvard does not have a Student of Concern reporting page. However, this does not make its approach to "handling" students in distress any less draconian. <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2022/4/20/schneider-involuntary-leaves/">As The Harvard Crimson reports</a>, Harvard's leave policy places a heavy burden on students to "prove" they are stable when the administration should instead be reaching out to offer support. For example, during their time away, <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2017/3/2/putting-harvard-on-hold/">students must work</a> a "full-time, paid, non-academic job in a non-family owned or run business for at least six consecutive months before petitioning for readmission to the College." When they return, some students are <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2017/3/2/putting-harvard-on-hold/">required to sign a contract</a> mandating psychiatric treatment and attendance at University Health Services workshops.One positive development we're seeing at Harvard is the new emphasis on providing training and resources <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2022/10/harvard-moves-to-implement-recommendations-for-student-mental-health/">to help Harvard students support each other</a>, though one can't help but wonder if the weight of the student mental health crisis has simply crushed most university health services to their <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.apa.org/monitor/2022/10/mental-health-campus-care">breaking point</a>. One such resource is peer support, which is actually not a new thing. Harvard students have been running a <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://camhs.huhs.harvard.edu/links/room-13">peer support group</a> since 1971.Still, a student tells us, "Though there are lots of active resources to support students at my university, I oftentimes feel burdened to ask my professors for help. Even with the resources available at my school, it's at my professor's discretion to decide how to apply my accommodations." Another student tells us that it's not just the ableism on campus. "Unfortunately, when I think of my personal, adverse experiences with Harvard University, racism comes to mind before ableism, although the organization has its fair share of both."

Harvard offers several <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://admissions.hks.harvard.edu/www/documents/Disability_Courses.pdf">disability-related courses</a>, but no formal program in Disability Studies.

A student says, "My advisor [redacted] looked me in the eyes as a sophomore and told me that I was a bad student."He didn't know that I had multiple mental illnesses; he never asked. He never made any attempt to get to know me as an individual or refer me to the resources that I desperately needed. He didn't know that I had been raped right before college or that I had seen my mom attempt suicide in high school. He didn't know how deeply I grappled with suicidal ideation and how I struggled with visions of my trauma. All he knew was that I was a B/C student, and he didn't care about anything else."I cried all the way back to my dorm, and then I changed my concentration because of him."

Harvard University

HCCYDSA Mutual Aid: <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://opencollective.com/hccydsa">https://opencollective.com/hccydsa</a>Peer Support: <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://camhs.huhs.harvard.edu/links/room-13">https://camhs.huhs.harvard.edu/links/room-13</a>&nbsp;

<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2020/1/27/huit-accessibility-protest/">The Harvard Crimson reports that</a> "[a former Harvard University Information Technology employee] said he chose to resign from his job with HUIT because the University has 'no plans' to make the building wheelchair accessible. He said he met with the property manager and building manager multiple times, but they would not add a ramp or elevator to the building."<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2021/10/21/accessibility-on-campus/">The Harvard Crimson also reports</a> that Harvard Yard is "really physically inaccessible" and "a key example of the campus’s hostility to those with disabilities."

A student says, "While I have never personally experienced police intervention for my mental health (I have for racist reasons!), I cannot confidently say that this does not happen."Also see: https://camhs.huhs.harvard.edu/find-help-now

<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://nocklab.fas.harvard.edu/research">The Nock Lab at Harvard</a> conducts research to detect people who may be suicidal using algorithms to analyze people's social media posts.

Harvard uses <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://reportinghotline.harvard.edu/">NAVEX's EthicsPoint® system</a> "to report a variety of ethical, integrity, safety, security, and compliance concerns." Although members of the community can use the online form to report "Students of Concern," the website's guidance indicates that this is not the primary purpose of the reporting tool.Harvard does have a <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/careteam/process/">Student of Concern</a> page, but no online report form. Members of the community can refer students by emailing the Care Team.

On June 10, 2020, Harvard University President, Lawrence Bacow, <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.harvard.edu/president/news/2020/hupd-statement-from-president-bacow/">issued a statement</a> in which he said, "Black lives matter, and we must use this moment to confront and remedy racial injustice." Bacow's first official statement after the murder of George Floyd, issued on May 30, 2020, <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2020/06/08/searching-meaningful-response-college-leaders-killing-george-floyd">was widely criticized</a> for not centering the Black community.A student says, "This is lip service, mind you - As a black student, my teachers, advisors, and residential tutors made it abundantly clear that I did not matter to them."

<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.webpages.uidaho.edu/~sflores/310sp2012.html">ENGL 310</a> Critical Theory

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University of Idaho scores higher than its peers on many of our metrics, and this is reflected in the comments we received from students at U of I. One students tells us, "I have Crohn’s disease, arthritis, asthma, and ADHD/anxiety. So far, U of I’s been alright. It can be better in places, but every multi-level building has an elevator and a ramp for access by wheelchair or cane and I’ve been accepted by those around me." Another student tells us, "They're slowly improving how accessible they are," though digital accessibility can be improved. In addition, the campus' hilly terrain might be difficult for disabled students to navigate. "I do believe they offer some mobility vans, however," another student says.Wait times for appointments at the Counseling &amp; Testing Center (CTC) can be several months for ADHD testing, and several weeks for psychological counseling. One student told us that at the start of the fall semester in 2021, CTC was not taking in any new patients.<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.uidaho.edu/current-students/cdar/raven-scholars">The Raven Scholars Program</a>, "an individualized, supported-transition program for University of Idaho students on the Autism Spectrum," was also recommended. "They do not require formal diagnosis, just that you self-identify as having ASD."

