by Caitlyn Chaparro, Alexander L. James, and Erin Mayo
W
hen student affairs professionals are trained in matters of diversity, equity, and inclusion, there is plenty of focus on race, identity, and orientation, but issues of ability and accessibility are often unaddressed. This is an oversight, particularly for housing and residence life staff who increasingly are interacting with students and staff of differing physical and mental abilities. In fact, the 2015 book Universal Design in Higher Education: From Principles to Practice, edited by Sheryl Burgstahler, offers information from the National Center for Education Statistics noting that “the enrollment of students with disabilities, once rare, has grown to an estimated 11% of the student body in the United States.”
Certainly campus residence halls follow the regulations set forth in the Americans with Disabilities Act and its equivalents in other countries. And a number of recent construction and renovation projects have gone above and beyond the letter of the law to make the living experience as comfortable as possible for students with a variety of needs. But beyond the physical structures, work must still be done to create a sociocultural model that focuses on creating inclusive structures and practices that support students with disabilities. This enhanced approach will affect how an institution approaches the subject of disability, supports disability culture, and trains student and professional staff to better support these students.
Role-playing exercises such as Behind Closed Doors can be a useful way to prepare staff for a variety of scenarios. Again, because each person with a disability is unique and may require a unique response, this is less about providing a scripted response and more about being able to respond in a knowing and empathetic manner.
Disability categories include but are not limited to those that are developmental or are related to learning, medical, mobility, physical, psychological, and sensory issues. And while two different individuals may have the same diagnoses, how their disability affects them could be different. All this is to say that it is a mistake to make generalizations about the subject. The book Demystifying Disability: What to Know, What to Say, and How to Be an Ally by Emily Landau makes this clear: “It's important to remember that if you’ve met one disabled person, you’ve met one disabled person. And if you have a disability, then the only disability experience you’re an expert on is your own.” Ultimately, each student's journey is unique, and the resources that they need to be successful will be individualized to them. In that regard, the most successful training about disability inclusion does not provide staff with a script or a blueprint, but rather instills a mindset and an approach.
Exploring the language about a subject is a good place to begin expanding one’s understanding of it as well as demonstrating inclusivity and empathy. In the case of disability, one strategy is to be mindful of how an individual with a disability refers to themselves and then try to echo the same language. It is also preferable to utilize person-first language rather than identity-first language. The Employer Assistance and Resource Network on Disability Inclusion teaches that “person first language emphasizes the person before the disability, for example ‘person who is blind’ or ‘people with spinal cord injuries.’ Identity first language puts the disability first in the description, e.g., ‘disabled’ or ‘autistic.’” This may seem like a small difference, but ultimately it is important to observe how each individual with a disability communicates and reacts rather than basing expectations on their known or perceived disability.
Considering different approaches, no matter how small they may seem, and training staff accordingly sets them up to have conversations and interactions that support any student. One can’t assume, based on certain perceived behaviors or actions, that a student has a disability. Until this has been formally disclosed, they must be treated like any other student. Once advocacy or disclosure has occurred, it is crucial that the student staff rely on their training to support the student’s needs.
Providing training on disability awareness and best practices helps create a culture of open communication and dialogue. During these sessions, staff should be in a setting where they feel comfortable asking questions, sharing experiences, and learning from each other. At first, they will possess various levels of knowledge about disabilities, so beginning by asking staff questions to gauge their understanding of disabilities will help establish what they are interested in learning more about and what gaps may exist. Supervisors should be clear about what they are trying to achieve – whether that is to raise awareness, provide training on best practices, or simply start a conversation on the subject.
Supervisors should also be patient and understanding during this process. It may take time for staff, particularly students, to come to terms with their own biases and assumptions about disability. This potential awkwardness could actually encourage the incorporation of training about the dangers of microaggressions and implicit bias. Staff should also be encouraged to share their own experiences with the subject of disabilities, which can help create a sense of community and understanding while emphasizing that not all experiences are the same.
While these group discussions are beneficial, housing departments should not overlook the opportunity to partner with the campus’s disability services office for additional training support that can allow housing staff to talk through what they are learning (and unlearning) about disabilities without fear of judgment and discrimination.
Along with improving a staff’s understanding of students with disabilities, training should explore situations specific to housing and residence life. The knowledge base covered in these sessions should include an awareness of laws and regulations regarding disabilities as well as the process through which students can receive specialized accommodations on campus and in residence halls. This knowledge allows staff to provide information that students need and can clarify situations that might lead to unintentional exclusion or singling out. For example, if one student has an emotional support animal, the staff member may need to explain to other hall residents why they are unable to have a pet and still respect the privacy of the student with a disability.
Adequate training on helping and listening skills is the key to student staff being able to mediate a conflict, seeing past someone’s communication difficulties and creating space where both roommates are heard and validated.
Training should provide staff with talking points for cases when a student discloses a disability. As with other conversations around sensitive topics, staff should always remember that they can’t promise anonymity and confidentiality in their role. They can, however, offer the student an opportunity for a private conversation, with the understanding that only the appropriate individuals (such as a direct supervisor or the on-call staff) will be aware of the conversation. The book Life of the Mind Interrupted: Essays on Mental Health and Disability in Higher Education by Katie Rose Guest Pryal offers valuable details about how students’ privacy can be protected.
Role-playing exercises such as Behind Closed Doors can be a useful way to prepare staff for a variety of scenarios. Again, because each person with a disability is unique and may require a unique response, this is less about providing a scripted response and more about being able to respond in a knowing and empathetic manner. One common situation to address is fire drills. Whether the institution requires them to occur monthly or residents accidentally cause the alarm to go off, fire drills in a residence hall are unavoidable. Student staff can work with the student disabilities office on campus to compile a record of students registered with them and then engage in a conversation about what they need, which might be physical assistance to exit the building or advance notice of scheduled drills. In some cases, it may also be helpful for them to reside in a specific part of the building that ensures easy access to exits.
Staff can also help students understand a roommate’s disability and how they can talk openly to each other about it. Addressing each individual’s needs at the beginning of the year through a roommate agreement can avoid miscommunication and clarify boundaries and expectations for how both roommates will behave in their shared space. This agreement can be expanded to include a section where each roommate advocates for their individual needs, which works well as a platform for both of them to communicate their needs and preferences.
Those with communication-based disabilities such as autism or low processing speed may be dramatically direct or unable to process various social cues. In these instances, it's helpful to take time to understand the roommate better and learn their particular communication style. From a student staff perspective, it could also be helpful to serve as a moderator in times of conflict to make sure the person with the disability is fully heard by their roommate. Adequate training on helping and listening skills is the key to student staff being able to mediate a conflict, seeing past someone’s communication difficulties and creating space where both roommates are heard and validated.
Incorporating universal design principles across higher education supports a diverse community that is growing ever wider. Housing and residence life staff support that goal when they practice inclusive language, are aware of and advocate for students with disabilities, and support them holistically while keeping in mind their intersecting identities. Approaching the topic through the lens of diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging means avoiding tokenism and embracing the idea that, when interacting with someone with a disclosed disability, it is about the individual and not their disability. The disability, whether it may be visible or invisible, may, at times, impact aspects of staff and student engagement, but it should not dictate the engagement. It is critical to support students holistically in their residence hall experience so they can live comfortably within the halls and focus on their education.
Caitlyn Chaparro is a senior residence life coordinator and Alexander L. James is an area coordinator at Penn State University in University Park. Erin Mayo is an accessibility specialist at Williams College in Williamstown, Massachusetts.