A student says, "Recordings are available if you go through the Center for Disability Access and Resources (CDAR)." However, another student clarifies that it's audio recordings only. "No Panopto or Kaltura."Another student tells us, "I have taken several classes that were in-person exclusively, and that made it very difficult when experiencing days where I couldn't make it onto campus due to mental health issues, weather or other conflicts. Some offered zoom sessions, but not recordings."

According to one student, accommodations can be provided for two semesters without documentation. We corroborated this information with a staff member at CDAR, who said that the primary reason for the grace period is because the wait time to get an Autism/ADHD evaluation can be several months. However, the CTC also offers in-house assessments, which have reduced the wait times. For psych disabilities, there is still a grace period, but "students have to demonstrate that they are in treatment and require accommodation."

A student says, "Yes, there is required diversity training and it does include disability and neurodivergence (source: I completed it myself as a student employee)."Another student says, "For students no, for staff yes, I worked as an SI-PASS leader and we did have mandatory diversity training, but there was little emphasis on disability, it was more so about culture and lgbtq issues. I do believe there was a slide or two, but nothing extensive."

University of Idaho

One student reports, "Building accessibility spotty. Library / Idaho Student Union Building / Renfrew (main classroom area) are great."Another student says, "Their residence hall accommodations aren’t great. I live on the fifth floor as per my single room accommodation and the elevator goes out regularly."

https://www.uidaho.edu/student-affairs/dean-of-students/vandalcare

The Dean of the College of Letters, Arts, and Social Sciences, issued a clear <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.uidaho.edu/class/about/blm">statement in support of BLM</a>: "As dean, I join President Green in affirming that black lives matter."

PHIL 427. Continental Philosophy II: European Thought Since 1960

Lecture videos can be provided <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://drc.uic.edu/accommodations/aslandcart/">for specific accommodations</a>. A student at UIC Law tells us that "all lectures [in the Law School] are available on Blackboard."

The College of Applied Health Sciences offers a BS in Disability and Human Development, and a PhD in Disability Studies.

See Negative Experiences section.

University of Illinois Chicago

Disability Cultural Center: <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://dcc.uic.edu/">https://dcc.uic.edu/</a>&nbsp;

<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://bonfire.digital.uic.edu/news/news-campus/ableist-structures-thrive-on-campus-the-journey-of-attempting-to-stop-the-uic-east-quad-renovation/">The UIC Bonfire reports</a>, "The grass structure [in the new East Quad] also poses major physical accessibility issues, particularly due to how the center would obstruct the pathways for students with physical disabilities to move across campus. Although the construction was considered to be ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) compliant, those with a disability or involved in disability justice movements acknowledge that ADA compliance is the bare minimum in meeting access needs."

https://dos.uic.edu/student-assistance/health-personal-concerns/mental-health/

GRS EN 792 Introduction to Recent Critical Theory and Method

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A student says, "After a few weeks into my first semester of undergrad, my suite mates rejected me wholesale. There was an active practice of shunning that went on the entire year, in which they refused to acknowledge my existence or communicate with me verbally."

Boston University

A graduate student <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://dailyfreepress.com/2021/10/07/students-detail-inadequate-accessibility-on-campus-difficulty-getting-to-classes/">tells The Daily Free Press</a>, "The College of Arts and Sciences building’s accessibility entrance is located in the back with elevators on the far left side. 'If your class is not close to that side of the building you basically walk all that way [to the elevator] and then you walk all the way back to get to the class.'" Another student added, "I would say the three [older] buildings are the School of Theology, Marsh Chapel and CAS and they all share that [accessibility issue]. It kind of communicates to the disabled community ‘you’re kind of an afterthought.’"Additionally, "students with disabilities are unable to participate in some events held in the basement of Marsh Chapel as the elevator does not reach the basement. 'They don’t think it’s an issue because they don’t see a lot of people with disabilities but people with disabilities don’t come because there’s not accessibility,'" <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://dailyfreepress.com/2021/10/07/students-detail-inadequate-accessibility-on-campus-difficulty-getting-to-classes/">the student told the reporter</a>.See also: <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://dailyfreepress.com/2019/11/15/student-demonstrates-lack-of-accessibility-for-disabled-people-at-bu/">https://dailyfreepress.com/2019/11/15/student-demonstrates-lack-of-accessibility-for-disabled-people-at-bu/</a>&nbsp;

https://www.bu.edu/cas/faculty-staff/instructors-guide/helping-students-resources-referrals/

BU has one of the better pages that we've seen for helping students in distress. Instead of reporting, they encourage students to <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.bu.edu/shs/behavioral-medicine/helping-someone-in-distress/helping-someone-in-distress-faculty-and-staff/">help other students get help</a>. "If necessary, you can help the student make an appointment. Call while the student is with you. Write down the appointment details, including time, provider’s name, and location."

After issuing a statement following the murder of George Floyd that <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.bostonglobe.com/2020/06/03/metro/bu-president-apologizes-initial-letter-racism-sends-second/">was heavily criticized by the community</a>, President Robert A. Brown <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.bu.edu/president/following-up-on-mondays-letter-to-the-community/">issued a second statement</a> on June 3, 2020, in which he said, "The lives of our Black students, faculty, and staff, and all Black lives, matter. The deaths of Black men and women at the hands of racists should shake every other soul in this nation and make us understand and share your anger."

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The School of Education offers graduate programs in Special Education, including certification for teachers of learners with "Severe/Multiple Disabilities." However, there is no curriculum in Disability Studies.

CUNY Hunter College

https://www.hunter.cuny.edu/brt/protocol/brt-protocol-flowchart

https://hunter.cuny.edu/news/statement-by-president-raab-on-the-conviction-of-derek-chauvin/

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UO students had a lot to say about the accommodations offered by the university, including a cumbersome process and lack of meaningful and helpful supports.One student writes, "Honestly I have ADHD with documentation and the Accessible Education Center (AEC) has totally been useless for me. Basically, they only can provide note-taking service or text-to-voice. Everything else is merely a suggestion from the AEC to the professor who has the ultimate say. For me, this has resulted in like no help."Another student mentioned that getting documentation for accommodations is difficult, because AEC does not provide any assistance with that process. It's also a problem just getting an appointment with AEC. A student writes that, "I tried to make an appointment in September. Earliest appointment was December 12." On top of that, students don't start receiving their accommodations until the following term.Another student said, "If participation/attending class are issues for your disability, UO really sucks with that." A few students mentioned that they tended to feel lost and confused in large lecture classes, and the professors were not supportive.At least one student had positive things to say about U of O, including the strong culture of ethics on campus. "I’m not aware of any ethically dubious research taking place in my university. It seems like something my university would not participate in." Indeed, U of O is one of the few research institutions in the Association of American Universities that doesn't conduct experiments on animals.

A student tells us that "You can get accommodations without documentation for one quarter, and then you have to provide it for them to continue. This is from personal experience." However, another student adds that "You make an appointment to get accommodations that will start the next quarter. So if your appointment is in the fall quarter, the accommodations will start in the winter quarter. They don’t start immediately, at least not in my experience. I hope that clarifies."

UO offers a <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://disability.uoregon.edu/">Disability Studies minor</a>.

One student writes, "I have experienced ableism just not in a direct way. I have a speech problem and I feel like people don’t take me as seriously and don’t listen to my opinions sometimes."

University of Oregon

However, a student says, "<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://whitebirdclinic.org/services/">CAHOOTS</a> is available in my city and they specialize in mental health crises."Note: The <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://dos.uoregon.edu/crisis-and-community-support">Crisis and Community Support</a> page on the U of O website does list CAHOOTS as a resource, but the <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://dos.uoregon.edu/report-concern">Report a Concern page</a> on the Dean of Students' website tells students to call the University of Oregon Police Department "if a current student poses a threat of harm to self or others." We would prefer to see CAHOOTS or similar program completely replace UOPD as the default response to student crises.&nbsp;

On May 29, 2020, President Michael H. Schill and other senior leaders at U of O <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://president.uoregon.edu/speaking-out-against-hatred-racism-and-violence">issued a statement</a>: "We must provide students with the tools to dismantle racism, to lead with empathy, and to be animated by the truth that Black lives—like all other lives—not only matter but are sacred. As we move through the months of COVID-19, we understand that many of our Black, Native, Latinx, and Asian students are most vulnerable."

This is much higher than the national average!*2021 data

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Yale is one of several prestigious universities that have come under scrutiny in recent years for their punitive policies around student mental health, often banishing students from campus if they exhibited signs of mental illness. In response to a lawsuit, Yale updated its policy to allow students to take leaves of absences instead of withdrawing, and to allow students to continue receiving health coverage and have access to university facilities and resources during leaves.Yale has one of the earliest established <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://walden.sites.yale.edu/about-us">student-run peer support groups</a> in the country, which offers both a confidential hotline and walk-in center. Disability Empowerment for Yale (DEFY), an organization of disabled students at Yale, is currently working with the administration <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://yaledailynews.com/blog/2022/02/15/students-push-for-persons-with-disabilities-cultural-center/">to establish a Disability Cultural Center</a> on campus.Reporting by the Yale Daily News in 2021 on students' frustrations with Yale's mental health services echoes the sentiments we're hearing from Yale students in 2023, suggesting that things haven't improved much. <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://yaledailynews.com/blog/2021/03/25/students-express-disappointment-anger-over-yales-mental-health-services/">According to the Yale reporter</a>, "All of the students interviewed expressed frustration, disappointment and anger over inadequate mental health resources for students, including weeks-long wait times for appointments and lack of capacity for comprehensive, consistent care. Overall, students expressed feeling like the quality of their support is sacrificed in an MHC effort to get through the long line of student demand."Despite having one of the highest ratios of psych counselors to students among all universities we surveyed, students tell us that it can take anywhere between 6 weeks to 6 months for an initial appointment with counseling services, which is not surprising given the high demand for services on campus.More than half of Yale students use psych services at some point during their time at Yale. And the positive psychology course, Psyc 157, <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/26/nyregion/at-yale-class-on-happiness-draws-huge-crowd-laurie-santos.html">"Psychology and the Good Life,"</a> is the most popular class in Yale history. It's telling that Yale has only an 80% retention rate of students returning after their first year, which is extremely low for a university ranked in the top 5 in the US.The <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://yalewell.yale.edu/faculty-staff-and-families/resources-faculty-and-staff#recognizingstrugglingstudent">Yale Well website</a> offers helpful guidance on how to recognize signs of distress, which can include “difficulty maintaining focus,” “extreme anxiety,” and “withdrawal from routine activities and relationships” -- without resorting to fearmongering or stigmatizing language. Although Yale does not have an online report form for Students of Concern, the Yale administration does advise faculty, staff, and families <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://yalewell.yale.edu/faculty-staff-and-families/resources-parents-and-families">to report distressed students</a> to the dean for monitoring.It is noteworthy that Yale no longer employs Bandy Lee, whose pseudo-scientific and stigmatizing work <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://yaledailynews.com/blog/2020/05/13/profile-dr-bandy-lee-and-the-psychiatric-case-against-donald-trump/">associating mental illness with violence</a> has been criticized by <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://ctmirror.org/category/ct-viewpoints/lets-talk-about-real-issues-not-trumps-mental-health/">disability advocates</a> and even members of the <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://psychnews.psychiatryonline.org/doi/full/10.1176/appi.pn.2017.11b13">American Psychiatric Association</a>. We recommend that Yale students follow the work of <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://medicine.yale.edu/profile/marco-ramos/">Marco Ramos</a>, an assistant professor at Yale who has a lot <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PCMHm6CCqjU">more interesting things to say</a> than Bandy Lee.The number of sexual assaults reported on campus in 2021 (the latest available data) was several times higher than the national average! This may not be surprising to people who know that Brett Kavanaugh is a Yale alumnus.

Yale offers a few disability-related courses, but that's it.

Yale University

Mutual Aid: <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://yhhap.org/mutual-aid">https://yhhap.org/mutual-aid</a>Peer Counseling: <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://walden.sites.yale.edu/about-us">https://walden.sites.yale.edu/about-us</a>See also: <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://defy.sites.yale.edu/">Disability Empowerment for Yale</a>

A student writes that, "There is a general lack of elevators and ramps in dormitories."

http://catalog.yale.edu/handbook-instructors-undergraduates-yale-college/teaching/concernsaboutstudents/index.html

https://faculty.yale.edu/news/yale-leadership-addresses-murder-george-floyd-and-legacy-racist-violence

SOC 1446 - CONSUMPTION &amp; EVERYDAY LIFE

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During the past several years, in an effort to reduce wait times for counseling appointments, Pitt has partnered with third-party online services including <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://pittnews.com/article/179102/news/new-online-platform-togetherall-provides-peer-support-for-mental-health/">Togetherall</a>, <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://pittnews.com/article/150622/featured/counseling-center-adds-staff-puts-counselors-in-residence-halls/">TAO Connect</a> (Therapy Assistance Online), and ThrivingCampus. However, in light of <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.ftc.gov/business-guidance/blog/2023/03/ftc-says-online-counseling-service-betterhelp-pushed-people-handing-over-health-information-broke">abuse of data and violations of user privacy by online service providers recently</a>, we feel that this may not be the best solution to the growing demand for mental health services on campus. In 2019, the Pitt Counseling Center <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://pittnews.com/article/150622/featured/counseling-center-adds-staff-puts-counselors-in-residence-halls/">added more counselors to its staff</a>, and also placed counselors in some of the residence halls on campus, which successfully reduced wait lists for appointments.The Pitt News, University of Pittsburgh's student newspaper, has had good and consistent coverage of disability over the years. <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://pittnews.com/article/181040/featured/tired-and-frustrated-students-with-disabilities-express-concerns-with-pitts-accessibility-disability-resources-office/">From that coverage</a>, it's clear that many students are not satisfied with the support provided by Disability Resources and Services (DRS), although the office appears to be making genuine efforts to improve, and several <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://pittnews.com/article/181040/featured/tired-and-frustrated-students-with-disabilities-express-concerns-with-pitts-accessibility-disability-resources-office/">disability-related groups</a> <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://pittnews.com/article/178974/news/sgb-discusses-new-disability-resources-committee-boil-water-advisory/">and committees</a> <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://pittnews.com/article/164805/news/new-pitt-disability-community-creates-a-group-for-faculty-and-staff-with-disabilities/">have sprung up</a> in recent years, pushing for changes on Pitt's campus. One of the things we didn't like about DRS is how they allow accommodations to be contingent on how well students communicate with their professors, and tout this as "learning self-advocacy." <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://pittnews.com/article/181040/featured/tired-and-frustrated-students-with-disabilities-express-concerns-with-pitts-accessibility-disability-resources-office/">As other students have pointed out</a>, constantly having to justify their accommodations and deal with the questioning, skepticism, and antagonism often directed at them, can quickly lead to burnout and giving up.In 2020, <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://pittnews.com/article/159354/news/pitt-offers-new-mandatory-anti-racism-class-for-first-year-students/">in response to student demand</a>, Pitt started requiring all incoming students to take a one-credit course on anti-Black racism, (<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.provost.pitt.edu/anti-black-racism-history-ideology-and-resistance-final-course-syllabus">PITT 0210</a>) Anti-Black Racism: History, Ideology, and Resistance.

The College of General Studies offers a <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.cgs.pitt.edu/disability-studies-certificate">Disability Studies certificate</a>.

The Office for Equity, Diversity, &amp; Inclusion <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.diversity.pitt.edu/education">offers workshops and online trainings</a>, but these are not mandatory.&nbsp;

A student says, "I felt gender discriminated in my computer science program."

University of Pittsburgh

Note: There were mutual aid groups active during 2020, but they are now defunct.

<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://pittnews.com/article/181040/featured/tired-and-frustrated-students-with-disabilities-express-concerns-with-pitts-accessibility-disability-resources-office/">The Pitt News reports</a>, "[A student] described how difficult it is for her to access campus fully. For example, she could not attend a club meeting held in the lecture hall on the third floor of the Cathedral of Learning, leading her to break down in frustration.“I already had a shitty day, and when I got there I couldn’t get into the classroom because of the stairs,” Wolff said. “I started crying, I was just so tired and frustrated. It was like, why do I have to fight so hard? Just to access classes, student life, the ability to do anything on campus?”Other inaccessible areas on campus include the walkway connecting David Lawrence Hall to Litchfield Tower.

In 2022, the University Counseling Center, in collaboration with Pitt Police, created the <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://pittnews.com/article/170900/top-stories/university-counseling-center-pitt-police-collaborate-to-de-escalate-crisis-calls/">Pittsburgh Higher Education Assessment and Response Team (HEART)</a>, to “de-escalate crisis situations." However, the program merely seems to formalize coordination between mental health providers and the police, and <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.studentaffairs.pitt.edu/cc/heart/">the police are still the primary response for welfare checks</a> on campus.

Pitt does have an online report tool powered by the third-party app, Convercent, through the <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.compliance.pitt.edu/make-report">Pitt Concern Connection</a> website that allows community members to report a dizzying array of concerns, including "violations of academic protocols or policies," "bullying," and "violated university policy, codes, or guidelines." However, the reporting tool does not specifically target "distressed students," or "students of concern."However, Pitt does have a <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.studentaffairs.pitt.edu/dean/distressedstudents/">Care and Resource Support (CARS) Team</a>, which encourages community members to report distressed students by email.

Provost and Senior Vice Chancellor, Ann E. Cudd, <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://officeoftheprovost.createsend1.com/t/ViewEmail/j/889A07E189989D9E2540EF23F30FEDED">issued a statement that</a> "The killings of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, like so many before them, send the false and racist message that Black lives do not matter. We must work to right that wrong."

ED POL 500 Critical Theory in EducationGEOG 511 Critical Social Theory

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Remote learning can be requested as part of one's accommodations, though a student tells us that lectures are not normally recorded. <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://badgerherald.com/features/2022/02/28/equity-not-equality-uw-disability-community-mobilizes-for-more-equitable-accommodation-access-campus-climate/">The Badger Herald reports,</a> "[The Director of the McBurney Disability Resource Center] said remote learning has been a popular accommodation request for both students and faculty since the start of the pandemic. The process for students requesting remote learning is the same as other accommodations, but it does require more documentation to fully understand the barriers presented by in-person instruction."

UW-Madison offers many <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://disabilitystudies.wisc.edu/courses/">courses in Disability Studies</a>, but no formal curriculum.

UW-Madison launched a <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://accessible.wisc.edu/training/">Disability and Ableism Awareness Training</a> for faculty and staff in 2021, but it is not mandatory.

University of Wisconsin–Madison

Disability Cultural Center: <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://badgerherald.com/news/2023/02/10/disability-cultural-center-unveils-new-community-space-in-mcburney-center/">https://badgerherald.com/news/2023/02/10/disability-cultural-center-unveils-new-community-space-in-mcburney-center/</a>TAA Mutual Aid: <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://taa-madison.org/mac/">https://taa-madison.org/mac/</a>Peer Support: <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://win.wisc.edu/organization/badgersupportnetwork">https://win.wisc.edu/organization/badgersupportnetwork</a>&nbsp;

<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.dailycardinal.com/article/2023/03/uw-housing-plans-renovation-of-kronshage-humphrey-jorns-residence-halls">The Daily Cardinal reports</a>, "One of many updates to Kronshage, Humphrey and Jorns residence halls includes increased elevator access. It will be added to the Gilman, Mack and Chamberlin Houses in Kronshage, making more than half of Kronshage dorms 'ADA accessible' — a goal set by UW Housing."When we're thinking about campus infrastructure, which is very much the bare minimum of accessibility on a campus, we have all these infrastructure problems, and we don't have a great way of working around them,' said Emmett Lockwood, a university house fellow and former resident of Phillips Residence Hall."

Face recognition: <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://facerec.ece.wisc.edu/">https://facerec.ece.wisc.edu/</a>&nbsp;

https://doso.students.wisc.edu/report-an-issue/report-a-student-of-concern/

On May 31, 2020, the Office of the Chancellor <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://chancellor.wisc.edu/blog/a-message-to-our-community-3/">released a statement</a>, which said, "To our Black and Brown students, staff and faculty, I want to say unambiguously: You belong here, you are important to this campus, your lives matter and I am committed to your safety."

The Department of Germanic &amp; Slavic Languages &amp; Literatures offers a <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.colorado.edu/gsll/graduate-certificate-program-critical-theory">Graduate Certificate in Critical Theory</a>.

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Based on the responses we received, it's evident that students feel unsupported by CU Boulder Disability Services and on campus generally.&nbsp;A student shares their experience, writing, "It's annoying as all hell. I had to go through on campus services to get a 'rule-out diagnosis' for autism accommodations, because I am not diagnosed officially, and getting proper documentation from doctors for other disabilities is a huge pain... They refused to do it actually for autism solely, because I communicated well and did well in school as a kid, because I'm low-support-needs/high-masking. They ended up giving me one for anxiety, which I don't have, but it at least gave me the accommodation I asked for." Another autistic student writes that, the "Office of Disability Services is honestly more trouble than it's worth to me."Another student tells us, "Students are required to submit documentation to get accommodations for any type of disability. That includes temporary disabilities, like if you end up bedridden from COVID. If you are too sick to see a doctor independently and you don't have anyone to ask for help, you can't get accommodations and students are frequently forced to drop classes as a result. Personally, that's happened to me for about a dozen classes."Counseling staff told us that it can take 1-3 weeks to see a counselor after the initial intake appointment. Getting an appointment with one of the psychiatric staff usually takes longer.

A student tells us, "Lecture recordings are never available. Professors are actively discouraged from allowing any digital interaction with courses for disabled students. Rather than permitting zoom attendance for immunocompromised students who are worried about getting COVID or anything else, 'flex plans' are offered which allow students a handful of extra excused absences but they are not given notes, recordings or anything else. At best they can ask a friend for notes, but Disability Services does not help with that at all."

*This information was provided by staff at Disability Services.

The Department of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences offers a few Disability Studies courses such as SLHS&nbsp;1010 Disabilities in Contemporary American Society.

A student says, "As far as I'm aware, there is no DEI training for students or staff. Individual departments <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.colorado.edu/cisc/workshops">can request DEI workshops</a> for faculty from the Office of Diversity, Equity and Community Engagement. None of these workshops include anything related to accessibility, neurodivergent people, or interacting with any sort of disabled person in any way whatsoever. The only time there has been any kind of accessibility related programming at an official CU event was at this year's 'Ignite' conference (small, DEI-focused conference for students and faculty put on by CU) and it was a presentation we created and gave about masking (while 2/3rds of the audience was not masking)."

University of Colorado Boulder

Mutual Aid: <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.ucwcolorado.org/get-involved/#mutual-aid">https://www.ucwcolorado.org/get-involved/#mutual-aid</a>&nbsp;

However, a student writes that, "Accessible entrances can be tricky to get to/find sometimes."

Members of the community can report other students to <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cm.maxient.com/reportingform.php?UnivofColorado&amp;amp;layout_id=3">Student Support and Case Management</a> as well as employees of the university to the <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://cuboulder.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_bO9BTYS8qySOXNb">Behavioral Intervention Team</a>. CU Boulder also participates in Safe2Tell, an anonymous reporting hotline.

A student says, "There were emails about it a year ago, and there’s a big sign on campus supporting BLM."

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Two critically important resources for disabled students are consistently underfunded and understaffed at UW: the UW Counseling Center and the Disability Resources for Students (DRS) office.One student tells us, "The psychological counseling center is often overwhelmed and cannot see the amount of students who need their services or have to limit sessions. Because of this, it can take a while to get an appointment."<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.dailyuw.com/opinion/uw-celebrates-diversity-and-inclusion-while-failing-disabled-students/article_7dbe1d16-c10e-11ec-86b8-3b80290b1478.html">According to The Daily</a>, UW's student newspaper, DRS has been staffed at the same level for the past ten years despite an over 300% increase in the number of students registered with DRS during the same time period, resulting in unacceptable wait times for students needing accommodations.&nbsp;<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.dailyuw.com/news/drs-continues-to-struggle-to-accommodate-students-as-leadership-looks-to-revitalize-the-office/article_bcd4b734-ed41-11ed-9ab1-732a4a111435.html">A student tells the reporter</a>, “I scheduled an appointment [with DRS] but it never happened... It’s kinda frustrating because there are important things I need access to and there’s a timeline for everything at school.”

The Student Disability Commission at UW is working towards <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.dailyuw.com/news/governance/asuw-senate-calls-for-increased-access-to-remote-classes/article_060f55ac-87f0-11ec-892a-bfa1c825cd38.html">implementing hybrid remote/in-person options</a> for all courses.

The College of Arts &amp; Sciences offers a <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://disabilitystudies.washington.edu/DS_courses_programs">Disability Studies minor, major, and graduate certificate</a>.

University of Washington-Seattle Campus

Disability Cultural Center: <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://depts.washington.edu/dcenter/">https://depts.washington.edu/dcenter/</a>&nbsp;Mutual Aid: <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://linktr.ee/uwmutualaid">https://linktr.ee/uwmutualaid</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;

"There are two campuses, according to UW alumna Lindsey Muszkiewicz. There is the one that brings tourists to UW every spring, with beautiful cherry blossoms and well-maintained walkways. Then, there’s the one with back alleys and winding, broken roads, ignored by UW but used by every student in a wheelchair or with a mobility impairment" (<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.dailyuw.com/opinion/f-stairs-reveals-aesthetic-but-inaccessible-campus/article_e99e4060-c442-11ec-beb2-e771411c9b64.html">The Daily</a>).

https://www.washington.edu/safecampus/after-hours-resources/

https://dsl.uw.edu/staff-development/student-care-report-form/

A full year after the murder of George Floyd, UW President Ana Mari Cauce <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.washington.edu/president/2021/05/24/george-floyd-one-year/">finally released a statement</a>, saying, "Let’s remember to care for each other, always, but especially now, and let us recommit ourselves to a world in which Black opportunities, voices and lives matter."

Much higher than the national average!

The Law School offers LAW 671: Critical Theory, but this may not be accessible to undergraduate students.

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In 2019, Stanford settled a class-action lawsuit with Disability Rights Advocates for its “egregious” policies that coerced students to take leaves of absence if they experienced a mental health crisis. According to reporting by the <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.chronicle.com/article/stanfords-new-policy-for-student-mental-health-crises-is-hailed-as-a-model/">Chronicle of Higher Education</a>, “students said they had been falsely accused by administrators of disrupting the lives of their friends and had generally been treated as if they had committed behavioral infractions rather than simply asking for treatment, in an appropriate manner, for their disabilities during times of crisis.” One student told the reporter that, in recent years, students who were hospitalized for psychiatric treatment would “effectively disappear from campus.”A student says, "There is not really a Disability culture on campus and therefore a lot of folks just aren't aware. One very obvious case is having Professors and supervisors press more with questions asking for a diagnosis when I request accommodations or let them know about my preferred ways of working or communicating."Stanford has very draconian policies targeting neurodivergence, allowing members of its community to report "concerning behavior" through the <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://resed.stanford.edu/student-support/how-we-can-help">Student Affairs website</a> or on its <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="http://safety.stanford.edu/">Stanford Safety website</a> (login required). By providing two separate reporting systems for the purpose of threat assessment on the one hand, and care on the other, Stanford seems to be inviting members of the community to indulge whichever bias happens to fit their motivations for filing a report. Although its guidance cautions people not to allow “unexamined biases and prejudices” to shape their judgments based on “race, ethnicity, gender, religion and personal background,” Stanford overtly stigmatizes neurodivergence by presenting the following behaviors as warning signs of imminent violence: “Alienates him/herself from others/family,” “Changes in behavior (sudden or otherwise),” “Bizarre behavior,” “Displays paranoia,” “Change in appearance/declining hygiene,” and “Social isolation,” to name a few. Furthermore, many of these behaviors can be reasonable reactions to harm that students typically experience in an ableist and toxic environment like that at Stanford. One student told us, “Experiences with both campus counseling and accommodations office required lengthy wait times and lots of paperwork, among other things -- all what I was not in a state to do at the time and was part of exactly what I needed help with at the time. Students are assumed 'normal' and 'functional' and need to 'prove' otherwise, and that burden can feel very heavy.”<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://stanforddaily.com/2022/02/09/stanford-disability-community-space-celebrates-a-long-awaited-opening/">Approximately 19% of students</a> at Stanford are registered with the Office of Accessible Education. In 2022, The Stanford Daily published <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://stanforddaily.com/2022/04/22/community-voices-mental-health-at-stanford/">an unsettling compilation of comments</a> by members of the community on their struggles with mental health at Stanford. One sophomore wrote, “Mental health at Stanford is an afterthought. The administration’s neglect is single-handedly responsible for my breakdown. I spent 45 minutes on hold with CAPS during an emergency trying to get help before my parents rushed to get me.”Stanford has a student-run <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://web.stanford.edu/group/bridge/">peer counseling center</a> open 24 hours, and a <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://resed.stanford.edu/student-support">Dean-on-Call</a> is also available at all times for emergencies.

Lecture recordings can be requested by students <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/11gs3w9tUc_28UyAKrPHIUcbkp0ZqrOWjH2SirrGwYEA/edit">with approved accommodations</a> from the Office of Accessible Education.

The <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://disability.stanford.edu/academic-scholarship/disability-studies">Academic Scholarship Committee</a> says it is currently working to build a Disability Studies program at Stanford.

Someone who works at one of Stanford's cultural centers told us, "While we do have required trainings, the training we are supposed to take isn't inclusive of neuro-divergence." <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://stanforddaily.com/2021/04/15/editorial-board-stanford-needs-to-better-serve-the-disability-community/">The Editorial Board</a> of The Stanford Daily also wrote that, "There is currently limited dedicated anti-bias training provided to all Resident Assistants (RAs) and leaders of large campus organizations. RAs are provided with some anti-bias module, including one related to microaggressions and two related to active listening, but there is less training provided that is specifically tailored to certain forms of discrimination and prejudice, such as ableism."

A student says, "SO much curative rhetoric. SO SO much. A fair amount of 'inspiration porn' type of videos and class discussions, glossing over large parts of the Disabled experience to make non-Disabled people feel better."

Stanford University

Disability Cultural Center: <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://disability.stanford.edu/community/students/hub">https://disability.stanford.edu/community/students/hub</a>&nbsp;However, a student says, "It is technically a 'Disability Community Space' as they did not want to fund it at the level of the other cultural/community centers on campus."The Bridge Peer Counseling Center: <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://web.stanford.edu/group/bridge/">https://web.stanford.edu/group/bridge/</a>&nbsp;Note: Stanford had <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://sites.google.com/view/stanfordstudenthelpsite/home">Mutual Aid groups</a> established during the beginnings of the COVID pandemic, but the groups no longer seem to be active.

In 2021, the Editorial Board of The Stanford Daily <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://stanforddaily.com/2021/04/15/editorial-board-stanford-needs-to-better-serve-the-disability-community/">reported</a> that, "Stanford should address the ways that on-campus housing currently exacerbates social exclusion for students with disabilities. The Americans with Disabilities Act does not require dorm spaces outside of “social spaces,” like lounges, to comply with its accessibility guidelines. The lack of elevators in the vast majority of multi-story all freshman dorms — with the exception of those located in Florence Moore Hall — and all row houses attests to this distinction. But campus social life is often concentrated in these spaces — dorm rooms and shared spaces above and even below the ground floor — excising disabled students from key components of the student social experience."

In 2020, <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.ems1.com/mental-health/articles/stanford-students-on-psychiatric-hold-will-now-be-transported-by-ems-not-campus-police-efHIQzmLtu2LJ4gh/">Stanford announced</a> that students would be transported to the ER by the fire department rather than campus police, but the <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://studentaffairs.stanford.edu/redfolder#distress">Stanford Red Folder</a> still indicates that people should call 911 if “the student's behavior is dangerous, reckless, or threatening to themselves or others.”

https://studentaffairs.stanford.edu/redfolder#form

On April 20, 2021, after a Minneapolis police officer was found guilty for the murder of George Floyd, the president of Stanford, Marc Tessier-Lavigne, <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://news.stanford.edu/report/2021/04/20/the-verdict-in-minneapolis/">issued the following statement</a>: "First, to our Black community at Stanford, I want to say: Your lives matter, and your voices matter."

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University of Vermont did well on a number of metrics compared to its peers, but its rating was held down by problems with building accessibility on campus, particularly the residence halls. Counseling services also has a long wait time for initial appointments, and students are reportedly only given 3 sessions before they are referred to an outside provider. Most campuses offer 8-10 sessions.

A student tells us that, "Generally, it is up to the professor. If a student requires a recording as per a medical note, Student Accessibility Services (SAS) can mandate a recording be provided."

A student writes that, "SAS requires medical documentation. This can be through Student Health Services or Counseling and Psychiatry Services (CAPS) on campus."

UVM offers a Graduate Certificate in Disability Studies. There do not appear to be any undergraduate options in Disability Studies.

A student says, "I sat on the CAS DEI committee this semester and it’s something they are planning to put into place."

A student tells us that, "I have experienced ableism and witnessed discrimination countless times... mostly from the higher-ups in the Department of Residential Life." Another student says that a "biochem professor this semester said the R-word on the first day of class."

University of Vermont

See also: <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://vtcynic.com/news/new-student-group-pushes-for-better-accessibility-on-campus/">Disabled Student Union</a>

A student reports that, "Elevators are locked in all but one residential hall, including in halls that are 3+ stories tall. (I have been actively and unsuccessfully working to change this since last February.) Most, if not all, [academic] buildings have been built or modified to be ADA compliant. However, paths of access are consistently used as storage and/or blocked off entirely." Another student adds that "the elevator in MLS, which is one of the main academic buildings on campus, was broken for several weeks. Some of the elevators in academic buildings have certifications that have been expired for years."

https://www.uvm.edu/deanofstudents/student_advocacy/care_form

"In the fall of 2016, UVM was <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.uvm.edu/news/story/call-community">the first institution of higher education</a> in the United States to fly the Black Lives Matter (BLM) flag."

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